It’s a fairly dry and dusty world, so how did Mars get its frosty poles?
Solar System
Solar System
Astronomy
NIGHT SKY: Get ready for Monday’s total lunar eclipse!
On 21 January skywatchers across many parts of the world will be able to see a total eclipse of the Moon
Solar System
Is the Sun pulling the planets closer to it?
Could the planets in our Solar System be getting closer and closer to the Sun?
Solar System
Why does Venus look blue in some spacecraft images?
What is it about this terrestrial world’s atmosphere that gives it its unusual colour?
Solar System
What colour are comets when they are not near the Sun?
Do comets look as vibrant when they’re not getting a helping hand from the Sun?
FutureTech
What is a Dyson Sphere?
Meet the future technology that could harness power and energy from a star in the most unusual way
Space Exploration
Did the Apollo astronauts take any photos of the Sun from the Moon?
Outside the Earth’s atmosphere, was it safe for the Apollo astronauts to image the Sun?
Deep Space
What would it be like to live in a globular cluster?
Astronomer’s paradise or a light pollution hell? We reposition our Solar System to find out
Space Exploration
Parker Solar Probe Update: Spacecraft remains intact after close encounter
The Parker Solar Probe recently made the closest approach to the Sun by any other spacecraft before it
Deep Space
Can black holes make exotic materials?
Could black holes be a factory for unusual material at their hearts?
Solar System
New equation can more accurately predict space weather
The Kappa equation accounts for the space plasma particle distributions and characterises their thermodynamic behaviour
Solar System
What would happen if a black hole entered our Solar System?
Hint: it doesn’t end well for Earth…
Deep Space
Astronomers witness aftermath of white and brown dwarf collision
The short-lived blaze of glory was witnessed on Earth in 1670 as a nova, which is now known as CK Vulpeculae
News
Construction on new exoplanet hunter PLATO begins
The mission will not only seek new planets but will also investigate the properties of their host stars, and determine the planetary masses, sizes and ages with unprecedented accuracy
Solar System
Did Herschel see Uranus’ rings?
It’s a mystery that has baffled astronomers for many years
Astronomy
Why are lunar eclipses red?
Why does the Moon sport a reddish tint during a lunar eclipse?
Solar System
What path do comets follow through the Solar System?
We find out the type of route a comet takes through the solar neighbourhood
Solar System
Astronomers simulated the coronal appearance during the Great American Eclipse
Correctly matching models to reality can help astronomers foresee any disturbances in space weather that could potentially damage technology and harm astronauts
Solar System
How have Venus and Earth managed to keep their atmospheres?
Find out why only two of the inner planets have a shield from harmful space radiation
Solar System
Astronomers watch the Sun through a microwave lens
Observing the Sun’s microwave emission has revealed new information about the star’s solar flares