Science
This oddball reflective lava world is challenging to understand
Among Kepler and TESS's many surprising exoplanet discoveries are the ultra-short-period (USP) planets. These planets move very quickly and complete an orbit in less than 24 hours…
Looking for bats after dark can help science—and change how we see them
What's that chirping sound coming through the detector? Did you feel something whiz past? Those are just some ways people react when they encounter microbats for the first time. M…
Giant virus yields potassium channel gene that illuminates complex protein evolution
Researchers have discovered a gene for a tandem potassium channel in an algal virus. The finding supports the view that giant viruses may have contributed significantly to the evo…
Chemists develop AI tool to convert human ingenuity into life-enhancing enzymes
Many have voiced concerns that artificial intelligence will take jobs away from humans. But assistant professor of chemistry Zhongyue (John) Yang, along with his former doctoral s…
Calling species 'invasive'—and culling them—isn't done lightly. But it matters to Australia's threatened species
It may sound abstract, but distinctions between "native," "introduced" or "invasive" species can often be life or death. Species considered invasive in Australia—such as European …
Ultracold atoms simulate hard-to-observe matter-antimatter pair production
According to quantum electrodynamics, the theory describing interactions between light and electrically charged particles, a sufficiently strong electric field can, in principle, …
Four superconducting cables link two large quantum processors into one
As quantum computers grow more ambitious, many researchers believe the best way forward is to build them in multiple interconnected parts. In these modular designs, separate quant…
New gel fuel could make rocket and satellite propulsion easier to control
A kerosene-based gel developed by Concordia researchers could make rocket and satellite fuels easier to store and control.
9 nightmarish sci-fi spaceships to crawl aboard for Halloween if you dare
Grab your high-lumen flashlight and gargantuan gun to explore these vicious vessels
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 234 — Living in Lunar Caves
On Episode 234 of This Week In Space, Tariq Malik and Mike Wall are joined by Than Putzig of the Planetary Science Institute about a NASA-backed payload bound for the Marius Hills…
On this day in space! Oct. 31, 2015: Creepy skull-shaped Halloween asteroid flies by Earth, NASA names it the 'Great Pumpkin'
On October 31, 2015, an asteroid shaped like a human skull flew by Earth. Here's why it was so creepy.
Rare fossil discovery reveals new dinosaur species that specialized in eating fruit
Among the ravenous carnivores and lumbering herbivores that roamed the Cretaceous landscape, another kind of dinosaur was evolving that started to eat something else: the plants t…
The moon, Mars, and Jupiter shine in the heart of the Lion overnight on Nov. 1-2
The waning moon shines with Jupiter, Mars and the brilliant star Regulus in the eastern sky overnight Nov. 1-2.
'Molecular armor' can trap shape-matched planar molecules
A research team has designed and synthesized a molecular cage with an internal cavity by connecting two curved π-conjugated molecules face-to-face at three points.
Betelgeuse is haunted by a cosmic poltergeist tormenting the doomed star's atmosphere
Radio images show the supergiant's atmosphere recovering from its dramatic dimming, while a companion plows through its outer layers.
From gold rush to cosmic questions: a South Dakota mine and the search for the secrets of the universe
A mile beneath the Black Hills, scientists are building giant detectors to analyse neutrino particles – and possibly find the answer to existenceFor more than a century, the minin…
Halloween night sky 2026 — Saturn, shooting stars and a space station await US stargazers
From Saturn's spectacular rings to Halloween fireballs and a space station flyover, there are plenty of celestial treats in store this Halloween. Here's when and where to look.
Colorado River Basin Candidates Wade Into Water Politics, but Winners Are Unlikely to Make Big Changes
In Nevada, Attorney General and Democratic candidate for governor Aaron Ford’s campaign has said Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, “botched negotiations” over the future of the Col…
A Year After Floodwaters Swept Away an Alaskan Native Village, Residents Remain in Limbo
KWIGILLINGOK, Alaska—Lucy Martin’s family was among the last to be evacuated from Kwigillingok, a Yup’ik village a quarter mile from the Bering Sea that was devastated by Typhoon …
Pennsylvania Opens a New Loophole for Oil and Gas Wastewater Disposal
If you’re an ordinary resident of Pennsylvania and you want to dispose of potentially toxic waste, the Department of Environmental Protection will direct you to specialized dropof…
‘Bunch of baloney’: calls grow for Cop summit reforms as latest event on track to fail targets
Cop17, focused on protecting nature and restoring ecosystems, concludes on Saturday with critics saying system allows ‘one idiot’ to stall progressCalls are growing for major refo…
Why Microplastics Are So Dangerous for Human Health
From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by producer Aynsley O’Neill with Plastics have been widely adopted in a…
Happy Halloween! SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from California
SpaceX sent another batch of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit from California just after midnight on Halloween (Oct. 31).
APOD: 2026 October 31 – Night on a Spooky Planet
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 31 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosm…