5:59
Eruptions on the Sun Set Off ‘Solar Tsunamis’
Scientists use the waves to measure the sun’s magnetic field, which is sometimes weaker than a fridge magnet.
10:40
Astronomers Spot Another Moon Around Neptune
The newly discovered moon, currently named S/2004 N 1, is just 12 miles across.
10:38
U.K. Team Plans E.T. Search
A newly formed group in the UK will join the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
5:50
Desktop Diaries: Jill Tarter
“People have described my office as an eight-year-old’s daydream,” says SETI scientist Jill Tarter.
8:21
Mysterious Radio Bursts, Sent From Deep Space
Physicists say the distant radio blasts could be traces of evaporating black holes.
Desktop Diaries: Jill Tarter
As the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute’s first employee, Tarter has accumulated E.T.-themed office ornaments for the last 30 years—including a bottle of wine to be opened “only upon detection of Extraterrestrial signal.”
17:17
Not One, but Three ‘Goldilocks Planets’?
In a nearby solar system, astronomers say they found three planets that could support life.
Mars Road Trip, Bird Penises (or Lack Thereof), and More
A roundup of science stories or studies that blow our mind, tickle our funny bone, or generally strike our fancy.
4:51
Comet Shines Light on Sun Dynamics
Comet Lovejoy grazed the sun’s corona and lived to tell the tale. Its tail movements were the most telling.
Comet’s Tail Shines Light on Sun
In 2011, comet Lovejoy traveled through the sun’s corona and lived to tell the tale. But its tail was the most telling.