Latest articles by Keith Cooper
The Milky Way's 2 biggest satellite galaxies are oddly lonely, study finds
The Milky Way's system of small, orbiting satellite galaxies is quite unusual, a new 12-year study of other galaxies in the local universe has found.
Hubble Space Telescope suggests our ancient universe was surprisingly crowded with supermassive black holes
A 14-year Hubble Space Telescope study suggests the universe was teeming with supermassive black holes. But how could that be?
The W boson caused a particle mystery — but scientists have cracked the case
A puzzling discrepancy in measurements of the mass of the W+ and W– bosons, which are fundamental particles that carry the weak force, has been resolved by the Large Hadron Collider.
Weird striped rock 'unlike any seen on Mars' found by Perseverance rover. Here's why NASA's excited
While climbing a crater rim, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted a curious striped rock that may have rolled from farther uphill, hinting at treasures the robotic explorer has yet to find.
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope: How it works and top discoveries
Learn all about the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter (ALMA) radio telescope, including what it does, how it works and its top discoveries.
The largest volcano on Mars may sit above a 1,000-mile magma pool. Could Olympus Mons erupt again?
A low-density, weak-gravity region has been found below Olympus Mons and the Tharsis volcanoes, while Mars' northern hemisphere is littered with puzzling high-gravity structures beneath the surface.
2nd Kuiper Belt? Our solar system may be much larger than thought
Eleven objects found at the extremities of the solar system could mark the location of a 'Kuiper Belt 2.'
AI is on the hunt for dark matter
The secrets of dark matter might be hiding in the immense cosmic crashes that are colliding galaxy clusters.
The moon might still have active volcanoes, China's Chang'e 5 sample-return probe reveals
The moon could still be volcanically active today, according to samples brought to Earth by China's Chang'e 5 mission in December 2020.
Mars leaks faster when closer to the sun
NASA's MAVEN mission and the Hubble Space Telescope have teamed up to reveal new insights into how Mars' water is leaking into space.
The 1st Milky Way black hole image was groundbreaking — the next could be even better
By demonstrating the ability for joint observations at the short radio wavelength of 0.87mm, the Event Horizon Telescope has improved its observational acuity by half.
Scientists make lab-grown black hole jets
By using protons to probe how a magnetic field responds to an expanding plasma, experimenters have replicated the particle jets spewed out by active black holes.
Very Large Telescope: Everything you need to know
Reference Here's a detailed look at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, including its design and some of its major discoveries.
No, NASA's DART asteroid impact probably won't spark meteor showers on Earth — but maybe on Mars
Slower moving particles blasted out by the DART impact on the asteroid Dimorphos could create meteor showers on Mars — but it's unlikely they'll cause meteor showers over Earth.
SETI searches for alien life in over 1,000 galaxies using unexplored radio frequencies
New findings could elevate SETI into an extragalactic search for life beyond Earth.
Astronomers discover new 'odd radio circle' near the center of our galaxy
A mysterious ring invisible at all wavelengths except radio could be a trace of a dramatically unstable star shedding its skin.
James Webb Space Telescope finds 6 wandering 'rogue' planets that formed just like stars
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has discovered half a dozen rogue planets, one of which apparently hosts a newly forming moon system.
Europe's JUICE probe snaps hi-res pics of Earth and the moon on its way to Jupiter (photos)
JANUS, which is the high-resolution camera on the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, received a solid workout during the fly-by of Earth over Aug. 19 and Aug. 20.
Why the 7 worlds of TRAPPIST-1 waltz in peculiar patterns
The complex history of the orbits of the TRAPPIST-1 planets has been revealed, showing how they interacted with the disk of gas and dust that gave birth to them.
The sun hides its age with magnetic activity
Measurements of the sun's age via oscillations that ripple through it can vary depending on whether those measurements are made near solar minimum or maximum.
Perseverance rover's Mars samples must be brought back to Earth, scientists stress
Sedimentary deposits sampled by the Perseverance rover could contain evidence of past Martian life.
Some rocky exoplanets could have huge amounts of water in their molten cores
Young, hot planets could soak up a lot of water into their core, with up to 10 times more water inside than on the surface of the planet.
Are we alone? Intelligent aliens may be rare, new study suggests
A new interpretation of the famous Drake equation finds little reason to be optimistic about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
