Plate tectonics is a fundamental aspect of Earth's geological activity and history. In addition to constantly rearranging the placement of continents, they also play a major role in maintaining the conditions that ensure Earth's continued habitability. However, Earth is the only terrestrial (rocky) planet in the Solar System with active plate tectonics. While this is understandable for Mercury and Mars, which are single-plate planets that are largely geologically inactive, due to rapid cooling in their interiors billions of years ago. But Venus, Earth's "Sister Planet," has remained something of a mystery.
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Scientists discover one of our universe's largest spinning structures — a 50-million-light-year-long cosmic thread
The discovery potentially transforms what we think about how the cosmic environment influences galaxies as they form.
An Adolescent Growth Spurt In Young Stars Helps Giant Planets Form
Stars form in massive clouds of gas called molecular clouds. As they form, they accrete gas from these clouds, and as the stars rotate, gas and dust accumulates in a rotating disk around the star called a protoplanetary disk. As the name makes clear, this is where planets form by accreting material from the disk.
Lessons from the Past: Responsible Science and Astrobiology
In the fields of science and science communication, there are few things more controversial than claims regarding the discovery of extraterrestrial life. This includes claims ranging from the discovery of the most basic lifeforms (lichens, single-celled organisms, etc.) to evidence of advanced civilizations. Such claims are incredibly common, thanks to the sensationalism surrounding the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and the search for life beyond Earth (astrobiology). Even when scientists have avoided issuing declarative judgments, it is very easy for statements to be twisted and misrepresented.
Was Elon in the room where it happened? This senator still wants to know
As he did eight months ago, Sen. Ed Markey asked Jared Isaacman if Elon Musk was in the room when President Trump first offered him the job of NASA chief. And, once again, Isaacman demurred.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Celebrates 30 Years in Space
The groundbreaking mission designed to observe our Sun and its interactions with Earth celebrates three decades in space this week.
Rare solar flare caused radiation in Earth's atmosphere to spike to highest levels in nearly 20 years, researchers say
Levels of potentially dangerous cosmic radiation in Earth's atmosphere rose to a two-decade high in November after a rare solar super-flare pummeled the planet with high-speed particles from the sun.
Mercury is hard to spot, but you can catch it in the morning sky this month
If you've never sighted this rocky little world for yourself, you'll never get a better opportunity than right now to see it.
Jupiter's Moons
Jupiter has numerous moons, with the four largest being Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. These four, often referred to as the Galilean moons after their discoverer Galileo Galilei, are among the most fascinating objects in the solar system.
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandengerg SFB
File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands in launch position at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of the launch of the NROL-57 mission. Image: SpaceX
SpaceX is preparing for lunchtime launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday afternoon.
Rare images reveal active sunspots minutes before they unleashed powerful X-flares that caused November 2025's stunning auroras
We don't often get a good look at X-class solar flares from ground-based observatories.
Watch the 'PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted' for updates on High on Life 2, Remnant Protocol, plus more cool sci-fi & space games
Check out the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted stream and see the sci-fi and space games you'll be playing in 2026 and beyond.
Damaged launch pad: How long before Russia can send astronauts to the ISS again?
A mishap during the successful Nov. 27 launch of three astronauts damaged the only pad that currently supports Russian crewed orbital liftoffs. How long before things are back up and running again?
Comet 3I/ATLAS shows activity in Juice navigation camera teaser
Image: Comet 3I/ATLAS shows activity in Juice navigation camera teaser
Geminid shooting stars: One of 2025's most exciting meteor showers begins tonight
The Geminid meteor shower is active from Dec. 4 and hits its peak on the night of Dec. 13-14.
Orion hatch ‘blemish’ delays launch day rehearsal for Artemis 2 astronauts
Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team use a crane to lift and secure NASA’s Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, for the agency’s Artemis 2 mission. Image: NASA/Kim Shiflett
The four astronauts who are to fly a loop around the Moon next year on the Artemis 2 mission were supposed to board their Orion capsule on Nov. 19 for a launch day rehearsal, but a problem with the spacecraft’s hatch delayed the practice run, NASA told Spaceflight Now.
See the metal guts of a satellite in this wild X-ray view | Space photo of the day for Dec. 4, 2025
The EURECA spacecraft flew on the space shuttle Atlantis in 1992.
Why is the universe made of matter? These 'ghost particle' experiments could help us find out
A new joint analysis from the NOvA and T2K experiments offers the most precise look yet at neutrino behavior, bringing scientists closer to understanding why the universe is made of matter.
The Gift of Warmth (and Whimsy)
An idea for the stubborn winter stargazer on your holiday list (especially if it's you!)
Ten Versions of Earth's Future Can Help Us Hunt for ET
Searching for technosignatures - signs of technology on a planet that we can see from afr - remains a difficult task. There are so many different factors to consider, and we only have the technological capabilities to detect a relatively small collection of them. A new paper, available in pre-print on arXiv but also accepted for publication into The Astrophysical Journal Letters, from Jacob Haqq-Misra of the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science and his co-authors explores some of those capabilities by using a framework they developed known as Project Janus that estimates what technology will look like on Earth 1,000 years from now in the hopes that we can test whether or not we can detect it on another planet.
Don't miss the last full moon of 2025 as the 'Cold Supermoon' takes to the autumn sky on Dec. 4
See a stunning supermoon take flight on Dec. 4.
