https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/nasa/ NASA pictures and NASA news. Science articles on NASA programs. Latest images from Hubble Telescope and much more. en-us Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:02:09 EDT Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:02:09 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/nasa/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022025.htm A major international effort has produced an ultra-precise measurement of the Universe’s expansion rate, confirming it’s faster than early-Universe models predict. By linking multiple distance-measuring techniques, scientists ruled out simple errors as the cause of the discrepancy. The persistent “Hubble tension” now looks more real than ever. It could mean our current model of the cosmos is incomplete. Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:37:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022025.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260409101101.htm A mysterious glow of gamma rays at the center of the Milky Way has long hinted at dark matter, but the lack of similar signals in smaller dwarf galaxies has cast doubt on that idea. Now, researchers propose a bold twist: dark matter might not be a single particle at all, but a mix of two different types that must interact with each other to produce detectable signals. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:34:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260409101101.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260407193919.htm For all its ancient, familiar features, the Moon is still changing—and sometimes in dramatic ways. Scientists recently identified a fresh 22-meter-wide crater by comparing orbital images taken years apart, revealing a relatively recent impact that no one actually saw happen. The collision blasted bright material outward in striking rays, making the new crater stand out sharply against the darker lunar surface. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:43:43 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260407193919.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260405003753.htm Mars may look like a quiet, dusty world, but it’s actually buzzing with hidden electrical activity. Powerful dust storms and swirling dust devils generate static electricity strong enough to spark faint glowing discharges across the planet, triggering chemical reactions that reshape its surface and atmosphere. Scientists have now shown that these tiny lightning-like events can create a surprising mix of chemicals—including chlorine compounds and carbonates—and even leave behind distinct isotopic “fingerprints.” Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:54:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260405003753.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403002014.htm Saturn’s magnetic field isn’t the smooth, symmetrical shield scientists see around Earth. Instead, it’s noticeably skewed, and researchers now think they understand why. By analyzing years of data from the Cassini spacecraft, scientists found that a key region where solar particles enter Saturn’s atmosphere is consistently shifted to one side. This distortion appears to be driven by the planet’s rapid spin combined with a thick cloud of charged particles coming from its moon Enceladus. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:44:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403002014.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402042759.htm A new concept suggests SpaceX’s Starship could revolutionize a future mission to Uranus, one of the solar system’s most overlooked planets. By refueling in orbit and helping slow the spacecraft on arrival, it could cut travel time nearly in half. That’s a big deal for a mission that would otherwise take over a decade just to arrive. If it works, it could finally open the door to studying this strange, tilted world up close. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:00:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402042759.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402004721.htm A new era of lunar exploration has begun as NASA launches four astronauts on Artemis II—the first crewed mission to fly around the Moon in over 50 years. Riding aboard the powerful SLS rocket, the Orion spacecraft is now on a 10-day journey that will test critical systems, push human spaceflight farther than it’s gone in decades, and set the stage for future Moon landings and eventual missions to Mars. Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:08:04 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402004721.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260330001156.htm Astronomers have spotted a bizarre cosmic explosion that refuses to play by the rules—and it’s leaving scientists scrambling for answers. GRB 250702B, detected by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and a global network of observatories, lasted an astonishing seven hours—far longer than typical gamma-ray bursts, which usually fade in under a minute. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:33:20 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260330001156.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260325005926.htm Astronomers have narrowed down the cosmic search for life, identifying fewer than 50 rocky planets among thousands of known exoplanets that may have the right conditions to support life. Using new data from ESA’s Gaia mission and NASA archives, researchers pinpointed worlds in the “habitable zone,” where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist. Some of the most intriguing targets include nearby systems like TRAPPIST-1 and Proxima Centauri, offering tantalizing possibilities just dozens of light-years away. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:56:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260325005926.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064449.htm Kepler-51d is a giant, ultra-light “super-puff” planet wrapped in an unusually thick haze that’s blocking scientists from seeing what it’s made of. Observations from JWST revealed that this haze may be one of the largest ever detected, possibly stretching as wide as Earth itself. The planet’s low density and close orbit don’t match existing models of how gas giants form or survive. Now, researchers are left with more questions than answers about how such a strange world came to be. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:47:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064449.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317015938.htm The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details in a bizarre nebula that looks like a brain floating in space. Formed by a dying star, the “Exposed Cranium” nebula shows layered gas and a dark central divide that creates its eerie shape. Webb’s infrared view suggests powerful jets may be shaping the structure. The images capture a brief and dramatic phase in a star’s final evolution. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:59:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317015938.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030452.htm Mars didn’t always look like the barren world we see today. Over billions of years, the Sun’s solar wind stripped away much of its atmosphere, helping transform it from a warmer, wetter planet into a frozen desert. NASA’s twin-spacecraft ESCAPADE mission aims to watch this process in action by measuring how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ fragile magnetic environment. The findings could reveal how Mars lost its habitability—and help prepare humans for future missions there. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 03:04:52 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030452.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030449.htm NASA’s Curiosity rover is investigating strange spiderweb-like ridges on Mars that may reveal a hidden chapter of the planet’s watery history. These “boxwork” formations likely formed when groundwater flowed through cracks in the rock, leaving minerals that hardened into ridges while surrounding material eroded away. New chemical analyses of drilled rock samples show minerals linked to water activity. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 21:08:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030449.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260312020101.htm Scientists have grown chickpeas in simulated moon soil, offering a promising step toward farming on the lunar surface. Researchers mixed moon-like regolith with worm-produced compost and helpful fungi that protect plants from toxic metals. The combination allowed chickpeas to grow and produce a harvest in soil that normally cannot support plant life. Scientists now need to confirm the crops are safe and nutritious for astronauts. Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:56:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260312020101.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260311213429.htm Astronomers have caught what may be a rare cosmic catastrophe unfolding 11,000 light-years away. A seemingly ordinary sun-like star suddenly began flickering wildly, puzzling scientists until they realized the strange dimming was caused by vast clouds of hot dust and debris drifting across the star. The most likely explanation is a violent planetary collision—two worlds smashing together and scattering glowing material throughout the system. Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:08:41 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260311213429.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260305182705.htm A sweeping new ALMA image has peeled back the veil on the Milky Way’s core, exposing a dense network of cold gas filaments near the central black hole. Stretching across 650 light-years, the survey maps the hidden fuel for star formation in remarkable detail and reveals a surprisingly complex chemical brew. This extreme region hosts some of the galaxy’s most massive, short-lived stars. The findings could help explain how stars — and even entire galaxies — formed under the universe’s most chaotic conditions. Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:27:05 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260305182705.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071945.htm Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may have been born in a colossal cosmic crash. New research suggests Titan formed when two older moons slammed together hundreds of millions of years ago—an event so violent it reshaped Saturn’s entire moon system and may have indirectly sparked the formation of its iconic rings. Clues come from Titan’s unusual orbit, its surprisingly smooth surface, and the strange behavior of the tumbling moon Hyperion. Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:19:45 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071945.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260226042445.htm Scientists at the University of Oxford have finally settled a decades-long mystery about the Moon’s magnetic field — and it turns out both sides were right. By reanalyzing Apollo mission rocks, they discovered that the Moon did occasionally generate an incredibly powerful magnetic field, even stronger than Earth’s — but only for fleeting bursts lasting thousands of years or less. Most of the time, the Moon’s magnetic field was weak. Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:03:17 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260226042445.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260225081147.htm Mars’ frozen ice caps may be time capsules for ancient life. Lab experiments show that key building blocks of proteins can survive tens of millions of years in pure ice, even under relentless cosmic radiation. Ice mixed with Martian-like soil, however, destroys organic material far more quickly. The findings point future missions toward drilling into clean, buried ice rather than studying rocks or dirt. Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:13:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260225081147.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260221000303.htm For the first time, scientists have mapped Uranus’s upper atmosphere in three dimensions, tracking temperatures and charged particles up to 5,000 kilometers above the clouds. Webb’s sharp vision revealed glowing auroral bands and unexpected dark regions shaped by the planet’s wildly tilted magnetic field. Sat, 21 Feb 2026 02:31:36 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260221000303.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031532.htm Researchers have uncovered more than a thousand previously unknown tectonic ridges across the Moon’s dark plains, showing the Moon is still contracting and reshaping itself. These features are among the youngest geological structures on the lunar surface. Because they form through the same forces linked to past moonquakes, they could signal new seismic hotspots. Wed, 18 Feb 2026 07:49:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031532.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212023020.htm Scientists have uncovered evidence of a massive underground lava tube hidden beneath the surface of Venus, revealing a new layer of the planet’s volcanic history. By reexamining radar data from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft, researchers identified what appears to be a huge empty conduit near the volcanic region Nyx Mons. The structure could be nearly a kilometer wide and extend for dozens of kilometers below the surface. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:46:52 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212023020.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011014.htm A colossal ancient impact may have reshaped the Moon far more deeply than scientists once realized. By analyzing rare lunar rocks brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the Moon’s largest crater, researchers found unusual chemical fingerprints pointing to extreme heat and material loss caused by a giant impact. The collision likely stripped away volatile elements, reshaped volcanic activity, and left a lasting chemical signature deep below the surface. Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:04:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011014.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260206012217.htm Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus in 1986 recorded radiation levels so extreme they baffled scientists for nearly 40 years. New research suggests the spacecraft caught Uranus during a rare solar wind event that flooded the planet’s radiation belts with extra energy. Similar storms have been seen near Earth, where they dramatically boost radiation levels. The discovery reshapes how scientists think about Uranus—and why it deserves another visit. Sat, 07 Feb 2026 11:41:34 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260206012217.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260203020205.htm Astronomers have produced the most detailed map yet of dark matter, revealing the invisible framework that shaped the Universe long before stars and galaxies formed. Using powerful new observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the research shows how dark matter gathered ordinary matter into dense regions, setting the stage for galaxies like the Milky Way and eventually planets like Earth. Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:48:13 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260203020205.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084555.htm NASA’s Perseverance rover has just made history by driving across Mars using routes planned by artificial intelligence instead of human operators. A vision-capable AI analyzed the same images and terrain data normally used by rover planners, identified hazards like rocks and sand ripples, and charted a safe path across the Martian surface. After extensive testing in a virtual replica of the rover, Perseverance successfully followed the AI-generated routes, traveling hundreds of feet autonomously. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:45:55 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084555.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260127010142.htm Bright white rocks spotted by NASA’s Perseverance rover are rewriting what we thought we knew about ancient Mars. These aluminum-rich clays, called kaolinite, usually form on Earth only after millions of years of heavy rainfall in warm, humid environments—conditions similar to tropical rainforests. Their presence on today’s cold, dry Mars suggests the planet once had abundant rain, flowing water, and possibly lush oases long ago. Even more puzzling, the rocks are scattered across the landscape with no obvious source nearby, hinting at dramatic ancient events like floods, river transport, or asteroid impacts. Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:34:56 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260127010142.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126075846.htm Webb’s latest image of the Helix Nebula reveals a dramatic close-up of a dying star shedding its outer layers. The detailed view highlights glowing knots of gas shaped by fast-moving stellar winds colliding with older material. Changes in color trace a shift from scorching hot gas near the center to cooler regions farther out. The scene captures how stellar death helps supply the building blocks for future worlds. Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:32:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126075846.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124234535.htm NASA is moving into a new phase of space exploration, with major progress across human spaceflight, science missions, and advanced technology. In just one year, the agency has launched multiple crewed and science missions, test-flown new aircraft, and pushed forward plans for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. With Artemis II set to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, NASA is laying the groundwork not just for a return to the lunar surface, but for a sustained human presence in deep space. Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:25:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124234535.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003813.htm A distant Sun-like star suddenly went dark for months, stunning astronomers who quickly realized something massive was passing in front of it. Observations revealed a gigantic disk of gas and dust filled with vaporized metals, swirling around an unseen companion object. For the first time, scientists directly measured the motion of these metallic winds inside such a disk. The findings suggest that even ancient star systems can still experience catastrophic planetary smashups. Sat, 24 Jan 2026 22:45:03 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003813.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122032004.htm NASA astronaut Suni Williams has retired after 27 years of service and a career defined by endurance, leadership, and firsts in space. She spent 608 days in orbit, completed nine spacewalks, and twice commanded the International Space Station. Williams flew on everything from the space shuttle to Boeing’s Starliner, playing a key role in shaping modern human spaceflight. Her legacy will influence future missions to the Moon and beyond. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:11:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122032004.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034114.htm Solar Orbiter has captured the clearest evidence yet that a solar flare grows through a cascading “magnetic avalanche.” Small, weak magnetic disturbances rapidly multiplied, triggering stronger and stronger explosions that accelerated particles to extreme speeds. The process produced streams of glowing plasma blobs that rained through the Sun’s atmosphere long after the flare itself. Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:41:14 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034114.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260118064633.htm A huge bar of iron has been discovered lurking inside the iconic Ring Nebula. The structure is enormous, spanning hundreds of times the size of Pluto’s orbit and containing a Mars-sized amount of iron. It was detected using a new instrument that allowed astronomers to map the nebula in far greater detail than ever before. The origin of the iron bar is still a mystery, with one theory suggesting it could be the remains of a vaporized planet. Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:24:20 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260118064633.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116045344.htm SpaceX Crew-11 splashed down safely in the Pacific after more than five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. The four astronauts completed over 140 experiments and traveled nearly 71 million miles around Earth. NASA brought the crew home earlier than planned due to a medical concern, with officials confirming the affected crew member is stable. The mission underscores how quickly today’s space programs can adapt while keeping astronauts safe. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:53:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116045344.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260115022801.htm For years, strange red dots in James Webb images left scientists puzzled. New research shows they are young black holes hidden inside dense clouds of gas, glowing as they devour their surroundings. These black holes are smaller than expected but grow rapidly, shedding light on how supermassive black holes appeared so early in cosmic history. The finding reveals a violent and messy phase of the universe’s youth. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:13:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260115022801.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260110211158.htm Scientists have discovered an enormous stream of super-hot gas erupting from a nearby galaxy, driven by a powerful black hole at its center. The jets stretch farther than the galaxy itself and spiral outward in a rare, never-before-seen pattern. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope pierced through thick dust to reveal this violent outflow. The process is so intense it’s robbing the galaxy of star-forming gas at a staggering rate. Sat, 10 Jan 2026 23:02:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260110211158.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107221836.htm Europa’s buried ocean has made it one of the most exciting places to search for life beyond Earth. However, new calculations suggest its seafloor may be calm, cold, and largely inactive, with little energy to support living organisms. Unlike Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, Europa experiences weaker tidal forces that fail to drive underwater geology. The ocean may exist, but it could be a very quiet place. Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:32:25 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107221836.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260105165822.htm Mars looks familiar from afar, but surviving there means creating a protective oasis in a hostile world. Instead of shipping construction materials from Earth, researchers are exploring how to use Martian soil as the raw ingredient. Two tough microbes could work together to bind dust into a concrete-like material and even help generate oxygen. The vision: 3D-print habitats using local resources, one experiment at a time. Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:13:55 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260105165822.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260104202730.htm Tiny bits of Earth’s atmosphere have been drifting to the moon for billions of years, guided by Earth’s magnetic field. Rather than blocking particles, the magnetic field can funnel them along invisible lines that sometimes stretch all the way to the moon. This explains mysterious gases found in Apollo samples and suggests lunar soil may hold a long-term archive of Earth’s history. It could also become a valuable resource for future lunar explorers. Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:47:06 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260104202730.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251231203753.htm The Champagne Cluster is a rare and beautiful example of two galaxy clusters smashing together. Its festive name comes from both its New Year’s Eve discovery and its bubbly appearance in space. Images reveal superheated gas and galaxies spread across a massive collision zone. Astronomers believe this system could help explain how dark matter responds when giant structures collide. Wed, 31 Dec 2025 21:04:28 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251231203753.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074458.htm Thanks to Einstein’s relativity, time flows differently on Mars than on Earth. NIST scientists have now nailed down the difference, showing that Mars clocks tick slightly faster—and fluctuate over the Martian year. These microsecond shifts could play a big role in future Mars navigation, communications, and even a solar-system-wide internet. It’s a small time gap with big consequences for space exploration. Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:54:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074458.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074453.htm Scientists have detected the most distant supernova ever seen, exploding when the universe was less than a billion years old. The event was first signaled by a gamma-ray burst and later confirmed using the James Webb Space Telescope, which was able to isolate the blast from its faint host galaxy. Surprisingly, the explosion closely resembles supernovae linked to gamma-ray bursts in the modern universe. Sun, 28 Dec 2025 11:27:21 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074453.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227082708.htm New high-resolution images show that novae are anything but simple stellar fireworks. One exploded with multiple gas streams colliding almost immediately, while another shockingly delayed its eruption for more than 50 days before unleashing a powerful blast. These complex outflows create shock waves that produce intense gamma rays, confirming long-standing theories with direct visual evidence. The findings reveal novae as evolving, multi-stage events rather than single, instant explosions. Wed, 31 Dec 2025 16:22:51 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227082708.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004146.htm A newly discovered exoplanet is rewriting the rules of what planets can be. Orbiting a city-sized neutron star, this Jupiter-mass world has a bizarre carbon-rich atmosphere filled with soot clouds and possibly diamonds at its core. Its extreme gravity stretches it into a lemon shape, and it completes a full orbit in under eight hours. Scientists are stunned — no known theory explains how such a planet could exist. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:14:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004146.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004142.htm A newly identified region on Mars may hold the key to future human landings. Researchers found evidence of water ice less than a meter beneath the surface, close enough to be harvested for water, oxygen, and fuel. The location strikes a rare balance between sunlight and cold, helping preserve the ice. It could also offer clues about whether Mars once supported life. Sat, 27 Dec 2025 01:42:59 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004142.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225035346.htm Astronomers tracking a nearby star system thought they had spotted an exoplanet reflecting light from its star. Then it vanished. Even stranger, another bright object appeared nearby. After studying years of Hubble Space Telescope data, scientists realized they were not seeing planets at all, but the glowing debris left behind by two massive collisions between asteroid-sized bodies. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:02:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225035346.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251224032404.htm Scientists are digging into the hidden makeup of carbon-rich asteroids to see whether they could one day fuel space exploration—or even be mined for valuable resources. By analyzing rare meteorites that naturally fall to Earth, researchers have uncovered clues about the chemistry, history, and potential usefulness of these ancient space rocks. While large-scale asteroid mining is still far off, the study highlights specific asteroid types that may be promising targets, especially for water extraction. Thu, 25 Dec 2025 03:01:25 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251224032404.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251220104621.htm For years, scientists thought Saturn’s moon Titan hid a global ocean beneath its frozen surface. A new look at Cassini data now suggests something very different: a thick, slushy interior with pockets of liquid water rather than an open sea. A subtle delay in how Titan deforms under Saturn’s gravity revealed this stickier structure. These slushy environments could still be promising places to search for life. Sat, 20 Dec 2025 10:52:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251220104621.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251216081941.htm A mysterious cloud of ultra-hot dust around Kappa Tucanae A may finally have an explanation: a hidden companion star. The star’s extreme orbit carries it straight through the dust zone, strongly suggesting it plays a key role in keeping the dust alive. This finding could help astronomers untangle one of the biggest challenges in imaging Earth-like exoplanets. It also opens the door to discovering similar hidden companions around other stars. Wed, 17 Dec 2025 05:21:49 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251216081941.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251213032607.htm Webb’s latest observations reveal a hellish world cloaked in an unexpected atmosphere: TOI-561 b, an ultra-hot rocky planet racing around its star in under 11 hours. Despite being blasted by intense radiation that should strip it bare, the planet appears to host a thick layer of gases above a global magma ocean, making it far less dense than expected. Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:01:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251213032607.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251211100625.htm TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized world in the system’s habitable zone, is drawing scientific attention as researchers hunt for signs of an atmosphere—and potentially life-supporting conditions. Early James Webb observations hint at methane, but the signals may instead come from the star itself, a small ultracool M dwarf whose atmospheric behavior complicates interpretation. Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:22:49 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251211100625.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043036.htm Scientists are testing a novel way to measure cosmic expansion using time delays in gravitationally lensed quasars. Their results match “local” measurements but clash with early-universe estimates, strengthening the mysterious Hubble tension. This mismatch could point to new physics rather than observational error. Researchers now aim to boost precision to solve the puzzle. Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:26:59 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043036.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251205054743.htm Scientists have discovered that moonquakes, not meteoroids, are responsible for shifting terrain near the Apollo 17 landing site. Their analysis points to a still-active fault that has been generating quakes for millions of years. While the danger to short missions is low, long-term lunar bases could face increasing risk. The findings urge future planners to avoid building near scarps and to prioritize new seismic instruments. Sun, 07 Dec 2025 03:15:36 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251205054743.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203084928.htm For thirty years, SOHO has watched the Sun from a stable perch in space, revealing the inner workings of our star and surviving crises that nearly ended the mission. Its long-term observations uncovered a single global plasma conveyor belt inside the Sun, detailed how solar brightness subtly shifts over the solar cycle, and turned SOHO into an unexpected comet-hunting champion with more than 5,000 discoveries. Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:03:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203084928.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251129053349.htm Nearly a century after astronomers first proposed dark matter to explain the strange motions of galaxies, scientists may finally be catching a glimpse of it. A University of Tokyo researcher analyzing new data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected a halo of high-energy gamma rays that closely matches what theories predict should be released when dark matter particles collide and annihilate. The energy levels, intensity patterns, and shape of this glow align strikingly well with long-standing models of weakly interacting massive particles, making it one of the most compelling leads yet in the hunt for the universe’s invisible mass. Sat, 29 Nov 2025 09:21:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251129053349.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251125081923.htm Michigan State University astrophysicists are closing in on one of space science’s biggest mysteries: where the galaxy’s most energetic particles come from. Their studies uncovered a pulsar wind nebula behind a mysterious LHAASO signal and set important X-ray constraints on other potential sources. Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:49:23 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251125081923.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251123115431.htm About 4.5 billion years ago, a colossal impact between the young Earth and a mysterious planetary body called Theia changed everything—reshaping Earth, forming the Moon, and scattering clues across space rocks. By examining subtle isotopic fingerprints in Earth and Moon samples, scientists have reconstructed Theia’s possible composition and birthplace. Sun, 23 Nov 2025 13:03:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251123115431.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251120002619.htm New observations show that asteroid 1998 KY26 is a mere 11 meters across and spinning twice as fast as previously thought. The discovery adds complexity to Hayabusa2’s 2031 mission but also heightens scientific interest. The asteroid’s composition remains uncertain, making the encounter even more compelling. Insights from this work could improve future asteroid-defense and exploration efforts. Fri, 21 Nov 2025 04:19:58 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251120002619.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251117095650.htm Cutting-edge simulations show that Enceladus’ plumes are losing 20–40% less mass than earlier estimates suggested. The new models provide sharper insights into subsurface conditions that future landers may one day probe directly. Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:59:29 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251117095650.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251116105513.htm LHAASO has uncovered that micro-quasars, black holes feeding on companion stars, are powerful PeV particle accelerators. Their jets produce ultra-high-energy gamma rays and protons that exceed long-held expectations. Precise cosmic-ray measurements reveal a new high-energy component, suggesting multiple sources within the Milky Way. These findings finally tie the “knee” structure to black hole jet systems. Sun, 16 Nov 2025 11:46:04 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251116105513.htm