Space

Mar 8th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Jupiter's aurora is larger, stronger, and far more constant than Earth's northern lights. Scientists have now discovered something unexpected within that glowing chaos: a sharp cold patch and dramatic swings in density high above the giant planet. The surprise came from close study of two bright marks tied to Jupiter's moons Io and Europa . These marks, called auroral footprints, form when the moons interact with Jupiter's huge magnetic field and send charged particles ... [Read More]

Mar 8th, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Live Science Newsletter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and ... [Read More]

Mar 7th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Earth's atmosphere may feel permanent, but it is slowly leaking into space. New research suggests some of that lost air does not disappear. Instead, it drifts outward and settles onto the Moon, quietly accumulating in lunar soil over billions of years. That process matters for both science and exploration. The Moon may preserve a chemical record of Earth's ancient atmosphere, and those same materials could one day support future lunar missions. Using computer simulations, ... [Read More]

Mar 7th, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Live Science Newsletter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, March 6 With no Moon in the early-evening sky, let's chase down a classic deep-sky object tonight: M1, the first entry in Charles Messier's list of "not comets" and also known as the Crab Nebula.  This smudge of gas and dust left over from a massive star's supernova blast is located just 1.1° northwest of 3rd-magnitude Zeta (ζ) Tauri, the southernmost of Taurus the Bull's two horns. It's more than 60° above the ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - A newly spotted galaxy drags star-studded tentacles through a cosmic headwind billions of years ago. Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a rare jellyfish galaxy 8.5 billion light-years from Earth, offering a pristine look at how cosmic environments violently shut down star formation. Officially named COSMOS2020-635829, this distant system challenges established timelines by proving that ancient galaxy clusters were already hostile enough to choke off star formation ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - NASA defense test kicked asteroid off course — and changed its orbit around the sun A test to prove humanity could protect Earth from threatening space rocks. Four years ago, NASA purposely smashed a spacecraft into a small asteroid to see if they could deflect it — a test to prove humanity could protect Earth from threatening space rocks. The experiment pushed the moonlet asteroid Dimorphos into a smaller, faster route around its sibling Didymos — and according to new ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - A team of scientists has confirmed that the nearby star GJ 887 hosts at least four planets, one of which could be a habitable world — the second closest to our own solar system. M dwarfs are the most prevalent stars in our galaxy and are some of the best targets for hunting exoplanets. Their low luminosity and small size mean orbiting planets can have shorter periods and are easier to detect. In a paper posted to the arXiv preprint server and accepted for publication in Astronomy & ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - 'Conan the Bacterium' could really conquer the solar system, new study suggests Chalk up another victory for "Conan the Bacterium"—a rugged germ that fresh research suggests could conquer the solar system. Better known as Deinococcus radiodurans, this microbe is arguably the toughest organism known to science . Past studies have shown it can endure extreme cold, intense radiation, harsh chemicals and profound dehydration—all evolutionary adaptations, perhaps, to what's thought to be ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - Reading time 3 minutes When the surface of the Sun exploded with activity in May 2024, Earth was hit by the biggest solar storm in more than two decades . The video shown below—made from images captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory—shows the powerful solar flare and coronal mass ejection that sent an onslaught of charged particles hurtling toward us. But of course, our planet wasn't the only one in the line of fire. A study published today in the journal Nature ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - Astronomers have a new map to find an alien civilization by looking for stars that appear impossibly cold. While it sounds like the plot of an Andy Weir novel, if an advanced civilization wanted to tap nearly all the power of its star, it could gather energy by putting a giant collection of light-catching structures around the star and just directly harvest the energy. That's the foundation of the " Dyson sphere " idea Freeman Dyson laid out in 1960, though most modern versions imagine a swarm ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - Of all the asteroids that have imperiled the planet, 2024 YR4 is unparalleled. Soon after it was spotted in December 2024, worldwide telescopic observations quickly positioned it as the most dangerous space rock ever discovered —one that stood a 3.1-percent (or 1-in-32) chance of crashing into Earth on December 22, 2032. If it were to hit one of the cities potentially in its path, this 60-meter asteroid would have unleashed a force comparable to several atomic bombs, devastating the ... [Read More]

Mar 4th, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Live Science Newsletter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - Reading time 2 minutes A massive star nearing the end of its life has donned a new face, changing color and becoming hotter in a surprisingly short amount of time. The dramatic transformation may be indicative of its impending doom, giving us a rare opportunity to witness a supernova in the making. A team of astronomers has been monitoring a red supergiant star in the Large Magellanic Cloud over the past decade, recording an increase in surface temperatures as it evolved to a yellow hypergiant ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Could a frozen moon hide a boiling ocean under its icy skin? That idea may sound like science fiction, but new research shows it could be real. Many moons that orbit the outer planets look cold and lifeless. Thick ice covers their surfaces. However, deep below that frozen layer, liquid water may exist. Since water is essential for life, scientists see these moons as exciting places to explore. A recent study published in Nature Astronomy takes a closer look at what ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Live Science Newsletter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and ... [Read More]