What is the maximum number of habitable planets for a star, and what does this mean in our search for extraterrestrial life?
Astronomy
First images of a multi-planet system with a Sun-like star
In a rare occurrence, astronomers have directly observed more than one planet orbiting a star similar to the Sun.
Maybe life on Earth is as good as it gets?
Plate tectonics are important for habitability, and it appears that the optimum conditions existed for planets forming early in the galaxy’s lifespan … and may be unlikely to easily recur.
Astronomers estimate there are 36 communicating civilizations in our galaxy
Research sheds new light on our hope of finding intelligent life across the galaxy.
Cosmic bursts unveil universe’s missing matter
Bright bursts of radio waves help astronomers locate a type of matter that researchers have been searching for for the past 30 years.
Astronomers find regular rhythms among pulsating stars
Through the noise, a class of stars reveals its inner workings; poor ‘social distancing’ identified using NASA space telescope
ESO instrument finds closest black hole to Earth
A team of astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and other institutes has discovered a black hole lying just 1000 light-years from Earth.
Hubble celebrates its 30th anniversary with a tapestry of blazing starbirth
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, which has opened a new eye onto the cosmos and has been transformative for our civilization.
Mysteries of Uranus’ oddities explained
Uranus, its moons, and rings are all “tipped”, suggesting they formed during a cataclysmic impact early in its history.
Pioneers in Science: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
The stuff of stars: The remarkable contributions of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
An exoplanet that rains iron
ESO telescope oberves an exoplanet 690 light years away where night and day surface temperature differences cause iron to rain from the sky.
Super-Earth exoplanet K2-18b shows conditions conducive to life
New evidence suggests that an exoplanet discovered in 2015 has interior conditions that could support the existence of life.
Citizen scientists discover a mystery brown dwarf
How do brown dwarves form, and in what parts of the galaxy?
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