New Scientist - Space https://www.newscientist.com/ https://www.newscientist.com/build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png https://www.newscientist.com daily 1 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2510937-nasa-is-performing-an-unprecedented-medical-evacuation-from-the-iss/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 09 Jan 2026 18:00:43 +0000 One of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station is undergoing a “medical situation”, forcing NASA to bring the crew home early for the first time ever 2510937-nasa-is-performing-an-unprecedented-medical-evacuation-from-the-iss|2510937 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2510842-knitted-satellite-launching-to-monitor-earths-surface-with-radar/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:00:27 +0000 A standard industrial knitting machine has been modified to produce fabrics from tungsten wire coated in gold, which are used to form the dish on the CarbSAR satellite 2510842-knitted-satellite-launching-to-monitor-earths-surface-with-radar|2510842 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26935770-100-im-calling-it-2026-is-going-to-be-the-year-of-the-galaxy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 We are going to be getting a lot of exciting new information about galaxies in 2026, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, who can't wait to see what it can tell us mg26935770-100-im-calling-it-2026-is-going-to-be-the-year-of-the-galaxy|2510018 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2510539-super-low-density-worlds-reveal-how-common-planetary-systems-form/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:33 +0000 Most planetary systems contain worlds larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, and the low-density planets around one young star should help us understand how such systems form 2510539-super-low-density-worlds-reveal-how-common-planetary-systems-form|2510539 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509769-the-first-quantum-fluctuations-set-into-motion-a-huge-cosmic-mystery/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:00:44 +0000 The earliest acoustic vibrations in the cosmos weren’t exactly sound – they travelled at half the speed of light and there was nobody around to hear them anyway. But Jim Baggott says from the first moments, the universe was singing 2509769-the-first-quantum-fluctuations-set-into-motion-a-huge-cosmic-mystery|2509769 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509494-the-first-commercial-space-stations-will-start-orbiting-earth-in-2026/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:00:42 +0000 For nearly three decades, the International Space Station has been the only destination in low Earth orbit, but that will change this year. Could it be the start of a thriving economy in space? 2509494-the-first-commercial-space-stations-will-start-orbiting-earth-in-2026|2509494 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508106-bepicolombo-mission-will-start-to-unpick-mercurys-secrets-in-2026/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:00:29 +0000 The BepiColombo mission has been on its way to Mercury since 2018 and will finally start orbiting the planet and taking X-ray images in the second half of 2026 2508106-bepicolombo-mission-will-start-to-unpick-mercurys-secrets-in-2026|2508106 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509277-rare-exoplanet-alignment-set-for-2026-but-we-are-likely-to-miss-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 05 Jan 2026 17:00:38 +0000 An exosyzygy – an alignment of three celestial objects around another star – is predicted to happen later this year, but it seems likely that we won't see it happen 2509277-rare-exoplanet-alignment-set-for-2026-but-we-are-likely-to-miss-it|2509277 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509976-weird-clump-in-the-early-universe-is-piping-hot-and-we-dont-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:00:51 +0000 A galaxy cluster in the early universe is 10 times hotter than it ought to be, which may reshape how we think these enormous structures formed 2509976-weird-clump-in-the-early-universe-is-piping-hot-and-we-dont-know-why|2509976 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26935760-100-why-im-going-to-reap-the-mental-health-benefits-of-stargazing-in-2026/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Navigating the night sky can have a positive effect on our well-being. This will be the year I learn the constellations, resolves Michael Brooks mg26935760-100-why-im-going-to-reap-the-mental-health-benefits-of-stargazing-in-2026|2509339 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509631-gargantuan-black-hole-may-be-a-remnant-from-the-dawn-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Astronomers were puzzled by a black hole around 50 million times the mass of the sun with no stars, spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope – now simulations suggest it could be a primordial black hole, something we have never seen before 2509631-gargantuan-black-hole-may-be-a-remnant-from-the-dawn-of-the-universe|2509631 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509858-rare-saturn-sized-rogue-planet-is-first-to-have-its-mass-measured/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 01 Jan 2026 19:00:40 +0000 Researchers have confirmed the mass of a free-floating planet thanks to a lucky convergence of ground- and space-based telescopes 2509858-rare-saturn-sized-rogue-planet-is-first-to-have-its-mass-measured|2509858 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2505029-2026-mars-mission-will-set-out-to-solve-the-mystery-of-its-moons/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:00:10 +0000 The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will be launching the Martian Moons eXploration mission next year, which should finally tell us how Mars acquired the moons Phobos and Deimos 2505029-2026-mars-mission-will-set-out-to-solve-the-mystery-of-its-moons|2505029 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509529-three-supermassive-black-holes-have-been-spotted-merging-into-one/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:00:27 +0000 Astronomers have found a system of three supermassive black holes, all actively feeding, that appear to be combining into a single system – a rare event that will help elucidate the physics of complex mergers 2509529-three-supermassive-black-holes-have-been-spotted-merging-into-one|2509529 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509810-star-that-seemed-to-vanish-more-than-130-years-ago-is-found-again/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:00:44 +0000 In 1892, astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard thought he saw a bright star near Venus, but then it vanished. We may now know why 2509810-star-that-seemed-to-vanish-more-than-130-years-ago-is-found-again|2509810 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507988-the-century-long-hunt-for-the-gigantic-meteorite-that-vanished/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:00:07 +0000 A soldier returned from the Sahara desert in 1916 with a wild story about a meteorite that dwarfed all others. Over 100 years of hunting yielded nothing – but now twin brothers think they have solved the puzzle 2507988-the-century-long-hunt-for-the-gigantic-meteorite-that-vanished|2507988 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507009-the-essential-guide-to-proving-weve-found-alien-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:00:37 +0000 From mudstones on Mars to strange gases in exoplanet atmospheres, tentative evidence for extraterrestrial life is starting to come thick and fast. But when we've found it, how will we know for sure? 2507009-the-essential-guide-to-proving-weve-found-alien-life|2507009 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502714-was-2025-the-year-we-found-signs-of-past-life-on-mars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:39 +0000 Tantalising signs of past microbial life showed up on Mars this year, but to truly know whether they contain the answer to the biggest question in the universe, we will need to bring samples back to Earth 2502714-was-2025-the-year-we-found-signs-of-past-life-on-mars|2502714 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500310-more-than-100-moons-were-discovered-in-our-own-solar-system-in-2025/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:00:17 +0000 Astronomers discovered a new moon of Uranus and hundreds of moons around Saturn over the past year, and there may be many more yet to be found 2500310-more-than-100-moons-were-discovered-in-our-own-solar-system-in-2025|2500310 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506398-the-best-space-pictures-of-2025-from-supernovae-to-moon-landings/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:00:37 +0000 The year’s most memorable moments from astronomy and space exploration include a double-detonating supernova, a private moon landing and a stunning lunar eclipse 2506398-the-best-space-pictures-of-2025-from-supernovae-to-moon-landings|2506398 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509155-europas-thick-ice-may-hinder-the-search-for-life-in-its-oceans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:00:33 +0000 The liquid ocean on Jupiter’s moon Europa appears to be completely sealed off from the planet’s surface, which may reduce the chances of finding life there 2509155-europas-thick-ice-may-hinder-the-search-for-life-in-its-oceans|2509155 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503481-hopes-of-finding-aliens-were-raised-in-2025-but-quickly-faded/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:00:48 +0000 Astronomers thought they had seen the "first hints of life on an alien world" this year, but they disappeared under closer scrutiny 2503481-hopes-of-finding-aliens-were-raised-in-2025-but-quickly-faded|2503481 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508512-black-hole-stars-really-do-exist-in-the-early-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:00:37 +0000 Mysterious ‘little red dots’ seen by the James Webb Space Telescope can be explained by a new kind of black hole enshrouded in an enormous ball of glowing gas 2508512-black-hole-stars-really-do-exist-in-the-early-universe|2508512 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508410-cosmologys-great-debate-began-a-century-ago-and-is-still-going/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:00:40 +0000 Our understanding of the true nature of the cosmos relies on measurements of its expansion, but cosmologists have been arguing back and forth about it for more than 100 years 2508410-cosmologys-great-debate-began-a-century-ago-and-is-still-going|2508410 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509368-putting-data-centres-in-space-isnt-going-to-happen-any-time-soon/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:42:35 +0000 From massive solar panels to the difficulty of staying cool - not to mention high-energy radiation - there are a lot of engineering problems that need to be solved before we can build data centres in space 2509368-putting-data-centres-in-space-isnt-going-to-happen-any-time-soon|2509368 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509086-two-asteroids-crashed-around-a-nearby-star-solving-a-cosmic-mystery/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:00:49 +0000 A pair of nascent planets have been caught smashing together around the nearby star Fomalhaut, and in doing so have solved the puzzle of its famous ‘planet’ 2509086-two-asteroids-crashed-around-a-nearby-star-solving-a-cosmic-mystery|2509086 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502472-chance-of-a-devastating-asteroid-impact-briefly-spiked-in-2025/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:06 +0000 A building-sized asteroid had a 1-in-32 chance of hitting Earth at its peak, but astronomers soon found there was zero chance of it impacting the planet 2502472-chance-of-a-devastating-asteroid-impact-briefly-spiked-in-2025|2502472 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508929-strange-lemon-shaped-exoplanet-defies-the-rules-of-planet-formation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:30:23 +0000 A distant world with carbon in its atmosphere and extraordinarily high temperatures is unlike any other planet we’ve seen, and it’s unclear how it could have formed 2508929-strange-lemon-shaped-exoplanet-defies-the-rules-of-planet-formation|2508929 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2497162-why-we-only-recently-discovered-space-is-dark-not-bright/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:00:55 +0000 For centuries, Europeans thought that eternal daylight saturated the cosmos. The shift to a dark universe has had a profound psychological impact upon us 2497162-why-we-only-recently-discovered-space-is-dark-not-bright|2497162 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508752-crash-clock-says-satellites-in-orbit-are-three-days-from-disaster/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:30:20 +0000 Satellites in orbit would begin to collide in a matter of days if they lost manoeuvrability during a solar storm or other outage 2508752-crash-clock-says-satellites-in-orbit-are-three-days-from-disaster|2508752 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508627-saturns-rings-form-a-giant-dusty-doughnut-encircling-the-planet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:00:52 +0000 The rings of Saturn are normally thought to be flat, but measurements by the Cassini spacecraft show that some of their particles fly hundreds of thousands of kilometres above and below the thin main discs 2508627-saturns-rings-form-a-giant-dusty-doughnut-encircling-the-planet|2508627 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835731-300-the-stargazing-events-to-look-forward-to-in-2026/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 There are a host of celestial events to get excited about next year – including a total solar eclipse. Abigail Beall is lining up her calendar mg26835731-300-the-stargazing-events-to-look-forward-to-in-2026|2507268 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508093-mars-may-once-have-had-a-much-larger-moon/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:00:49 +0000 There are two small moons in orbit around Mars today, but both may be remnants of a much larger moon that had enough of a gravitational pull to drive tides in the Red Planet's lost lakes and seas 2508093-mars-may-once-have-had-a-much-larger-moon|2508093 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507758-earth-and-solar-system-may-have-been-shaped-by-nearby-exploding-star/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:00:22 +0000 A new explanation for the solar system's radioactive elements suggests Earth-like planets might be found orbiting up to 50 per cent of sun-like stars 2507758-earth-and-solar-system-may-have-been-shaped-by-nearby-exploding-star|2507758 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507566-odd-elements-in-supernova-blast-might-have-implications-for-alien-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:00:49 +0000 Some of the elements used by living systems are far more abundant in Cassiopeia A than we thought, hinting that some parts of our galaxy might be more suitable for life than others 2507566-odd-elements-in-supernova-blast-might-have-implications-for-alien-life|2507566 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507335-comet-3i-atlas-from-beyond-solar-system-carries-key-molecule-for-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:00:43 +0000 Astronomers have discovered that 3I/ATLAS is carrying methanol and other chemicals that were probably important in the origin of life 2507335-comet-3i-atlas-from-beyond-solar-system-carries-key-molecule-for-life|2507335 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507738-comets-were-on-fire-this-year-for-better-or-worse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:31 +0000 Field Notes From Space-Time columnist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on how comets grabbed the headlines in 2025 2507738-comets-were-on-fire-this-year-for-better-or-worse|2507738 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506858-planned-satellite-launches-could-ruin-hubble-space-telescope-images/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:00:27 +0000 More than half a million satellites are planned to launch by the end of the 2030s, and simulations suggest they will have a severe impact on space-based astronomy 2506858-planned-satellite-launches-could-ruin-hubble-space-telescope-images|2506858 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506929-forming-moon-may-have-taken-three-big-impacts-early-in-earths-history/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:00:50 +0000 Conventionally, the moon is thought to have formed during one big impact, but a three-impact model might make more sense 2506929-forming-moon-may-have-taken-three-big-impacts-early-in-earths-history|2506929 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506650-asteroid-bennu-carries-all-the-ingredients-for-life-as-we-know-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:00:12 +0000 We knew from prior analyses that a distant asteroid sampled in 2020 carried all but one of the molecules needed to kick-start life, and researchers have just found the missing ingredient: sugar 2506650-asteroid-bennu-carries-all-the-ingredients-for-life-as-we-know-it|2506650 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506455-what-would-russias-inability-to-launch-crewed-missions-mean-for-iss/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:00:58 +0000 Russia's only launch site capable of sending humans to orbit has suffered serious damage that may take two years to fix. Will NASA keep supporting the ISS without Russian involvement, or is this the end for the space station? 2506455-what-would-russias-inability-to-launch-crewed-missions-mean-for-iss|2506455 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506155-read-an-extract-from-the-player-of-games-by-iain-m-banks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:40:54 +0000 The New Scientist Book Club is currently reading Iain M. Banks's classic sci-fi novel The Player of Games. In this extract, we meet protagonist Gurgeh for the first time 2506155-read-an-extract-from-the-player-of-games-by-iain-m-banks|2506155 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506099-supermassive-dark-matter-stars-may-be-lurking-in-the-early-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:00:50 +0000 Stars powered by dark matter instead of nuclear fusion could solve several mysteries of the early universe, and we may have spotted the first hints that they are real 2506099-supermassive-dark-matter-stars-may-be-lurking-in-the-early-universe|2506099 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835711-800-why-dark-matter-is-still-one-of-the-biggest-open-problems-in-science/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 26 Nov 2025 18:00:00 +0000 We can't see dark matter directly, so studying it pushes the boundaries of our creativity as scientists. How exciting, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg26835711-800-why-dark-matter-is-still-one-of-the-biggest-open-problems-in-science|2505480 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2505306-astronomers-may-have-glimpsed-evidence-of-the-biggest-stars-ever-seen/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:19:29 +0000 The distant universe might be littered with supermassive stars between 1000 and 10,000 times the mass of the sun, which could solve a cosmic mystery about the origins of extremely large black holes 2505306-astronomers-may-have-glimpsed-evidence-of-the-biggest-stars-ever-seen|2505306 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504973-weve-found-an-unexpected-structure-in-the-solar-systems-kuiper-belt/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 19 Nov 2025 20:00:05 +0000 A newly discovered cluster of objects called the “inner kernel” of the Kuiper belt could teach us about the early history of the solar system – including the movement of Neptune 2504973-weve-found-an-unexpected-structure-in-the-solar-systems-kuiper-belt|2504973 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2501075-is-a-deadly-asteroid-about-to-hit-earth-meet-the-man-who-can-tell-you/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:00:37 +0000 When an asteroid threatens Earth, astronomers use a rating called the Torino scale to communicate the risk. Richard Binzel, who invented the scale, tells New Scientist about his 50-year career in planetary defence 2501075-is-a-deadly-asteroid-about-to-hit-earth-meet-the-man-who-can-tell-you|2501075 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504426-mystery-deepens-as-isolated-galaxy-forms-stars-with-no-obvious-fuel/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:42:21 +0000 A galaxy in a practically empty area of the universe seems to be impossibly forming stars, and new observations have only deepened the puzzle 2504426-mystery-deepens-as-isolated-galaxy-forms-stars-with-no-obvious-fuel|2504426 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503764-huge-cloud-of-plasma-belched-out-by-star-130-light-years-away/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:00:59 +0000 A coronal mass ejection from a distant star has been confirmed for the first time, raising questions about how such events could impact exoplanet habitability 2503764-huge-cloud-of-plasma-belched-out-by-star-130-light-years-away|2503764 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503607-odds-of-asteroid-2024-yr4-hitting-the-moon-may-rise-to-30-per-cent/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:00:32 +0000 In February, the James Webb Space Telescope will briefly be able to observe asteroid 2024 YR4, which currently has a 4 per cent chance of hitting the moon in 2032. Depending on what it sees, the odds of collision could drastically increase 2503607-odds-of-asteroid-2024-yr4-hitting-the-moon-may-rise-to-30-per-cent|2503607 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503049-caves-carved-by-water-on-mars-may-hold-signs-of-past-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:00:45 +0000 Eight possible cave openings found on the Martian surface look to have once had ancient streams flowing into them, suggesting they are promising places to look for evidence of life 2503049-caves-carved-by-water-on-mars-may-hold-signs-of-past-life|2503049 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835680-700-heres-how-to-spot-the-leonid-meteor-shower-this-month/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:00:00 +0000 A new moon on 20 November means there is a great opportunity to enjoy the Leonid meteor shower this year, says Abigail Beall. Just make sure to get warm and comfy first mg26835680-700-heres-how-to-spot-the-leonid-meteor-shower-this-month|2502314 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503397-enceladuss-ocean-may-be-even-better-for-life-than-we-realised/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 07 Nov 2025 19:00:48 +0000 The buried ocean on Saturn’s moon Enceladus seems to be stable across extremely long periods of time, making it an even more promising place to hunt for life 2503397-enceladuss-ocean-may-be-even-better-for-life-than-we-realised|2503397 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503265-a-distant-galaxy-is-being-strangled-by-the-cosmic-web/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:00:45 +0000 A dwarf galaxy 100 million light years away is being stripped of its crucial star-forming gas, and it seems that the cosmic web is siphoning off this gas as the galaxy passes through 2503265-a-distant-galaxy-is-being-strangled-by-the-cosmic-web|2503265 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503047-we-may-never-figure-out-where-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 07 Nov 2025 15:00:27 +0000 The surface of comet 3I/ATLAS may have been so radically altered by cosmic rays that deducing its home star system would be impossible 2503047-we-may-never-figure-out-where-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from|2503047 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835680-400-deep-space-sci-fi-novel-is-delightful-profound-and-not-to-be-missed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:00:00 +0000 A planet is about to be destroyed by the collapse of a binary star system in Slow Gods, Claire North’s first venture into classic science fiction. Read it! says Emily H. Wilson mg26835680-400-deep-space-sci-fi-novel-is-delightful-profound-and-not-to-be-missed|2502299 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503263-is-the-expansion-of-the-universe-slowing-down/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 06 Nov 2025 02:38:21 +0000 It is widely accepted that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, but now researchers say our measurements of the mysterious force driving that may be wrong and that the universe began to slow 1.5 billion years ago – yet other scientists disagree 2503263-is-the-expansion-of-the-universe-slowing-down|2503263 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502073-lumpy-caterpillar-wormholes-may-connect-entangled-black-holes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:00:18 +0000 A mathematical model suggests that when a pair of black holes gets quantum entangled, this can give rise to a lumpy space-time tunnel between them 2502073-lumpy-caterpillar-wormholes-may-connect-entangled-black-holes|2502073 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502676-brightest-black-hole-flare-ever-caused-by-huge-star-being-ripped-apart/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:00:13 +0000 A distant black hole has been caught releasing the brightest flare ever, which is the result of it ripping apart and devouring an enormous star 2502676-brightest-black-hole-flare-ever-caused-by-huge-star-being-ripped-apart|2502676 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502593-spacexs-starlink-and-other-satellites-face-growing-threat-from-sun/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:00:35 +0000 There are now over 10,000 satellites in orbit, more than at any point in history, and this growing number is starting to reveal how solar storms could disrupt internet mega constellations like SpaceX's Starlink 2502593-spacexs-starlink-and-other-satellites-face-growing-threat-from-sun|2502593 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502109-we-may-have-found-a-surprisingly-nearby-cluster-of-primordial-stars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:00:16 +0000 The very first generation of stars, called Population III stars, are mostly expected to be too distant to see directly – but astronomers may have found some for the very first time 2502109-we-may-have-found-a-surprisingly-nearby-cluster-of-primordial-stars|2502109 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502329-sorry-but-interstellar-visitor-3i-atlas-really-is-a-comet-not-aliens/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 30 Oct 2025 19:00:19 +0000 Interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS are exciting, but there is no reason to claim that they are evidence of alien spacecraft – sometimes a comet is just comet, says Robin George Andrews 2502329-sorry-but-interstellar-visitor-3i-atlas-really-is-a-comet-not-aliens|2502329 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835670-100-the-end-of-us-support-for-the-cmb-s4-telescope-is-devastating/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 29 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000 The US government's decision to stop supporting a telescope facility that would have given us unprecedented insight into the early universe is calamitous, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg26835670-100-the-end-of-us-support-for-the-cmb-s4-telescope-is-devastating|2501480 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2501900-a-tiny-nearby-galaxy-is-home-to-a-shockingly-enormous-black-hole/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:03:53 +0000 One of the Milky Way’s smallest galactic neighbours seems to have a supermassive black hole at its centre, upending assumptions that it was dominated by dark matter 2501900-a-tiny-nearby-galaxy-is-home-to-a-shockingly-enormous-black-hole|2501900 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500902-the-martian-permafrost-may-be-hiding-veins-of-habitable-liquid-water/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:00:59 +0100 Buried underground near the surface, frozen regions of Mars could have tiny hidden channels full of liquid water, which could be a habitable environment for microscopic organisms 2500902-the-martian-permafrost-may-be-hiding-veins-of-habitable-liquid-water|2500902 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500585-a-distant-comet-is-forming-new-rings-while-we-watch-in-real-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:30:48 +0100 The comet-like object Chiron has been caught in the process of forming new rings, which could help us understand how these complex systems work 2500585-a-distant-comet-is-forming-new-rings-while-we-watch-in-real-time|2500585 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835650-200-see-the-beauty-of-space-captured-by-the-astronauts-who-experienced-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100 A new book and documentary from James Bluemel tells the story of the space race so far in photographs, a mix of images from astronauts' own collections and NASA archives mg26835650-200-see-the-beauty-of-space-captured-by-the-astronauts-who-experienced-it|2499855 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500462-the-centre-of-our-galaxy-may-be-teeming-with-dark-matter-particles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 16 Oct 2025 21:40:20 +0100 A mysterious excess of gamma rays in the middle of the Milky Way may come from dark matter particles smashing into one another and annihilating 2500462-the-centre-of-our-galaxy-may-be-teeming-with-dark-matter-particles|2500462 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2499717-martian-volcanoes-may-have-transported-ice-to-the-planets-equator/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:00:47 +0100 The equatorial regions of Mars are home to unexpectedly enormous layers of ice, and they may have been put there by dramatic volcanic eruptions billions of years ago 2499717-martian-volcanoes-may-have-transported-ice-to-the-planets-equator|2499717 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2499683-a-black-hole-fell-into-a-star-then-ate-its-way-out-again/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:00:55 +0100 Stars often fall into black holes, and now it seems the opposite can also occur, producing an extra long-lasting explosion as the star is consumed from within 2499683-a-black-hole-fell-into-a-star-then-ate-its-way-out-again|2499683 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735640-500-blue-planet-red-is-wrong-about-mars-but-its-surprisingly-poignant/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Brian Cory Dobbs's documentary promotes the baseless idea that Mars was once inhabited by an advanced civilisation. But there's some value in how it inadvertently documents a generation of otherwise-sensible scientists, says Simon Ings mg26735640-500-blue-planet-red-is-wrong-about-mars-but-its-surprisingly-poignant|2499116 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2499287-the-moons-largest-crater-didnt-form-in-the-way-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:00:15 +0100 The impact that carved out the South Pole-Aitken basin on the moon appears to have come from the north, not the south as previously thought – and NASA’s upcoming mission could investigate further 2499287-the-moons-largest-crater-didnt-form-in-the-way-we-thought|2499287 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2499032-is-the-universe-really-one-big-black-hole/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:00:57 +0100 According to the equations that govern black holes, the larger one of these cosmic behemoths is the lower its average density – given that the universe contains a lot of relatively empty space, could the whole cosmos be a black hole? 2499032-is-the-universe-really-one-big-black-hole|2499032 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498905-galaxies-fling-out-matter-much-more-violently-than-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:44:38 +0100 An analysis of the afterglow of the big bang sheds light on how black holes distribute mass in the universe, and why some matter previously seemed to have been missing 2498905-galaxies-fling-out-matter-much-more-violently-than-we-thought|2498905 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498970-general-relativity-might-save-some-planets-from-death/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:00:29 +0100 Some habitable worlds orbiting dead stars could be kept alive for aeons thanks to a quirk of Einstein’s theory of gravity 2498970-general-relativity-might-save-some-planets-from-death|2498970 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735631-200-prepare-to-enjoy-four-spectacular-supermoons-in-a-row/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100 If you are a fan of the moon, then the next four months will give you something special to watch out for, says Abigail Beall mg26735631-200-prepare-to-enjoy-four-spectacular-supermoons-in-a-row|2498419 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735630-600-new-scientist-recommends-chris-hadfields-final-orbit/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week mg26735630-600-new-scientist-recommends-chris-hadfields-final-orbit|2498402 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496031-do-black-holes-exist-and-if-not-what-have-we-really-been-looking-at/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:00:19 +0100 Black holes are so strange that physicists have long wondered if they are quite what they seem. Now we are set to find out if they are instead gravastars, fuzzballs or something else entirely 2496031-do-black-holes-exist-and-if-not-what-have-we-really-been-looking-at|2496031 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498128-there-is-an-odd-streak-in-the-universe-and-we-still-dont-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:00:27 +0100 Astronomers have long thought the universe should look generally the same in every direction, but an anomaly in the radiation from the big bang persists even after a new analysis from radio telescopes 2498128-there-is-an-odd-streak-in-the-universe-and-we-still-dont-know-why|2498128 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498843-exceptional-star-is-the-most-pristine-object-known-in-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 03 Oct 2025 16:00:12 +0100 A star found in the Large Magellanic Cloud is remarkably unpolluted by heavier elements, suggesting it is descended from the universe’s earliest stars 2498843-exceptional-star-is-the-most-pristine-object-known-in-the-universe|2498843 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735630-200-why-beauty-factories-could-solve-two-massive-cosmological-mysteries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Facilities that make particles called B mesons may seem obscure, but they could help explain why there is more matter than antimatter and what dark matter is, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg26735630-200-why-beauty-factories-could-solve-two-massive-cosmological-mysteries|2498398 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498489-rogue-planet-gains-6-billion-tonnes-per-second-in-record-growth-spurt/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:00:51 +0100 A free-floating planet has been seen devouring astonishing amounts of matter, hinting that stars and planets are more alike than we thought 2498489-rogue-planet-gains-6-billion-tonnes-per-second-in-record-growth-spurt|2498489 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498319-nasas-asteroid-deflection-test-had-unexpected-and-puzzling-outcome/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:00:43 +0100 The DART mission achieved its goal of changing one asteroid’s orbit around another, but questions remain about why the orbit continued to alter over the following month 2498319-nasas-asteroid-deflection-test-had-unexpected-and-puzzling-outcome|2498319 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498113-astronomers-captured-an-incredible-view-of-m87s-black-hole-jet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0100 The black hole at the centre of a galaxy more than 50 million light years away is spewing out a jet of extremely hot plasma – though we have studied it for a century, we are only now seeing it in great detail 2498113-astronomers-captured-an-incredible-view-of-m87s-black-hole-jet|2498113 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495828-how-faster-than-light-explosions-could-reveal-the-universes-secrets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:00:24 +0100 Some things we see in space appear to outpace light. Now we are learning to harness these bizarre optical illusions to understand the mysteries of neutron stars, gamma ray bursts and more 2495828-how-faster-than-light-explosions-could-reveal-the-universes-secrets|2495828 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2497946-did-a-star-blow-up-and-hit-earth-10-million-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:09:42 +0100 There are signs deep beneath the Pacific Ocean that an exploding star once sent cosmic rays blasting out towards Earth, and now we have an idea of which stars may be to blame 2497946-did-a-star-blow-up-and-hit-earth-10-million-years-ago|2497946 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2497671-we-finally-found-the-hot-wind-coming-out-of-our-black-hole/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 24 Sep 2025 20:01:00 +0100 Since the 1970s, astronomers have predicted that Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, should be sending out hot wind – they have just caught the first glimpse of it 2497671-we-finally-found-the-hot-wind-coming-out-of-our-black-hole|2497671 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2497220-venus-has-lava-tubes-and-theyre-weird/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:36:36 +0100 It has been suggested that lava tubes - underground tunnels carved out by molten rock - might be on Venus, and now we have direct evidence that this is the case 2497220-venus-has-lava-tubes-and-theyre-weird|2497220 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496598-asteroid-exploded-similar-to-a-bomb-over-france-in-a-rare-event/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:00:35 +0100 An asteroid called 2023 CX1 underwent a single explosion, hinting that it had an unusual structure that might be more damaging on the ground 2496598-asteroid-exploded-similar-to-a-bomb-over-france-in-a-rare-event|2496598 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496319-lunar-missions-may-contaminate-the-moon-with-hardy-earth-microbes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:00:09 +0100 Experiments on Earth indicate some common species of bacteria and fungi could survive for several days on the moon's surface, suggesting missions must take stronger precautions to avoid contamination 2496319-lunar-missions-may-contaminate-the-moon-with-hardy-earth-microbes|2496319 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496379-mars-once-had-an-atmosphere-that-was-thicker-than-earths-today/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 15 Sep 2025 19:00:37 +0100 While Mars today only has a wispy remnant of an atmosphere, it may once have had one hundreds of times thicker with a pressure three times that on Earth 2496379-mars-once-had-an-atmosphere-that-was-thicker-than-earths-today|2496379 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735600-600-alien-earth-adds-surprisingly-good-tv-dimension-to-veteran-sci-fi/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 After 50 years of books, games and movies, what more could the Alien franchise deliver? An inventive TV show, with fresh monsters and new heroes, finds our TV critic Bethan Ackerley mg26735600-600-alien-earth-adds-surprisingly-good-tv-dimension-to-veteran-sci-fi|2495267 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496032-jupiter-is-smaller-and-more-squashed-than-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:00:39 +0100 The gas giant has been measured for the first time in decades, trimming 8 kilometres from its diameter 2496032-jupiter-is-smaller-and-more-squashed-than-we-thought|2496032 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495985-a-weird-cloud-forms-on-mars-each-year-and-now-we-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:00:38 +0100 Astronomers have struggled to explain why a long and thin cloud forms above Mars’s Arsia Mons volcano each year, until now 2495985-a-weird-cloud-forms-on-mars-each-year-and-now-we-know-why|2495985 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495377-gravitational-waves-finally-prove-stephen-hawkings-black-hole-theorem/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:58 +0100 An exceptionally loud collision between two black holes has been detected by the LIGO gravitational wave observatory, enabling physicists to test a theorem postulated by Stephen Hawking in 1971 2495377-gravitational-waves-finally-prove-stephen-hawkings-black-hole-theorem|2495377 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495349-exoplanet-40-light-years-from-earth-may-have-right-conditions-for-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:00:50 +0100 The planet TRAPPIST-1e lies in its star’s Goldilocks zone, where water remains liquid – and an analysis suggests it might have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere like Earth’s 2495349-exoplanet-40-light-years-from-earth-may-have-right-conditions-for-life|2495349 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495795-deflecting-a-deadly-asteroid-just-got-a-lot-less-dangerous/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:32 +0100 Our first attempt at shifting the orbit of an asteroid has provided crucial insight into how we could safely deflect a space rock that was hurtling towards Earth 2495795-deflecting-a-deadly-asteroid-just-got-a-lot-less-dangerous|2495795 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495776-nasa-hasnt-found-life-on-mars-yet-but-signs-are-promising/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:45 +0100 A rock found last year on the surface of Mars offered tantalising evidence that life once existed on the Red Planet. Now scientists have found yet more evidence that could point to the existence of ancient organisms – but we can't know for certain without returning samples to Earth 2495776-nasa-hasnt-found-life-on-mars-yet-but-signs-are-promising|2495776 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495745-asteroid-ryugu-once-had-liquid-water-flowing-through-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:03 +0100 Samples retrieved from asteroid Ryugu indicate that it once had flowing water in far greater volumes than previously thought possible, suggesting that similar objects may have played a role in delivering vast quantities of water to Earth 2495745-asteroid-ryugu-once-had-liquid-water-flowing-through-it|2495745 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495249-possible-galaxy-spotted-by-jwst-could-be-the-earliest-weve-ever-seen/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=space Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:00:20 +0100 A possible galaxy named Capotauro may have formed within 90 million years of the big bang – but astronomers can’t be sure that’s what it is 2495249-possible-galaxy-spotted-by-jwst-could-be-the-earliest-weve-ever-seen|2495249