Latest articles by Meghan Bartels
Scientists chip away at secrets of planet formation, origin of life in bevy of new research
A whopping 20 new scientific papers use data gathered by a host of radio dishes perched high in the Chilean desert to tease apart the mysteries of how planets form.
Massive California fire comes within miles of alien-hunting radio telescope array
Climate change on Earth — and the brutal repercussions it causes — might interfere with the search for life far beyond our own planet.
NASA astronaut gets extended stay in space for record-breaking 353-day mission
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei will stay in space until March, giving him a record-setting spaceflight.
NASA's Perseverance rover has taken the 1st steps in decades-long dream of Mars sample return
NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars has begun its out-of-this-world rock collection.
Our Milky Way galaxy isn't very well mixed, study suggests
Our galaxy isn't as thoroughly mixed as scientists sometimes assume, according to a new study.
Scientists fetch best images to date of 'dog bone' asteroid and 2 tiny moons
New observations of an asteroid shaped like a dog bone and its two tiny moons have given scientists insight into how the strange trio came to be.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launch delayed to December
NASA's long-awaited and high-powered James Webb Space Telescope won't begin observations this year after NASA and its counterpart the European Space Agency (ESA) announced another launch delay.
Astronomers hunting asteroids with radar surpass 1,000th space rock detection
The most powerful tool for scientists studying asteroids in the neighborhood around Earth is planetary radar, a technique astronomers have just used on their 1,001st asteroid to date.
The 'megacomet' Bernardinelli-Bernstein is the find of a decade. Here's the discovery explained.
Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein will be a spectacle for more than a decade to come, even though its discovery was a matter of luck.
Stunning image shows dark tendrils masking giant Centaurus A galaxy near Earth
Scientists have captured a stunning new image of a massive galaxy ringed by dust filaments.
Astronaut watches California wildfires spewing smoke from space (photos)
Astronauts living and working on the International Space Station continue to monitor fires burning across California during a particularly serious fire season.
The mysterious troughs on giant asteroid Vesta keep puzzling scientists
Vesta, a massive world in the solar system's asteroid belt, sports two huge trough features that have long puzzled scientists, and it doesn't look like the mystery will be solved anytime soon.
NASA tallies Hurricane Ida damage to Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans
NASA personnel at the agency's manufacturing facility in Louisiana are continuing to evaluate damage caused by Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on Sunday (Aug. 29).
Hurricane Ida puts NASA facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi on lockdown
NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and its Stennis Space Center in nearby Hancock County, Mississippi, both faced a wallop from Hurricane Ida as the massive storm made landfall.
Scientists puzzling out secrets of Venus' 30-year-old 'Giant Dark Cloud'
There are many strange things happening on Venus. Among them is a recognizable weather pattern that scientists now realize has persisted in the atmosphere for at least 30 years.
Venus and a newly discovered comet will cross paths in December. Will sparks fly?
Venus is Earth's twisted twin in so many ways, what about on the skywatching front?
NASA halts human moon lander work with SpaceX amid Blue Origin lawsuit
NASA must again stop work on its human moon lander partnership with SpaceX due to a Blue Origin lawsuit, further risking the agency's tight timeline to return astronauts to the moon.
Chinese astronomers eye Tibetan Plateau site for observatory project
Chinese astronomers hope to establish a major observatory program on the roof of the world, the Tibetan Plateau, with new research arguing for pristine observing conditions nestled in the uplands.
Mars helicopter Ingenuity soars through challenging 12th flight on Red Planet
NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity made its 12th Red Planet flight on Monday (Aug. 16), during which the little chopper served as eyes in the sky for its larger companion, the Perseverance rover.
How big is a black hole? How messily it 'eats' may be a clue.
Astronomers think they have established a new way to calculate the size of supermassive black holes: by studying the feeding patterns of these invisible giants.
Perseid meteor shower of 2021, likely the best of the year, is peaking now!
The stunning Perseid meteor shower will peak tonight (Aug. 11) in what could well be the most brilliant "shooting star" display of the year.
Scientists fine-tune odds of asteroid Bennu hitting Earth through 2300 with NASA probe's help
If the possibility of an asteroid called Bennu slamming into Earth a lifetime from now was keeping you up at night, NASA scientists think you can rest a little easier.
Watch auroras paint the sky above Earth in these stunning astronaut photos and video
It's aurora season on the International Space Station and astronauts living and working in orbit are sharing some of their finest views of the stunning phenomenon with those of us on the ground.
