Inside the cores of ice giant planets, the pressure and temperature are so extreme that the water residing there transitions into a phase completely unfamiliar under the normal conditions of Earth. Known as “superionic water”, this form of water is a type of ice. However, unlike regular ice it’s actually hot, and also black. For decades, scientists thought that the superionic water in the core of Neptune and Uranus is responsible for the wild, unaligned magnetic fields that the Voyager 2 spacecraft saw when passing them. A series of experiments described in a paper published in Nature Communications by Leon Andriambariarijaona and his co-authors at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the Sorbonne provide experimental evidence of why exactly the ice causes these weird magnetic fields - because it is far messier than anyone expected.
Space News & Blog Articles
Sun erupts with powerful X-class flare as huge CME races toward Earth, impact possible within 24 hours
Aurora alert! The colossal solar storm could impact and trigger impressive northern lights.
Astronomers discover an enormous iron bar in the famous Ring Nebula: 'We definitely need to know more'
"One thing popped out as clear as anything, this previously unknown 'bar' of ionized iron atoms, in the middle of the familiar and iconic ring."
Proba-3: our eyes on the Sun’s inner corona
Image: Proba-3: our eyes on the Sun’s inner corona
The EGT Programme: your road to space
Dreaming of a career in space? The 2026 ESA Graduate Trainee opportunities are launching soon! It’s time to polish up your CV, craft your motivation letter and get ready to reach for the stars.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.
Live coverage: Space Falcon 9 rocket counting down to Starlink delivery mission
Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown gets a release date, bringing roguelite survival action to the Delta Quadrant
Get stranded in the Delta Quadrant all over again when Star Trek Voyager – Across the Unknown warps in on February 19th.
'Starfleet Academy' isn't the first time that 'Star Trek' tried to go back to school
The new teen-led Paramount+ TV show isn't Trek's first attempt to study at the Academy.
Does antimatter 'fall up'?
We need to talk about antimatter.
What is below Earth, since space is present in every direction?
When my colleagues and I send them out to explore our solar system, it's important for us to understand the 3D map of our space neighborhood.
New moon of January 2026 brings prime views of Jupiter, Saturn and winter stars tonight
With the moon out of the way on Jan. 18, bright Jupiter and Saturn become stand-outs in the January night sky.
Hubble Telescope watches star blast out jet of hot gas 32 light-years long
The protostar is launching the longest outburst ever seen at 32 light-years long.
A New Census of Dwarf Galaxies Shows More Massive Black Holes than Previously Thought
They are known as Active Galactic Nuclei (aka. quasars), the core regions of galaxies that are so bright that they temporarily outshine all the stars in the galactic disk combined. This is the result of the Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) at their centers, which accelerate infalling gas and dust in their accretion disks to near the speed of light. This produces intense radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from visible light and infrared to microwaves and X-rays. For decades, astronomers have known that SMBHs reside at the centers of many massive galaxies, and the same was thought to be true of dwarf galaxies.
NASA rolls Artemis 2 rocket to the pad ahead of historic moon launch
The rocket that will launch the Artemis 2 astronauts around the moon is rolling to the pad for its historic mission, which could lift off just a few weeks from now.
Space.com headlines crossword quiz for week of Jan. 12, 2026: What is an Einstein-Rosen bridge more commonly known as?
Test your space smarts with our weekly crossword challenge, crafted from Space.com's biggest headlines.
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 193 — A History of Tomorrow
On Episode 193 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with NASA Chief Historian Dr. Roger Launius about the space agency's past.
1 month until a 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse puts on a show — mostly for penguins
The first solar eclipse of the year will take place on Feb. 17, 2026.
Artemis 2 rocket rollout latest news: Giant NASA moon rocket heads to launch pad
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026: See our latest news and updates on NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket rollout to the launch pad.
Crew-11 astronauts arrive in Houston after 1st-ever medical evacuation from ISS
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission made it to Houston today (Jan. 16), just a day after their unprecedented medical evacuation from the International Space Station.
Analysis of Chang'e-6 Samples Addresses Mysteries About the Far Side of the Moon.
China made history in June 2024 when the Chang'e-6 mission made the first lunar sample-return in history, sending 1,935.3 grams (roughly 4.25 pounds) of lunar regolith and rock to Earth. Analysis of these samples has revealed a great deal of information about the Moon's composition and geological history, as well as notable differences between the two hemispheres. This data is crucial as China, NASA, the ESA, and other space agencies, along with commercial partners, plan to build lunar bases on the far side of the Moon in the near future.
