Only 26 Black Women Have Ever Become Astrophysicists in the U.S. Here’s One’s Story
Astrophysicist Aomawa Shields recounts her alternative career path in a new memoir about life, space and motherhood
Stories by Rebecca Boyle
Rebecca Boyle is an award-winning freelance journalist in Colorado. Her forthcoming book Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Plant, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are (Random House) will explore Earth's relationship with its satellite throughout history.
The Six Moons Most Likely to Host Life in Our Solar System
Vast quantities of liquid water may exist on moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune, making life possible there, too
Satellite Constellations Are an Existential Threat for Astronomy
Growing swarms of spacecraft in orbit are outshining the stars, and scientists fear no one will do anything to stop it
A New Private Moon Race Kicks Off Soon
Commercial spacecraft are vying to land on the lunar surface, but can they jump-start a new space economy?
The Race to Find Alien Moons
Astronomers are hunting for the first moon around a planet beyond our solar system
Can a Moon Base Be Safe for Astronauts?
Creating a sustainable human presence beyond low-Earth orbit requires a clear-eyed view of the risks—and rewards—inherent in spaceflight
Apollo-Era Tremors Reveal a Dynamic, Active Moon
Moonquakes still shake and reshape the lunar surface in ways that could threaten future astronauts and habitats
Lost Opportunity: After a 15-Year Odyssey, NASA’s Trailblazing Mars Rover Approaches Its End
Although resuscitation attempts are still underway, officials are on the verge of announcing the death of the Red Planet’s longest-lived robotic explorer
Ghostly Galaxies Hint at Dark Matter Breakthrough
Two newfound galaxies appear to be devoid of the mysterious substance, paradoxically providing more proof dark matter exists
These Dusty Young Stars Are Changing the Rules of Planet-Building
Astronomers peer inside planetary nurseries for clues about how our solar system and others came to be
Young and Struggling in Science
Life is hard for early-career researchers, who must contend with uncertain futures, compete for funding and balance family life, with the frequent need to move for jobs
The New Biography of the Sun
Our closest star has a much more exciting biography than scientists once assumed. New research illuminates the sun's past and potential future
Will NASA Go Nuclear to Return to the Moon?
A new reactor design could make nuclear-powered space exploration cheap, reliable and safe
Astronomers Boggle at a Distant Galaxy Devoid of Dark Matter
The newfound object NGC 1052-DF2 defies easy explanation and could lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve
Bright Light Speeds Up Aging in Mice
Exposure to artificial light weakens rodent’ muscles and bones, but risks to humans are not clear
Plant Biology Informs the Origins of the Stradivarius
A tomato expert and viola player uses plant statistics to trace the history of the violin
Why Does the Sun’s Corona Get So Hot? NASA Launches Telescope to Find Out
As plasma is ejected from the sun’s surface, its temperature skyrockets--and so far physicists have not been able to explain why
Moonstruck: Tagalong Probe to Blast Moon in Search for Water
The LCROSS spacecraft, launching next week, will impact the moon to see what flies up