Charles Q. Choi

Astronomers have discovered the most massive example yet of the dead stars known as neutron stars, one almost too massive to exist, a new study finds.

Warps in the fabric of space-time can act like magnifying glasses, and that may help solve a cosmic mystery about the rate of the universe's expansion, a new study found.

The birthplace of two meteorites from Mars was apparently a zone with two craters: new findings that scientists might use to unlock secrets on the Red Planet.

A robot deployed on one of the darkest asteroids in the solar system may now shed light on the origins of some of the oldest, rarest meteorites, a new study finds.

By examining Antarctic snow, researchers have for the first time discovered interstellar dust that recently fell to Earth, a new study finds.

A new 3D map of our Milky Way galaxy shows it has a warped and twisted shape, scientists say.

Ceres, the closest dwarf planet to Earth, may be wrinkling as it shrinks.

A storm of cosmic impacts may have ended relatively early on Mars, suggesting that the Red Planet was habitable longer than scientists previously thought, a new study finds.

The Red Planet may be more habitable than previously thought.

Mysterious rare meteorites made of a mix of stone and iron likely formed when Vesta, the brightest asteroid in the sky, experienced a giant impact, a new study finds.

If lightning exists on Mars, it may be less energetic and frequent than lightning on Earth, all because of the Red Planet's thin air, a new study finds.

Astronomers may have spotted a distant star spitting out a giant flare that packed 100,000 times more energy than any seen from Earth's sun, a new study finds.

The first rover on the far side of the moon may have discovered the first samples from the moon's mantle, released from the lunar interior by a giant, ancient cosmic impact, a new study finds.

The moon is still tectonically active, like Earth, generating moonquakes just like our planet creates earthquakes, a new study based on Apollo mission data found.

Water worlds that each possess thousands of times more water than Earth does may be more common than Earth-like rocky planets in the Milky Way galaxy, a new study finds.

Most of the universe's gold, uranium and other heavy elements are generated from rapidly whirling collapsing stars, a new study finds.

Enough gold, uranium and other heavy elements about equal in mass to all of Earth's oceans likely came to the solar system from the collision of two neutron stars billions of years ago.

Upcoming gravitational-wave observatories both on Earth and in space could soon help solve some of the greatest mysteries in science.

This new model centers on newborn Earth's molten ocean.

The first meteor to hit Earth from interstellar space — and the second observed interstellar visitor overall — may have just been discovered, a new study finds.

Meteoroid impacts regularly liberate puffs of water vapor from the moon, suggesting that minuscule amounts of water may lurk just under the entire lunar surface, a new study finds.

Mice on Earth may like running in wheels, but mice in space apparently take advantage of the microgravity to run in circles by bouncing off the walls.

The secret of the project's success is linking radio dishes across the globe to create a virtual telescope about the size of Earth.