We live near a fusion reactor in space that provides all our heat and light. That reactor is also responsible for the creation of various elements heavier than hydrogen, and that's true of all stars. So, how do we know that stars are element generators? Many clues lie hidden in stellar spectra, since they contain fingerprints of various elements cooked up by the stars.
Space News & Blog Articles
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A mystery object is holding this 120 million-mile-wide cloud of vaporized metal together
"Stars like the sun don’t just stop shining for no reason."
NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket is on the launch pad. What's next?
Artemis 2 is at the launch pad, but several big tests must be performed before it launches as soon as Feb. 6.
The Many Faces of Monster Galaxies
Some galaxies in the early universe were absolute powerhouses, churning out stars at rates that would dwarf the Milky Way's modest stellar production. These "monster galaxies," buried deep in dust between 10 and 12 billion years ago, are thought to be the ancestors of today's giant elliptical galaxies. But what drove them to grow so violently has remained frustratingly unclear.
An Almost-Famous Galaxy Cluster Is The JWST's Picture Of The Month
A team of predominantly Canadian researchers are using massive galaxy clusters and the JWST to study low-mass galaxies from 13.5 billion years ago all the way up to 5 billion years ago. The clusters are used as gravitational lenses to expand the JWST's reach. It's called CANUCS, the Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will refly booster on next launch of powerful New Glenn rocket
Blue Origin will use a flight-proven booster on the next launch of its New Glenn rocket. The liftoff, which is targeted for late February, will be just the third for New Glenn to date.
Two cosmic dogs rule the winter sky — here's how to spot them this week
Learn how to spot Sirius, Procyon and their canine constellations, and discover the myths and science behind the dog stars.
By the power of nostalgia! The live-action 'Masters of the Universe' trailer is finally here, and it actually looks good (video)
Spawned by Mattel's classic 1980s toy line, this summer spectacle arrives June 5, 2026.
A colossal asteroid may have warped the moon from the inside out
The findings are a big clue as to why the far and near hemispheres of the moon look so different.
'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau explain why this is the perfect series for Trek's 60th anniversary (interview)
'For the look of the Athena, our ship has wings, and that was very intentional.'
Houston Texans celebrate upcoming Artemis 2 mission | Space photo of the day for Jan. 23, 2025
Leaders from NASA's Johnson Space Center and NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins helped turn a Texans home game into a pop-up space expo.
Why binoculars are best for beginner astronomers to stargaze
Here's why a pair of binoculars is your best option for stargazing as a beginner.
Scientists Measure Mars's Effect on Earth's Climate
Tiny Mars might have an outsize effect on Earth's climate over hundreds of thousands of years.
'For All Mankind' Season 5 shows off Martian motorbiking in Apple TV's 1st teaser trailer (video)
Bikers on Mars, but no mice in sight.
Martian Moon Deimos Might Have Reshaped Itself and Its Orbit
A new study suggests that an early version of Mars’s smaller moon Deimos was pulverized by its own debris, explaining the moon's oddities.
Ignis mission timelapses: Earth and Moon views from the International Space Station
Video: 00:09:35
ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski captured these stunning timelapse videos during his 20-day stay aboard the International Space Station as part of Axiom Mission 4, known as Ignis. Filmed from the Cupola – the Space Station’s iconic seven-windowed observation module – the footage showcases breathtaking views of Earth and the Moon from orbit.
Rocket Lab's new Neutron rocket suffers fuel tank rupture during test
Rocket Lab's first Neutron rocket buckled under pressure when its main stage tank ruptured during an overnight test in Wallops, Virginia.
Electric Shocks Could Enforce a Lunar Speed Limit
Back in 2005 (over 20 years ago!), Fraser wrote an article about the dangers of electrostatic discharge to astronauts on the Moon and Mars. Anyone that lives in the cold regions of our own planet, with its exceedingly dry interiors for half the year, knows the unpleasantness that goes along with getting shocked when you touch a metal surface. In space, that problem gets much worse, and could potentially prove fatal to astronauts or electromechanical systems if not dealt with properly. A new paper from Bill Farrell of the Space Science Institute and Mike Zimmerman of Johns Hopkins University, which was published in Advances in Space Research, goes over how that specific problem of “tribocharging” affects the operation of lunar rovers.
Sinking ice on Jupiter's moon Europa may be slowly feeding its ocean the ingredients for life
"Most excitingly, this new idea addresses one of the longstanding habitability problems on Europa and is a good sign for the prospects of extraterrestrial life in its ocean."
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 23 - February 1
The waxing Moon marches east across the evening sky. It says hello to binary Gamma Arietis on Saturday, then occults some of the Pleiades for Europe on Tuesday. But it's past them by nightfall in North America.
