Latest articles by Keith Cooper
Puffy white dwarfs could shed light on mysterious dark matter. Here's how.
Astronomers just took a big step toward a better understanding of white dwarfs, a discovery that could shed light on mysterious dark matter.
Could the Geminid meteor shower threaten satellites and astronauts on the International Space Station?
We evaluate how the International Space Station is protected from the impacts of tiny meteoroids and the level of risk to smaller satellites.
Astronomers discover 7 new 'dark comets,' but what exactly are they?
By doubling the number of known "dark comets," astronomers have been able to split them into two camps depending on their location in the solar system.
What causes volcanic eruptions on Jupiter's moon Io? Scientists aren't so sure anymore
New measurements from NASA's Juno probe have seemingly put to bed the possibility of a magma ocean beneath the surface of Io.
Sunny days on Mars come with a weather warning: Dust storms ahead!
Warmth on sunny days could be a major trigger for instigating dust storm activity on Mars.
NASA tests high-tech software for future mission to search for life on Jupiter's moon Europa
NASA is developing autonomous software to recognize faults and hazards on worlds like Europa, and prevent or fix them without having to await commands from Earth.
Scientists find secret comet in the asteroid belt — how many others are there?
Main-belt comets that scientists keep finding could provide new insights into the birth of our solar system.
World's 2nd fastest supercomputer runs largest-ever simulation of the universe
A new frontier has been reached in simulations of the universe, with the powerful exascale supercomputer called "Frontier" performing the most detailed simulation yet of the cosmos.
Voyager 1 interstellar spacecraft finds its voice again as NASA restores communications
Voyager 1 is shouting across the cosmos again, following a glitch that had seen it inadvertently switch to its low-power transmitter.
How bacteria are inspiring the next generation of space-borne lasers
The bacteria could be grown in space, and lend their photosynthesizing talents to supplying power to the hundreds of thousands of satellites in orbit.
2 space telescope designs will battle it out to become NASA's next cosmic imager
Whichever mission NASA selects to image the cosmos next should launch by 2032. Here are the two contenders.
Magnetic tornadoes on Jupiter are spawning Earth-size storms
Magnetic vortices twisting down from Jupiter's ionosphere into its deep atmosphere cause giant, ultraviolet-absorbing polar anticyclones, each the size of our Earth.
Mars may have made its 2 moons by ripping an asteroid apart
A new theory proposes that Phobos and Deimos resulted from the wreckage of a larger asteroid that wandered too close to Mars and was ripped apart.
The Sombrero Galaxy's star-forming days are nearly over — and the James Webb Space Telescope may know why
A brand-new James Webb Space Telescope image captures the steady, slow lifestyle of the distinctive Sombrero Galaxy.
How do astronauts weigh themselves in space?
Space mysteries In microgravity, astronauts must measure their mass, not their weight, which they can do with two devices on the ISS.
Inside NASA's archives: Meet the team restoring astronomical history
Though data from all modern missions is digitized and properly archived, the same can't be said for missions prior to 1990.
Precise new moon map could help guide future sample-return missions
The age of Mare Orientale could act like a lunar Rosetta stone for dating the age of the moon's other giant impact basins.
Whatever happened to the 'potentially habitable' planet Gliese 581g (and d and f)?
From being the most Earth-like planet known to being consigned to the trash bin, the story of Gliese 581g is a precautionary tale for exoplanet hunters.
Somewhere in the multiverse, dark energy is helping stars and life form
The strength of dark energy in our universe is not optimized for forming stars, which means other universes might have a greater likelihood of producing life.
Mars meteorite found in drawer reveals history of water on Red Planet
"We think the water came from the melting of nearby sub-surface ice called permafrost, and that the permafrost melting was caused by magmatic activity that still occurs periodically on Mars to the present day."
A black hole's secrets could hide in its dizzying light 'echoes'
Black hole light echoes are an extreme form of gravitational lensing.
On ancient Mars, carbon dioxide ice kept the water running. Here's how
Huge shells of frozen carbon dioxide at Mars' south polar cap resulted in subsurface meltwater, which fed a huge system of rivers, lakes and even a sea, a new study suggests.
Venus' 'missing' giant impact craters may be hiding in plain sight
Venus' wrinkled, deformed "tesserae" terrain may be ancient impact features the size of continents, a new study suggests.
