

A 13.3-billion-year-old oxygen signal suggests star formed 250 million years after the Big Bang
Astronomers detected the most distant oxygen ever recorded—emitted just 500 million years after the Big Bang. Key Takeaways: Scientists confirmed that the first stars formed when the universe was less than 2% of its current age. The discovery of ancient oxygen suggests that stars ignited just 250 million years after the Big Bang. Using ALMA,…

Laser beacon could help us signal alien civilizations up to 20,000 light years away
A high-powered laser beacon could be visible to alien astronomers up to 20,000 light-years away. Key Takeaways: MIT researchers propose using existing laser technology to create a beacon for extraterrestrial civilizations. A 1-2 megawatt laser, focused through a large telescope, could send signals deep into space. The laser could be detected by alien astronomers in…

Astronomers Discover a New World That Could Host Alien Life
LHS 1140b, a super-Earth 39 light-years away, may have the right conditions for life. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered LHS 1140b, a rocky planet in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. This exoplanet is considered one of the most promising candidates for finding alien life. Unlike many planets around red dwarfs, LHS 1140b…

Hidden Moon Cave Could Be the Perfect Shelter for Lunar Explorers
A newly discovered moon cave, the size of 14 tennis courts, could shelter future astronauts. Key Takeaways: Scientists have found a large underground cave on the moon that could serve as a future lunar base. The cave, accessible through a pit in Mare Tranquillitatis, offers natural protection from space hazards. Measuring 45 meters wide and…

Two black holes merged to form a huge one moving at incredible speeds
A black hole was kicked out of its galaxy at a staggering 3 million mph. Key Takeaways: Scientists found strong evidence that a black hole was ejected from its galaxy after a lopsided merger. The newly formed black hole is speeding through space at 3 million mph, likely never to return. Unequal black hole mergers…

One of the Oldest Stars in the Universe Found Hiding in the Milky Way
A 13.5-billion-year-old star, among the universe’s oldest, is quietly hiding in our galaxy. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered one of the oldest stars in the universe, just 2,000 light-years away. This ancient red dwarf, 13.5 billion years old, formed from nearly pristine Big Bang material. The star’s low mass challenges the idea that the first…

Telescopes and spacecraft collaborate to explore the depths of Jupiter’s atmosphere
Jupiter’s lightning bolts are three times more powerful than Earth’s strongest superbolts. Key Takeaways: NASA’s Juno spacecraft, Hubble, and Gemini Observatory are teaming up to study Jupiter’s storms. By combining space and ground-based telescopes, scientists are probing Jupiter’s deep atmosphere like never before. Juno detects radio waves from lightning, while Hubble and Gemini provide global…

A massive star has apparently vanished from space without explanation
A massive star 75 million light-years away has disappeared—without even leaving a supernova. Key Takeaways: A giant star in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy, once shining brightly, has mysteriously vanished. Scientists expected to see a supernova, but instead, the star simply faded from view. One possible explanation is that the star collapsed directly into a black…

A Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Found Just 31 Light-Years from Earth
NASA’s TESS telescope found a planet just 31 light-years away that could have liquid water. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered a potentially habitable exoplanet, GJ 357 d, just 31 light-years away. This exoplanet orbits within its star’s habitable zone and could support liquid water if it has a thick atmosphere. GJ 357 d is at…

Astronomers discover a strange pair of rogue planets, which are each 4 times the mass of Jupiter
The lowest-mass binary ever found consists of two Jupiter-sized objects drifting freely through space. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered a pair of free-floating planetary-mass objects traveling together in the Milky Way. This binary system, 2MASS J11193254–1137466AB, consists of two objects with just 3.7 Jupiter masses each. Scientists estimate the pair to be about 10 million…