Sea Levels Are Rising Faster Than Ever Global sea levels have risen about 21–24 cm since 1880. The pace is accelerating due to melting glaciers and warming oceans. Warmer water expands, and melting ice adds volume-both push sea levels higher. Antarctica’s Ice Is Melting Rapidly Recent satellite data shows alarming ice loss in Antarctica. If…
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has a knack for transforming familiar cosmic objects into something extraordinary. With its infrared cameras, Webb can peer through dust and gas to reveal details hidden from telescopes that rely only on visible light. One striking example is the Sombrero Galaxy (M104). At optical wavelengths, M104 shows a thick…
When the Kepler Space Telescope launched in 2009, it transformed our understanding of the universe. In just a few years, Kepler revealed thousands of new planets and gave scientists evidence that reshaped theories about life beyond Earth. Here are ten of the most astonishing space discoveries that will change how you see the cosmos. 10….
On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 Mercury capsule on a flawless 15‑minute suborbital flight. His mission had no communication glitches and marked a turning point in the U.S. space program. Shepard became the first American in space and the second person worldwide, following Yuri Gagarin. The Flight of Freedom 7…
IntroductionNASA citizen science continues to grow in 2025 with new research grants that support scientists and expand public involvement. These projects help experts build tools, analyze data, and create future opportunities for volunteers who want to take part in space science. The new selections also show how citizen science supports NASA’s long-term goals across multiple…
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows a galaxy that is difficult to categorize. The galaxy, NGC 2775, lies 67 million light-years away in the constellation Cancer (the Crab). Its center is smooth and featureless, lacking gas, resembling an elliptical galaxy. Yet it also has a dusty ring with patchy star clusters, a…
When we think of “weather,” we usually imagine rain, sunshine, or storms here on Earth. But beyond our blue skies lies another kind of weather – space weather – driven by the Sun’s activity. Though invisible to the naked eye, space weather can profoundly affect our planet, influencing everything from power grids to satellite communications….
A Closer Look at Enceladus’ Plumes Researchers took a new look at data from NASA’s Cassini mission and found organic compounds in the icy plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus that had never been detected before. The ice grains came from the ocean hidden beneath the moon’s frozen shell. Along with molecules seen in earlier studies,…
Discovery of WISPIT 2b Protoplanet Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery: a young protoplanet named WISPIT 2b has been found inside a ring-shaped gap of dust and gas surrounding a young star. Scientists have long believed that planets form in such gaps, but this is the first time one has been directly observed. WISPIT 2b…
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a stunning image of a star cluster inside the Large Magellanic Cloud. Released on September 12, 2025, the photo shows a cloudy, glowing region filled with gas and dust. The Large Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy about 160,000 light-years away in the constellations Dorado and Mensa. It contains about…
