
Robert Lea
Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.
Latest articles by Robert Lea

Scientists discover smallest galaxy ever seen: 'It's like having a perfectly functional human being that's the size of a grain of rice'
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have discovered the smallest dwarf galaxy ever seen. It is a mystery how the satellite galaxy of Andromeda survived the blistering conditions of the early universe.

Hubble Telescope rocks out with cosmic guitar | Space photo of the day March 10, 2025
By Robert Lea published
The moshing galaxies of Arp 105 dazzle in the Space Image of the Day Monday (March 10), which comes courtesy of Hubble.

Mysterious phenomenon at the heart of the Milky Way could point to new dark matter suspect. 'We may have been overlooking its subtle chemical effects on the cosmos.'
By Robert Lea published
Strange events at the heart of the Milky Way could point toward a new dark suspect that annihilates to influence the chemistry of the cosmos.

New recipe for gravity could unite Einstein's general relativity with quantum physics — and probe the dark universe
By Robert Lea published
If gravity arises from entropy, scientists could unite Einstein's general relativity with the quantum realm while shedding light on dark matter and dark energy.

These mysterious objects born in violent clashes between young star systems aren't stars or planets
By Robert Lea published
Mysterious planetary mass objects that wander the cosmos alone could be created when young star systems clash. They aren't planets or stars, but are in a cosmic class of their own.

Hidden monster black hole in the galaxy next door fired stars at us like million mph cosmic bullets
By Robert Lea published
A hidden monster black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud fired runaway stars at the Milky Way at millions of miles per hour.

Secretive US Space Force X-37B space plane 'breaks new ground' with return to Earth after 434 days in orbit (photos)
By Robert Lea published
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-7 U.S. Space Force’s dynamic unmanned space plane has successfully returned to Earth after a novel aerobraking maneuver during its 7th flight.

NASA switches off Voyager instruments to extend life of the two interstellar spacecraft 'Every day could be our last.'
By Robert Lea published
NASA engineers are turning off two instruments on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 to ensure these twin spacecraft can continue exploring interstellar space.

Hubble Telescope discovers a new '3-body problem' puzzle among Kuiper Belt asteroids (video)
By Robert Lea published
It's a new type of three-body problem for astronomers, who used the Hubble Space Telescope to determine that twin asteroids in the Kuiper Belt could be triplets.

Mystery solved! Odd X-ray signal was 'death knell' of planet destroyed by zombie star (video)
By Robert Lea published
An X-ray signal that has puzzled scientists for 45 years was the "death knell" of a planet ripped apart by a white dwarf star, data from NASA's Chandra observatory has revealed.

The solar system is teeming with 1 million 'alien invaders' from Alpha Centauri
By Robert Lea published
The solar system could be packed with 1 million alien visitors, space rocks shaken away from our cosmic neighbor Alpha Centauri, new research has revealed.

James Webb Space Telescope dives into the atmosphere of a mystery rogue planet or failed star
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate the atmosphere of a cosmic body that is either a "failed star" brown dwarf or a rogue planet.

'Dark matter is more valuable than gold': Wobbly galaxies help shine a light on the universe's strangest stuff
By Robert Lea published
Scientists have used the wobble of the Milky Way and what are known as "cosmic lighthouses" to shine a light on the mystery of dark matter.

NASA supercomputer finds billions of comets mimicking the Milky Way's shape: 'The universe seems to like spirals!'
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have discovered that billions of comets in an icy shell around the solar system called the Oort Cloud mimic the spiral structure of the Milky Way.

James Webb Space Telescope joins cosmic detectives in hunt for dark matter
By Robert Lea published
The James Webb Space Telescope has joined the hunt for dark matter, aiding cosmic detectives in searching for signals indicating axion decay.

These dwarf galaxies in the Hydra cluster are baffling scientists: 'We found something we didn't expect'
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers were surprised to see the behavior of ultrafaint dwarf galaxies located in the Hydra cluster.

Mysterious fast radio burst traced back to massive 'cosmic graveyard' of ancient stars
By Robert Lea published
A mysterious burst of radiowaves with more energy than the sun emits in a year has been traced back to a cosmic graveyard dead galaxy filled with ancient stars.

'That's impact probability zero folks!' Earth safe from 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4
By Robert Lea published
The chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting our planet are now zero. Last week, it was the riskiest asteroid to hit our planet since records began.

Einstein wins again! Quarks obey relativity laws, Large Hadron Collider finds
By Robert Lea published
Do top quarks, nature's heaviest elementary particle, obey Einstein's rules at all times of day and night? Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider have the answer.

How do black holes 'leak' energy? Scientists have a new spin on the answer
By Robert Lea published
Scientists have discovered more about the process that causes black holes to "leak" energy to their surroundings, finding the faster they spin, the more energy is extracted.

Some baby stars in ancient stellar nurseries were born in 'fluffy' cosmic blankets
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have discovered that many infant stars born in stellar nurseries of the early universe may have preferred "fluffy" stellar blankets.

NASA massively lowers impact risk of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 to 1 in 360
By Robert Lea last updated
Breathe a sigh of relief! NASA has dropped the risk of asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting Earth in 2032 to 1 in 360, just days after it became the highest-risk asteroid since records began.

What is dark energy? Exploding white dwarf stars may help us crack the case
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have studied 3,600 supernovas to discover diversity in exploding white dwarf stars, a vital tool in the investigation of dark energy.

Black holes snacking on small stars create particle accelerators that bombard Earth with cosmic rays
By Robert Lea published
Gamma rays detected by NASA's Fermi spacecraft indicate that microquasars are powered by small black holes slowly devouring stars. They pack quite a punch, bombarding Earth with cosmic rays.

Largest-ever discovery of 'missing link' black holes revealed by dark energy camera (video)
By Robert Lea published
Using a revolutionary dark energy camera, astronomers have discovered the largest haul of "missing link" intermediate-mass black holes ever seen, but there should have been more.
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