Early visions of Mars: Meet the 19th-century astronomer who used science fiction to imagine the red planet

In the 19th century, astronomers could see Mars through telescopes, but not clearly. Some used their imaginations to fill in what the blurry images couldn’t convey.

Matthew Shindell, Curator, Planetary Science and Exploration, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
June 6, 2025 • ~9 min

Esa at 50: how the space agency helped keep Europe at the frontiers of science

Space exploration would have been poorer without the successes of Esa.

Martin Barstow, Professor of Astrophysics and Space Science, University of Leicester • conversation
June 6, 2025 • ~7 min

A new observatory is assembling the most complete time-lapse record of the night sky ever

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will capture enough detail to see a golf ball from 25km away.

Noelia Noël, Senior Lecturer, School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Surrey • conversation
June 5, 2025 • ~6 min

Uncertainty at NASA − Trump withdraws his nominee for administrator while the agency faces a steep proposed budget cut

Under the proposed budget, several major projects, such as the Mars Sample Return and the Space Launch System, would face cancellation.

Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, Air University • conversation
June 3, 2025 • ~8 min

New model helps to figure out which distant planets may host life

As NASA rolls out more powerful telescopes in the future, scientists will need a way to determine where to point them. A new approach could help.

Daniel Apai, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona • conversation
June 2, 2025 • ~11 min

Why are some rocks on the moon highly magnetic? MIT scientists may have an answer

A large impact could have briefly amplified the moon’s weak magnetic field, creating a momentary spike that was recorded in some lunar rocks.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News • mit
May 23, 2025 • ~8 min

New research, data advance understanding of early planetary formation

Led by Assistant Professor Richard Teague, a team of international astronomers has released a collection of papers and public data furthering our understanding of planet formation.

Paige Colley | EAPS • mit
May 22, 2025 • ~5 min

After 50 successful years, the European Space Agency has some big challenges ahead

The space agency faces major competition from rising space powers such as China and India.

Daniel Brown, Lecturer in Astronomy, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
May 22, 2025 • ~8 min

A decade after the release of ‘The Martian’ and a decade out from the world it envisions, a planetary scientist checks in on real-life Mars exploration

NASA hasn’t landed humans on Mars yet. But thanks to robotic missions, scientists now know more about the planet’s surface than they did when the movie was released.

Ari Koeppel, Postdoctoral Scientist in Earth and Planetary Science, Dartmouth College • conversation
May 22, 2025 • ~9 min

Do photons wear out? An astrophysicist explains light’s ability to travel vast cosmic distances without losing energy

The speed of light is the fastest anything can travel. What happens to a photon from a galaxy 25 million light years away on its journey toward Earth?

Jarred Roberts, Project Scientist, University of California, San Diego • conversation
May 20, 2025 • ~6 min

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