JWST Detects the Earliest, Most Distant Galaxy in the Known Universe—And It’s Super Weird
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed an unusually large and highly luminous galaxy at a record-breaking 290 million years after the big bang
The North Star Has an Age-Defying Secret: Stellar Cannibalism
The iconic star Polaris appears to be much younger than its true age. The secret: it’s eating another star
The Science of Heliophysics Demands Its Moment in the Sun
NASA’s head of heliophysics explains how we weathered the worst solar storm of a generation—and discusses the challenges we face in preparing for the next one
Next-Generation Cosmic Observatory Hits South Pole Stumbling Block
Cosmic Microwave Background Stage 4, a top-priority project for U.S. astrophysics, was designed to make breakthrough observations of the universe’s very earliest moments. Now the U.S. government says it can’t currently support the project’s construction at the South Pole
Surprising Supernova Scars Cover the Earth
A supernova showering Earth with radioactive debris is a surprisingly common cosmic occurrence
We’ve Finally Seen Matter Plunge into a Black Hole
For the first time, scientists observed matter’s free fall into a black hole’s “plunging region”
How Can You ‘See’ a Black Hole?
How do astronomers find the darkest objects in the universe?
Don’t Panic—At Least, Not about a Nearby Supernova
An exploding star is a catastrophe on a cosmic scale, but here on Earth we’re safe from such astral disasters—for now
It’s Time for a Nature Preserve—On the Moon
The far side of the moon holds the keys to the future of radio astronomy. We must maintain its pristine silence to benefit everyone
Meet HELIX, the High-Altitude Balloon That May Solve a Deep Cosmic Mystery
Every now and then, tiny particles of antimatter strike Earth from cosmic parts unknown. A new balloon-borne experiment launching this spring may at last find their source
Collapsing Sheets of Spacetime Could Explain Dark Matter and Why the Universe ‘Hums’
Domain walls, long a divisive topic in physics, may be ideal explanations for some bizarre cosmic quirks
The Threat of a Solar Superstorm Is Growing—And We’re Not Ready
Someday an unlucky outburst from our sun could strike Earth and fry most of our electronics—and we’ve already had some too-close-for-comfort near misses