Astronomers Directly Detect Iron and Titanium on an Exoplanet for the First Time
Scientists directly observed the signal of iron and titanium atoms in the atmosphere of an exoplanet 600 light-years from Earth, a new paper reports.
Excavation Begins on a Truly Giant New Telescope
The bigger a telescope’s mirrors, the better resolution it has. Excavation has just begun on a new telescope that will be truly enormous, called the Giant Magellan Telescope.
Earth’s Undetected ‘Mini-Moons’ Could Make for Exciting New Astronomy
Every once in a while, our planet captures a “mini-moon,” a tiny asteroid that hangs out in our orbit for a bit before venturing back into the depths of space. New research suggests these small, temporary natural satellites carry tremendous scientific and commercial opportunities—but the trick will be in finding them.
This Exoplanet Is So Hot, It Apparently Tears Apart Water Molecules
There’s an exoplanet whose surface is so hot, it rips apart water molecules. It’s almost a star, but not quite; it’s an ultra-hot, Jupiter-like world located around 880 light-years from Earth.
Facebook Got Mad at Us, Samsung Note 9, and Ajit Pai: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week
First, the bad news: Sunday is the anniversary of the disastrous white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that culminated in a neo-Nazi car attack that killed local woman Heather Heyer and wounded scores of others, as well as resulted in the deaths of two police officers. The organizer of…
Watch NASA Launch Its Sun-Skimming Parker Solar Probe
The Parker Solar Probe blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sunday, setting itself on course to become both the fastest human craft ever launched (in the neighborhood of 430,000 miles per hour) and the first to probe the outer corona of the sun.
Why This Star-Packed Region of Space Is Likely Devoid of Life
Globular clusters are among the most fascinating celestial phenomena in the galaxy, packing a hideous amount of stars into a relatively tiny region of space. Given the sheer number and variety of stars within these clusters, it seems reasonable to think they’d also be packed with life. But as new research suggests,…
Will You Be Able to See the Perseid Meteor Shower This Weekend?
One of the year’s most active meteor showers, the Perseids, will peak overnight Saturday into Sunday and Sunday into Monday, with 60 to 70 meteors per hour. But lots of Gizmodo readers live in cities. So, inspired by a friend’s tweet, I wondered—will city dwellers see the meteor shower?
Planet or Star? Either Way, This Rogue Object Is Really Weird
Various news outlets have been discussing a strange object in space, which may or may not be a planet. New measurements show that what was thought to be a brown dwarf—essentially a “failed star” that is too small to generate nuclear fusion, but too big to be a planet—might be a planet after all. But that’s far from…
Mysterious 'Alien' Radio Signal: Here's What You Need to Know
You may have seen recent headlines about a strange radio signal picked up by a Canadian telescope. Some go as far as to say it was caused by all-caps ALIENS.
Jupiter's Moon Ganymede Generates Incredible Magnetic Waves
NASA’s Galileo spacecraft surprised scientists when it revealed that Jupiter’s moon Ganymede generated its own magnetic field. But new research shows Ganymede also creates incredibly powerful waves that rocket particles to enormous energies.
Report: NASA Needs to Get Moving on Its Plan to Snatch Some Mars Dust
NASA doesn’t just randomly decide what telescopes and satellites to shoot into space and what planet to study next. Instead, a committee of outside scientists drafts a set of goals and recommendations in what’s called a decadal survey. And though it notes some financial setbacks, a midterm review of the last decadal…
Hayabusa2 Spacecraft Captures First Close-Up Image of Ryugu Asteroid
Earlier today, Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft came tantalizingly close to Ryugu, offering an unprecedented view of the asteroid’s boulder-strewn surface.
This 'Born-Again' Nebula Appears to Be Inside Out
When some stars get old, they eject gas and dust, forming a cloud of electrically charged material in space called a planetary nebula. These nebulae all tend to have the same layered structure, but a team of scientists recently spotted a kind of planetary nebula that looks to be inside out.
Here's What Earth's Shadow Actually Looks Like
The 21st century’s longest lunar eclipse has passed, eclipse doomsday fever has subsided, and all that’s left are the memories and pictures, which you can find everywhere online. But one image really stood out to us—not because of the way the Moon looked, but because of how it made the Earth look.
Supermassive Black Hole Stretches Starlight, Proving Einstein Right Again
Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity is magnificent. For a hundred years, it has consistently predicted all sorts of wacky phenomena scientists have later observed throughout space. One international team is now announcing that a 26-year-long observation campaign has once again confirmed the theory.
Mars and Saturn Are Looking Really Good in These New Hubble Pics
Mars is in opposition tonight, meaning it’s about as close and as bright as it’s going to get. To celebrate, Hubble has released new images of the dusty red planet, as well as of Saturn, which was in opposition last month.
Here's a Live Feed of the Century's Longest Lunar Eclipse
The longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century will start today at 3:30 p.m. and last until 5:15 p.m. EST (12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. PST). The moon won’t rise in North America until after the eclipse is over, so no one in North America will be able to see it, except for some folks in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico included)…
Moon Could Have Been Habitable Once, Scientists Speculate
The Moon today is not habitable. It’s covered in potentially killer dust and seemingly dry as a bone. But though it seems wild to think, a new perspective wonders: What if the Moon used to be friendly to life?
