Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting the decision – and they’re only getting more passionateTwenty years ago, Pluto got demoted. After a vote by the International Astronomical Union...
Read MoreReaders recall the breathtaking sight and community spirit of the rare celestial treat – and the handmade contraptions they saw it throughOn Wednesday evening, millions of people in Europe watched a rare solar eclipse. We asked...
Read MoreGiven the size and age of the universe, it should be full of species with technology far more advanced than our own. So where are they?• The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to orderDuring a visit to...
Read MoreScientists say decision is blow to UK astronomy as deep space observatory is home to world-leading facilitiesJodrell Bank Observatory, which runs a world-leading network of radio telescopes, is facing closure after its major...
Read MoreToday, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentiallySome reports suggest that by the end of this decade there could more than 60,000...
Read MoreOnly the third interstellar comet ever to be seen contains material from other star systems that can be observed close upYou wait ages for an interstellar comet to arrive and then three come along at once. Or at least over the...
Read MoreFrom light festivals and Bonfire Night to spectacular forest walks and mushroom foraging, there’s plenty to enjoy. Or if you’d rather stay in, sip mulled wine as you take in a fantastic season of TVThe days are growing shorter,...
Read MoreWith close encounters due in 2029 and 2032, space scientists are getting to grips with an existential threatIt is a scenario beloved of Hollywood: a huge asteroid, several miles wide, is on a collision course with Earth....
Read MoreAstrophysics team say observation of chemical compounds may be ‘tipping point’ in search for extraterrestrial lifeA giant planet 124 light years from Earth has yielded the strongest evidence yet that extraterrestrial life may be...
Read MoreEarth’s gravitational pull will cause a trapped asteroid to orbit around planet for about two monthsThis autumn, for a limited time, Earth will be getting a second moon.According to a study published this week, an asteroid...
Read MoreAurora borealis sightings further south than usual from Ireland and Britain to Czech Republic and Germany as solar storm hits Earth’s atmosphereThe aurora borealis has lit up the night sky with rare sightings across the UK,...
Read MoreJupiter-mass binary objects floating freely in Orion Nebula appear to defy usual definition of planetsDozens of planet-sized objects have been discovered in the Orion Nebula via observations that could herald the existence of a...
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