Latest articles by Keith Cooper
Is asteroid Psyche actually a planetary core? James Webb Space Telescope results cast doubt
The presence of hydrated minerals, including possibly water-ice, might indicate an unexpected origin for Psyche, far from the sun.
Ocean's worth of water may be buried within Mars — but can we get to it?
"We haven't found any evidence for life on Mars, but at least we have identified a place that should, in principle, be able to sustain life."
New Mars terraforming idea: engineered, heat-absorbing dust nanoparticles
Metal particles made from Martian dust could be released into the sky to raise temperatures on the Red Planet by over 50 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), a new study suggests.
Could the Perseid meteor shower threaten satellites and astronauts on the International Space Station?
We evaluate how the International Space Station is protected from the impacts of tiny meteoroids and the level of risk to smaller satellites.
Earth from space: Astronauts share photography tips for snapping amazing photos from the ISS
From thunderstorm sprites to volcanic plumes, and city lights to meteors, the world appears a different place from 250 miles (400 kilometers) up.
Venus may be able to support life, new atmospheric evidence suggests
Preliminary evidence for gases that could be biosignatures have been found in the atmosphere of Venus, but even if these biosignatures are real, does it necessarily imply life?
Moon robots could build stone walls to protect lunar bases from rocket exhaust
A robotic excavator could build a dry stone wall to act as a blast shield around a launch pad on the moon, a new study suggests.
The Extremely Large Telescope: Facts about the world's largest telescope
Reference Here's everything you need to know about the Extremely Large Telescope, which will become the largest telescope in the world when it is completed at the end of the decade.
X-rays reveal secret gas in huge and distant galaxy cluster
The Euclid and XMM-Newton missions have combined to show the hidden, hot gas that fills an immense galaxy cluster 2.7 billion light-years away.
Where do the moon's weird swirls come from? Scientists are trying to find out
Scientists are getting closer to explaining where bizarre lunar patterns that seem to have the involvement of magnetic fields come from.
Alien weather report: James Webb Space Telescope detects hot, sandy wind on 2 brown dwarfs
The JWST's infrared vision has seen deep into the stormy atmosphere of two brown dwarfs that form the third closest system to the sun.
How the last 25 years led to the rise of mega-telescopes
From exoplanets to the galaxies in the early universe, there's little that large telescopes on Earth can't see.
Asteroid Apophis will visit Earth in 2029, and this European satellite will be along for the ride
As Apophis passes closer to Earth than geosynchronous satellites in April 2029, the asteroid will hopefully be tracked by a new ESA mission called Ramses.
Hubble Telescope tracks a dwarf galaxy's stars to map out dark matter
By measuring the motions of stars in the Draco dwarf galaxy, the Hubble Space Telescope was able to map the density profile of dark matter.
'Dark comets' may have given Earth its water long ago
'Dark comets,' which have no visible tail, could also explain the strange behavior of the interstellar object 'Oumuamua.
SpaceX rivals challenge Starship launch license in Florida over environmental, safety concerns
United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin have cited safety and environmental factors in challenges to SpaceX's launch license for Starship at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
What are Dyson spheres, and how do we look for them?
Learn who first thought of the idea for Dyson spheres, as well as how they work and how we search for them with infrared telescopes.
Astronomers measure 'warp speed' of Milky Way galaxy
The Milky Way is warped, and the alignment of this warp is precessing backwards around the galaxy under the influence of a squashed dark matter halo.
The great silence: Just 4 in 10,000 galaxies may host intelligent aliens
Without plate tectonics, oceans and continents, complex life that is able to invent and master advanced technology might never evolve.
Rare 'polar rain' aurora seen from Earth for the first time
Seen for the first time from the ground, the polar rain aurora produced an eerie green glow captured on camera in Norway.
Solar Dynamics Observatory: Discovering the secrets of the sun's magnetic field
Reference Learn how the sun's secrets have been gradually revealed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Mars is an asteroid punching bag, NASA data reveals
Small asteroids have the Red Planet in their crosshairs more often than not, as Mars lander's seismometer detects their impacts.
If alien life exists on Europa, we may find it in hydrothermal vents
Cool to moderately warm hydrothermal vents circulating water through the seabed could sustain habitable conditions on moons such as Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus for billions of years.
