Astronomers using South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array have directly detected auroral radio emissions from Beta Pictoris b, marking the first time a radio signal has been unambiguously traced to an exoplanet rather than its host star. Kevin N. Ortiz Ceballos and his colleagues at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the University … Read more
The robotic spacecraft launched to rescue NASA’s aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory disintegrated over Earth’s atmosphere on Friday, September 27, 2026, less than three months after its initial deployment. Katalyst Space Technologies confirmed the destruction of its three-armed spacecraft, named Link, bringing the $30-million salvage mission to a premature close. The observatory itself is now … Read more
According to a study published in the journal Space Weather, an international research team has solved a 178-year-old mystery regarding an 1841 train delay in Exeter, England, determining through archival records that the geomagnetic disturbance actually occurred on October 18, 1848. The finding corrects a longstanding historical timeline of how solar activity impacts human infrastructure. … Read more
New research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society indicates that the four sub-Earth planets orbiting Barnard’s star are likely composed of the deep-Earth mineral periclase and lack atmospheres. According to University of Cambridge astronomer Xander Byrne and his colleagues, these rocky worlds—located just 6 light-years away—are too hostile to support life … Read more
Solar storm risks to Earth’s infrastructure may be significantly underestimated because there is no known upper limit to how the planet responds to solar wind, according to a study published in Nature. Research led by Nithin Sivadas of NASA and Maria Walach from Lancaster University suggests that previous beliefs in a “leveling off” of atmospheric … Read more
Astronomers using the upgraded GRAVITY+ instrument at the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) have determined that the carbon isotope ratio in the atmosphere of the exoplanet Beta Pictoris b is consistent with its current orbital position. According to a study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics by Antonia von Stauffenberg and colleagues, … Read more
Experts at Advancing Earth and Space Sciences (AGU) propose using orbiting spacecraft to release mass-loading material into Earth’s magnetosphere to mitigate solar storms. This artificial plasma shield could reduce the impact of geomagnetic disturbances on technology, spacecraft, and power grids by 50% or more. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured a strong solar flare released … Read more
New research indicates that planetary rotation and stellar tidal forces significantly alter the atmospheric composition of close-in exoplanets, potentially skewing data collected by space telescopes. A study by K. Arnav and Gopal Hazra, published in June 2026, demonstrates that failing to account for these gravitational effects leads to inaccuracies in measuring molecular abundances, with transit … Read more
Acidophilic fungi are emerging as potential candidates for life within the Venusian clouds, according to research published in the journal Astrobiology. Scientists studying the spores of Acidiella bohemica, Acidomyces acidophilus, and Acidomyces acidothermus found that their UV-Vis light absorption patterns partially overlap with the mysterious ultraviolet absorber that has long puzzled astronomers observing Venus. These … Read more
A fireball 16 times brighter than Venus streaked across the U.S. night sky, spanning over a dozen states before disintegrating over Missouri, according to NASA. The meteor, which traveled at 56,000 mph, was captured by NASA meteor cameras and dashcam footage, offering scientists critical data on atmospheric entry and the frequency of high-intensity space rock … Read more