space

Mirror-image molecule near Milky Way’s heart gives glimmer of life’s origins

By Nsikan Akpan

A weird chemical phenomenon called chirality, which is critical for life, has been observed in space for the first time.

World’s largest radio telescope faces retirement due to stagnant funding

By Sarah Scoles, Scientific American

The National Science Foundation is considering pulling its support from the famous Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico…

Supermassive black holes spawn galactic deserts without new stars

By Nsikan Akpan

Astronomers find a supermassive black hole that stifles star formation by causing galactic warming.

Fossilized bubbles could expand our search for habitable planets

By Nsikan Akpan

Bubbles buried in ancient lava on Earth may guide the search of habitable exoplanets.

NASA’s Kepler mission doubles tally of exoplanets by weeding out impostors

By Nsikan Akpan

NASA has confirmed 1,284 exoplanets, the largest number announced at once, thanks to a new math formula.

Mercury makes rare trip between the Earth and the sun

By Nsikan Akpan

Don't miss Mercury's transit! It only happens 13 times per century.

Two in a row! SpaceX sticks second, trickier sea landing

By Nsikan Akpan

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket pulls off tougher second landing on a droneship barge at sea.

Stephen Hawking and billionaire plan interstellar cruise with $100 million initiative

By Nsikan Akpan

Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking and Russian-born billionaire announce new quest for space exploration.

SpaceX pulls off first successful mid-ocean rocket landing

By Daniel Costa-Roberts

Four failed attempts and years of effort paid off Friday, as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster re-entered Earth's atmosphere and lowered itself vertically onto a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean -- the company's first successful landing at sea.