Space | Science News for Students

Space

black hole

Scientists shared this first-ever picture of a black hole in April 2019. They made this picture by combining images taken by a network of telescopes across the globe called the Event Horizon Telescope.

Event Horizon Telescope Collaborative

Space
 
Nov 11, 2019
Scientists Say: Black hole
exoplanet K2 18b

Exoplanet K2 18b, shown in the foreground of this artist’s depiction, might have liquid water. It has clouds and could rain, too.

M. Kornmesser, Hubble/ESA

Planets
 
Oct 25, 2019
Spotted: An exoplanet where it might rain
a photo of Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon

This photo, taken in 1969 by Astronaut Neil Armstrong, shows Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Apollo astronauts left a lot on the moon’s surface, from scientific instruments to trash.

NASA

Space
 
Oct 3, 2019
Learning from what Apollo astronauts left on the moon
a map of the Milky Way showing the warped curvature of the galaxy

This new map of the Milky Way reveals the warped shape of the galaxy. The map was made with stars called Cepheids. In this image, the Cepheid stars (green) are overlaid on top of an image of another warped galaxy. That galaxy is NGC 4565. The star icon indicates the sun.

J. Skowron/OGLE/Astronomical Observatory/Univ. of Warsaw

Astronomy
 
Aug 21, 2019
The Milky Way is shaped like a curvy potato chip
an illustration of a ploonet

There’s a new kind of space object out there. The “ploonet.” This is a moon that escaped the gravity of a gas giant. These ploonets might explain the existence of comets around distant stars, shown here in an artist’s illustration.

Lynnette Cook/Fuse/NASA

Planets
 
Jul 18, 2019
What do you call a moon that escapes its planet? A ‘ploonet’
an illustration of a spinning star, called a collapsar, releasing a long gamma-ray burst from either pole

A collapsar is a massive, spinning star that collapses into a black hole. That collapse releases a blast of light known as a long gamma-ray burst (illustrated). It also leads to an explosion in the star’s outer layers.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Astronomy
 
Jun 7, 2019
Dying stars can make gold as they collapse into black holes
a photo of InSight lander’s seismometer on Mars

The InSight lander’s seismometer, shown here on Mars (protected by a dome), appears to have detected its first quake.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

Planets
 
Jun 4, 2019
Was that a Marsquake?
A photo of astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly

Astronaut Scott Kelly (left) spent a year in space on the International Space Station while his identical twin brother, astronaut Mark Kelly (right), remained on Earth. They were part of a landmark study to help researchers understand how space flight affects the human body.

NASA

Body functions
 
May 17, 2019
How a year in space affected Scott Kelly's health
an illustration of the Kuiper belt

Some interplanetary dust grains that end up in Earth’s atmosphere may have traveled long distances. They may hail from the Kuiper Belt (illustrated). It is a region of icy objects out beyond Neptune that orbit the sun.

ESA

Astronomy
 
Apr 26, 2019
Some dust in Earth’s atmosphere may hail from beyond Neptune
a photo of the three winners of the 2019 Regerneron Science Talent Search

Ana Humphrey (center), Samuel Weismann (left) and Adam Ardeishar (right) took home first, second and third place in the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

C. Ayers/SSP

Young Scientists
 
Mar 13, 2019
Exoplanet hunting, HIV-fighting and math garner big prizes for teens