The most mysterious and yet ubiquitous stuff in the cosmos, dark matter is effectively invisible. This is simply because it doesn’t interact with light. But what if instead of trying to see dark matter, scientists attempted to hear it instead?
New research suggests dark matter could leave a tiny but discernible imprint in the cacophony of ripples in spacetime called “gravitational…
“What’s that bright light in the sky?” a friend messaged me the other evening. “Venus,” I replied, without thinking about it. There was a pause, then: “How can you tell? And why is it suddenly so bright?”
People always notice Venus…
That bright light after sunset? Venus is starting a summer show that's impossible to miss
May 15, 2026
“What’s that bright light in the sky?” a friend messaged me the other evening. “Venus,” I replied, without thinking about it. There was a pause, then: “How can you tell? And why is it suddenly so bright?”
People always notice Venus…
We just learned a little more about NASA’s next Artemis mission.
The agency dropped a few details on Wednesday (May 13) about Artemis 3, a crewed mission that will test rendezvous and docking operations with one or more lunar landers close to home.
“While this is a mission to Earth orbit, it is an important stepping stone to successfully landing on the moon with Artemis 4,”…
Scientists propose new way to find aliens — and we may already have a spacecraft that can help
May 15, 2026
Researchers may have just revealed a new way of looking for alien life — it’s based on the idea that it isn’t just the type of biosignatures that are important, but also how they are organized.
“Our approach could help make the search for life more…
30-mile-high clouds of acid on Venus are made by the largest 'hydraulic jump' in the solar system
May 14, 2026
A monstrous bank of cloud 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) long that sweeps around Venus every few days is being generated by rising sulfuric acid vapor pushed high into the atmosphere by what is essentially the same phenomenon that describes how water from a running tap…
The world’s first space-based neutrino detector launched to space last week to study elusive neutrino particles that constantly bombard Earth. The mission will test technology that could help researchers in the future to unravel hidden processes taking place deep inside the sun.
The detector, made of crystals of gallium and tungsten, is embedded in a 3U cubesat (about 12 inches long and 4…
President Trump’s Golden Dome may end up being quite a bit more expensive than originally thought.
A new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates it will cost about $1.2 trillion to deploy the Golden Dome missile defense system and operate…
Star Catcher just raised $65 million to build the world's first power grid in space — with lasers
May 13, 2026
Star Catcher Industries now has a big war chest to help bankroll its big dream — building a power grid in space.
The Florida-based space company announced today (May 12) that it has raised $65 million in an oversubscribed “Series A” funding round, bringing its…
Thousands of deaths per year caused by invisible wildfire pollutant, satellite data shows
May 13, 2026
When you think of air pollution from wildfires, you probably picture the thick plumes of smoke and ash that waft into the atmosphere during a blaze. And if you’ve lived in an area that’s been enveloped by these emissions, you know to stay inside or wear a mask when the light tints red and gets hazy.
But this thick cloud isn’t the only component of wildfire smoke that carries a…
