Dramatic skies over the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Central American Volcanoes Offer Clues to Earth’s Geological Evolution

Along 1,100 kilometers, from Mexico to Costa Rica, lies the Central American volcanic arc, where the variety of magma types make for a geological paradise.
An illustration of seven Earth-size planets orbiting the TRAPPIST-1 star

Why TRAPPIST-1 Is Our Favorite Alien Planetary System

The TRAPPIST-1 system is a treasure trove of possibilities and questions. Observations by JWST have just begun.
An artist's rendering of a black hole

Ancient Black Hole Challenges Our Understanding of the Early Universe

The Big Bang theory is not threatened, but astrophysicists have some explaining to do.
Lion's Head rock formation on the shoulder of Mt. Washington, NH

Why the Worst Weather on Earth Is in New Hampshire

A combination of factors makes the weather at New Hampshire’s Mount Washington arguably the most brutal in the world.
The Sun photographed at 304 angstroms by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA 304) of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

How Earthquakes Helped Us Map the Interior of the Sun

Temperatures in the Sun's core exceed 10 million degrees Celsius. But how on Earth did we actually come to know that?

The Hunt for Life in Alpha Centauri

This oddball system of three stars might be our best chance at finding nearby life in the Universe.
Asteroid rock on green starry background

How Asteroids Bombarded Earth and Built the Continents

Asteroid collisions aren't always bad.
Spacetime as represented by a grid with a body (presumably a black hole) bending it.

When Gravity Sucked, According to the Plutocrats

After Einstein’s general theory of relativity was proven during a 1919 solar eclipse, quantum and nuclear physics pushed it aside to hog the limelight.
This artist concept depicts "multiple-transiting planet systems," which are stars with more than one planet.

To Find a New World, Watch How a Planet Dances with Its Star

Finding a tiny planet around bright stars dozens or hundreds of light-years from Earth is extremely difficult.