DISCOVERY

Earth is approximately 4.54 billion years old, yet modern humans have existed for only a tiny fraction of that time. Over billions of years, our planet has transformed from a molten, lifeless sphere into a world filled with oceans, continents, ...

Astronomers have reported what appears to be the first rogue (free-floating) planet with both its distance and mass pinned down directly—a major step forward for studying these elusive worlds. The object is roughly Saturn-mass and lies about 9,950 light-years from ...

Earth is likely to face a grim ending: it may be swallowed by the Sun, or ripped into pieces—an outlook scientists say is plausible, though it lies in the extremely distant future. According to a new study by astronomers from ...

A fresh wave of optimism about extraterrestrial life is emerging from an icy ocean world orbiting Saturn. A major milestone in the search for life beyond Earth has just been reported. In a study published in Nature Astronomy, scientists present ...

A yet-unseen planet may be lurking in our Solar System—quietly orbiting the Sun in the deep, frigid darkness far beyond Neptune. In a new study, researchers propose a fresh candidate they’ve nicknamed “Planet Y.” Unlike a typical discovery confirmed by ...

A new study involving NASA scientists and international experts is fueling debate: should humanity try to destroy an asteroid that could collide with the Moon in 2032—or leave it alone? The object in question is large enough to be labeled ...