Today's Science News

December 21, 2025

Strategic river sensors could have forewarned of Texas Camp flood disaster -  Camp Mystic in Texas flooded on July 4, killing 27 people, including 25 children.

Astronomers Find the First Compelling Evidence of "Monster Stars" in the Early Universe - Using the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of international researchers has discovered chemical fingerprints of gigantic primordial stars that were among the first to form after the Big Bang.

December 20, 2025

The Dark Side of Christmas: From Pagan Solstice Rituals to Songs Written During Plague Outbreaks and World Wars - A hauntingly beautiful visual journey through the shadowed history of Christmas carols—tracing their roots from pagan fires to wartime trenches, where music offered light, warmth, and resilience across centuries.

The best Stranger Things gifts to celebrate season 5 - You don't have to search the upside down to find the best Stranger Things gifts outside of Hawkins, so celebrate season five's release with these top gifts.

Artemis II Crew Rehearse Launch Day Demonstration - The four astronauts set to fly around the Moon during NASA's Artemis II test flight depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the

New materials conduct ions in solids as easily as in liquids - Scientists have developed state-independent electrolytes, allowing ions to move freely in solid states, retaining high ionic conductivity.

Cosmic crash caught on camera - NASA's Hubble captured unprecedented collisions of asteroids in the Fomalhaut system, revealing insights into planet formation and debris.

Do Animals Hold Funerals for Their Loved Ones Like We Do, or Are We Just Projecting Grief? - Learn more about the death rituals seen throughout the animal kingdom and whether or not animals grieve the same way humans do.

James Cameron's sci-fi movies ranked, worst to best - As Avatar: Fire and Ash makes its cinematic debut, here's James Cameron's best directorial sci-fi movies to date – and the list is earth-shatteringly impressive.

Celestron Showdown: Battle of the 10x42's - We tested every single pair of Celestron 10x42 binoculars so you don't have to — find out which one comes out on top.

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 190 — Holiday Special 2025 - On Episode 190 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik look back at the past year in space — its ups, its downs, its all-arounds.

Roman soldiers defending Hadrian’s Wall infected by parasites, study finds - A study of Vindolanda's sewer drains reveals Roman soldiers were infected by roundworm, whipworm, and Giardia due to poor sanitation.

'Enemy Mine' at 40: An empathetic space adventure that still resonates strongly today - Hated rivals Dennis Quaid and Lou Gossett Jr. find brotherhood on a desolate planet in Wolfgang Petersen's cult sci-fi classic.

IMAP's Instruments Are Coming Online - During the deployment of new space telescopes that are several critical steps each has to go through.

Science news this week: Japan laser weapon trial, comet 3I/ATLAS bids farewell, and AI solves 'impossible' math problems - Dec. 20, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Scientists build 'most accurate' quantum computing chip ever thanks to new silicon-based computing architecture - Researchers say they have created the world's first scalable atomic quantum processor that achieves record-breaking 99.99% fidelity.

This “mushroom” is not a fungus, it’s a bizarre plant that breaks all the rules - Balanophora is a plant that abandoned photosynthesis long ago and now lives entirely as a parasite on tree roots, hidden in dark forest undergrowth.

NASA just caught a rare glimpse of an interstellar comet - An instrument aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft captured rare ultraviolet observations of an interstellar comet while Earth-based telescopes were blinded by the Sun.

How the 'delayed choice quantum eraser' experiment got us to rethink reality - Does the universe notice that we're paying attention to a quantum experiment?

What scientists found inside Titan was not what anyone expected - For years, scientists thought Saturn’s moon Titan hid a global ocean beneath its frozen surface.

Deaths of despair were rising long before opioids - Long before opioids flooded communities, something else was quietly changing—and it may have helped set the stage for today’s crisis.

Scientists spot 'unprecedented celestial event' around the 'Eye of Sauron' star just 25 light-years from Earth - Scientists watching the nearby Fomalhaut star system have directly seen two protoplanets smash together for the first time.

The best last-minute holiday gifts for any die hard space superfan - Show the space enthusiast in your life that you love them to the moon and back with the best last-minute holiday gifts available.

Looking for a skywatching Christmas gift? We have hunted down the best last-minute deals on telescopes, binoculars and more - Are you behind on your holiday shopping or holding out for some final pre-Christmas bargains?

What's the fastest a human can grow? - Humans grow tall in spurts, but what's our fastest period of growth?

Anxiety For Christmas: How To Cope - Christmas can be hard.

Why quantum computers have memory problems over time - Australian and international scientists revealed how quantum computer errors evolve over time, aiding development of more reliable quantum systems.

The levers for a sustainable food system - A study shows transforming the food system can significantly mitigate climate change, improve health, and enhance biodiversity by 2050.

Which Country Is Most Narcissistic? - It’s not the United States The post Which Country Is Most Narcissistic?

Super strain-resistant superconductors - Researchers studied strontium ruthenate superconductivity under shear strain, finding minimal Tc changes, favoring a one-component state while raising new questions.

Wind-Sculpted Landscapes: Investigating the Martian Megaripple ‘Hazyview’ - Written by Noah Martin, Ph.D. student and Candice Bedford, Research Scientist at Purdue University

These “Living Rocks” Are Living It Up - Unassuming ancient microbe communities are surprisingly skilled at storing away lots of carbon The post These “Living Rocks” Are Living It Up appeared first on Nautilus .

December 19, 2025

Monster Stars Roamed the Cosmos at the Dawn of Time - “A bit like dinosaurs on Earth—they were enormous and primitive” The post Monster Stars Roamed the Cosmos at the Dawn of Time appeared first on Nautilus .

Whale Breath May Reveal a Deadly Virus Circulating in Arctic Waters - Learn how drone-based sampling is opening a new window into whale health in remote Arctic regions.

The evolution of expendability: Why some ants traded armor for numbers - Ants with lots of workers tend to put less energy into making them armored.

Mysterious bright blue cosmic blasts triggered by black holes shredding stars, scientists say. 'It's definitely not just an exploding star.' - "The sheer amount of radiated energy from these bursts is so large that you can't power them with a core collapse stellar explosion — or any other type of normal stellar explosion."

The Nautilus Winter Reading List 2025 - Ten books we loved to start your new year off right.

Ants Make Individuals Weaker to Build Bigger Societies - Learn how ants traded individual protection for collective power — and what it reveals about how complex societies evolve.

Continuous spread: Raccoon roundworm detected in nine European countries - Raccoons and their parasite, Baylisascaris procyonis, are spreading in Europe, posing significant health risks, especially to children.

Lego has gone boldly where they have never gone before with their first-ever Star Trek set, and it's back in stock with a free gift! - The 3,600-piece Lego Icons Star Trek USS Enterprise is Lego's first-ever Star Trek set, and you get a free gift when you purchase it before Christmas eve.

Does Your Personality Put You At a Higher Risk of Dying? - Taking stock of your foibles could extend your life The post Does Your Personality Put You At a Higher Risk of Dying?

Astronomers may have spotted the 1st known 'superkilonova' double star explosion - "We do not know with certainty that we found a superkilonova, but the event nevertheless is eye-opening."

What determines the fate of a T cell? - Researchers discovered that autophagy influences T stem cell division, crucial for developing effective memory T cells and enhancing vaccine responses.

NASA Shares SpaceX Crew-12 Assignments for Space Station Mission - As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, four crew members from three space agencies will launch no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, to the International

These 2 companies are teaming up to offer insurance for space debris strikes on satellites - Odin Space and Arkisys are teaming up to provide customers with pioneering insurance for spacecraft specifically to cover space debris collision events.

NASA Johnson’s 2025 Milestones - NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston closed 2025 with major progress across human spaceflight, research, and exploration.

NASA’s Wideband Technology Demo Proves Space Missions are Free to Roam - Just like your cellphone stays connected by roaming between networks, NASA’s Polylingual Experimental Terminal, or PExT, technology demonstration is proving space missions can do the same by switching seamlessly between government and commercial communications networks.

Fresh Icelandic Lava Reveals How Life Takes It’s First Footsteps — On Earth and Beyond - DNA from Icelandic lava flows reveals how microbes move into a brand-new habitat, offering insights into early life on Earth and volcanic worlds like Mars.

Saying Goodbye to Comet 3I/ATLAS, the Interstellar Visitor That Briefly Called Our Solar System Home - Learn how you can say farewell to comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes by Earth on Dec. 19, 2025, and what we have learned during its brief visit near Earth.

These Fatal Gauntlets Kill Thousands of Endangered Seabirds Every Year - Study maps the deadly areas where birds cross paths with fishing vessels The post These Fatal Gauntlets Kill Thousands of Endangered Seabirds Every Year appeared first on Nautilus .

Trump’s energy secretary orders a Washington state coal plant to remain open - Chris Wright declared an energy “emergency” in the Pacific Northwest.

As Avatar returns to theaters, there's never been a better time to check out 'Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora' - Ubisoft's ambitious open-world game remains the best way to immerse yourself in Pandora's lush locales, exotic creatures, and fierce battles.

The Enceladus Idea In The Search For Life Out There - A small, icy moon of Saturn called Enceladus is one of the prime targets in the search for life elsewhere in the solar system.

Water Droplet Science - NASA astronaut Don Pettit demonstrates electrostatic forces using charged water droplets and a knitting needle made of Teflon.

The Hubble Witnesses Catastrophic Collisions In The Fomalhaut System - For the first time, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have spotted a pair of catastrophic collisions in another solar system.

2 of Earth's rarest lightning phenomena captured simultaneously in once-in-a-lifetime photo - A photographer in Italy captured an ultra-rare elve and red sprite flashing above the Alps in a single breathtaking moment.

Love capturing the cosmos? Make your money go further this Christmas with these last-minute camera and lens deals - Whether you're buying for yourself or hunting for a gift for a keen astrophotographer, there's still time to save hundreds with these last-minute deals on cameras and lenses.

These Baby Stars Have Mysterious Companions - These Baby Stars Have Mysterious Companions: The Gaia telescope found the possible beginnings of new planets around infant stars.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is rapidly moving away from us. Can we 'intercept' it before it leaves us forever? - 3I/ATLAS has passed its closest point to Earth, meaning we will soon lose sight of it for good.

James Webb Space Telescope watches 'Jekyll and Hyde' galaxy shapeshift into a cosmic monster - "Virgil has two personalities, its 'good' side – a typical young galaxy quietly forming stars.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes closest pass of Earth. Where's it heading next? - Everyone's favorite interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, flew past Earth overnight, coming within about 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) of our planet.

Do You Know What Time It Is? If You're On Mars, Now You Do. - Ask someone on Earth for the time and they can give you an exact answer, thanks to our planet's intricate timekeeping system, built with atomic clocks, GPS satellites and high-speed telecommunications networks.

Save 72% with our exclusive Norton VPN deal and get set for travel over the holidays and into 2026 - Get a quality VPN for less, so you can stream and browse with confidence from any location.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover could break the record for miles driven on another planet - NASA's Perseverance rover is on track to set a new record for the farthest distance driven on another planet.

AI is solving 'impossible' math problems. Can it best the world's top mathematicians? - AI is making gains in solving pure math problems.

Metrics - Services Catalog Click here to view the FY25 Services Catalog The catalogs provide service description, chargeback rate, unit of measure, and service level indicators for each NSSC service.

Best Lego Avatar sets 2025 - If you're a Pandora-loving moviegoer who can't get enough of the Na'vi culture, keep an eye on these stunning Lego Avatar sets.

Geminid meteors streak under green sky | Space photo of the day for Dec. 19, 2025 - Astrophotographer Josh Dury has captured the beauty of the Geminids in this stunning timelapse exposure.

Traveling over the holidays? Maximize your online safety with our exclusive 72% discount on Norton VPN - A VPN provides vastly improved online security for your device and can unlock streaming content from back home.

Engineered enzyme turns formaldehyde pollutant into key pharmaceutical building block - Formaldehyde is a common chemical used in various industries as a disinfectant, resin precursor, and synthetic intermediate.

Best VPN services we recommend 2025 - A VPN is a great tool for online safety and streaming, and ensuring content won't be geo-locked on your travels.

Watch South Korean startup Innospace attempt its 1st-ever orbital launch today - The South Korean startup Innospace will attempt its first orbital launch from Brazil's Alcântara Space Center on Friday (Dec. 19), and you can watch the action live.

1,400 years ago, Nubians tattooed their toddlers. Archaeologists are trying to figure out why. - More than a dozen mummies of kids with facial tattoos were found at an archaeological site in Christian-era Nubia.

It’s Raining Magnetic 'Tadpoles' on the Sun - Getting close to things is one way for scientists to collect better data about them.

Hubble Glimpses Galactic Gas Making a Getaway - A sideways spiral galaxy shines in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image.

Stargazing over the Christmas holidays 2025: 10 great reasons to look up - Your guide to the best sights the night sky has to offer from Dec. 20, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026 — and the gear you'll need to see them.

Japan trials 100-kilowatt laser weapon — it can cut through metal and drones mid-flight - A new high-power laser system will soon be sent to sea for its first tests under maritime conditions.

Farewell, comet 3I/ATLAS! Interstellar visitor heads for the outer solar system after its closest approach to Earth - 3I/ATLAS has now made its closest approach to the sun and Earth and is now heading back out toward the outer solar system.

Brain scans reveal where taste and smell combine to become flavor - Flavor isn’t just on your tongue.

The 98% mystery: Scientists just cracked the code on “junk DNA” linked to Alzheimer’s - Researchers have revealed that so-called “junk DNA” contains powerful switches that help control brain cells linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

How did interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS capture our imagination in 2025? - How did interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS generate such mainstream media interest and capture the public imagination throughout 2025?

Ursid meteor shower 2025: When and where to see 'shooting stars' on the longest night of the year - Here's how to see the Ursid meteor shower, which peaks in dark skies close to a new moon this year.

Betelgeuse and the Crab Nebula: Stellar Death and Rebirth - In 2019, Betelgeuse dimmed in brightness, sparking speculation that it may soon explode as a supernova.

An 11-year-old needed two new organs and doctors made history - In a rare and historic achievement, Children’s Hospital Colorado successfully completed its first dual heart and liver transplant in a pediatric patient.

Ancient oceans were ruled by super predators unlike anything today - Long before whales and sharks, enormous marine reptiles dominated the oceans with unmatched power.

Scientists found a new way to slow aging inside cells - A small tweak to mitochondrial energy production led to big gains in health and longevity.

Glowing neurons let scientists watch the brain work in real time - A new bioluminescent tool allows neurons to glow on their own, letting scientists track brain activity without harmful lasers or fading signals.

From biting flies to feathered dinosaurs, scientists reveal 70 new species - Researchers announced over 70 new species in a single year, including bizarre insects, ancient dinosaurs, rare mammals, and deep-river fish.

Neurons aren’t supposed to regrow but these ones brought back vision - After injury, the visual system can recover by growing new neural connections rather than replacing lost cells.

Discovery turns household plastic recycling into anti-cancer medication - A discovery led by the University of St Andrews has found a way to turn ordinary household plastic waste into the building block for anti-cancer drugs.

A stunning new forecast shows when thousands of glaciers will vanish - New research reveals when glaciers around the world will vanish and why every fraction of a degree of warming could decide their fate.

These are the flying discs the government wants you to know about - DiskSat's design offers "a power-to-weight ratio unmatched by traditional aluminum satellites."

Why Is Spain Spinning? - It isn’t because the Iberian Peninsula is dizzy The post Why Is Spain Spinning?

Could Advanced Civilizations Communicate like Fireflies? - In a new paper, a team of researchers explores how non-human species (in this case, fireflies) could inform new approaches in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

Drones detect deadly virus in Arctic whales' breath - Whale breath collected by drones is giving clues to the health of wild humpbacks and other whales.

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4743-4749:  Polygons in the Hollow - Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Earth may have been ravaged by “invisible” explosions from space - Cosmic “touchdown airbursts” — explosions of comets or asteroids above Earth’s surface — may be far more common and destructive than previously thought, according to new research.

Did Astronomers Just Find a ‘Superkilonova’ Double Explosion? Maybe. - Astronomers may have just seen the first ever ‘superkilonova,’ a combination of a supernova and a kilonova.

What Makes Someone Good at Reading the Room? - Those who have this special skill may be better at weighing ambiguous cues The post What Makes Someone Good at Reading the Room?

Gravitational waves may reveal hidden dark matter around black holes - Gravitational waves from black holes may soon reveal where dark matter is hiding.

Trump signs sweeping executive order aimed at 'ensuring American space superiority' - On Thursday (Dec. 18), President Donald Trump issued an executive order designed to ensure American space superiority.

Tiny Hints of Soldier Stomach Troubles in Roman Britain - Tiny Hints of Soldier Stomach Troubles in Roman Britain: Sediment revealed traces of parasites that trigger gastrointestinal distress.

Parasites plagued Roman soldiers at Hadrian’s Wall - They were infected by roundworm, whipworm, and microscopic protozoans called Giardia duodenalis .

Ancient Sewers Reveal Intestinal Parasites Sickened Roman Soldiers Near Hadrian’s Wall - Learn how parasites preserved in an ancient sewer reveal how disease spread among Roman soldiers.

Diarrhea and stomachaches plagued Roman soldiers stationed at Hadrian's Wall, discovery of microscopic parasites finds - Analysis of latrine sediments at the Roman fort of Vindolanda has revealed that at least three parasites were widespread among Roman soldiers.

December 18, 2025

Comet 3I/ATLAS reaches closest point to Earth: How to see it on Friday night - Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever detected, reached its closest point to Earth overnight from Thursday to Friday (Dec. 18 to 19), and it remains in a good viewing position tonight.

New ultraviolet image of comet 3I/ATLAS could help reveal what it's made of - NASA's alien-hunting Europa Clipper spacecraft took seven hours of ultraviolet observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS while both objects zoom toward Jupiter.

Swearing May Unlock Strength You Didn’t Know You Had - Learn how psychology experiments suggest swearing increases focus and confidence during demanding tasks.

Undersea lava rubble acts as a 'sponge' for carbon dioxide, study finds - Lava rubble at the bottom of the sea is acting like a giant "sponge" for carbon dioxide, ancient cores reveal.

Best streaming devices to watch sci-fi shows and movies in 2025 - Convert your TV into a smart TV with a streaming stick and watch all your favorite sci-fi shows and movies in one place, to access your streaming service of choice.

Why are the 'Avatar' movies so massive? Their success seems to defy conventional logic - They're not part of a vast, Marvel-style universe, and neither is a classic.

LLMs’ impact on science: Booming publications, stagnating quality - Once researchers turn to LLMs, paper counts go up, quality does not.

Simulation Shows That Bird Flu Could Become a Public Health Crisis After Only Two Days - Learn about a new simulation that shows human-to-human transmission of H5N1 will become uncontainable if we miss the narrow window.

Like Jurassic Park, Mosquitoes Can Capture an Entire Ecosystem in Their Blood Meals - Learn how mosquitoes can capture a snapshot of wildlife across an entire landscape.

A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling and falling out of space after partial breakup in orbit - One of SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites suffered an anomaly in orbit on Wednesday (Dec. 17) that led to its partial breakup, according to the company.

Astronomers capture 1st direct images of collisions in a nearby star system: 'It's like looking back in time' - "It's like looking back in time in a sense, to that violent period of our solar system when it was less than a billion years old."

It matters what time of day you get cancer treatment, study suggests - Giving immunotherapy earlier in the day can significantly extend patients' survival, compared to giving treatment later in the day, a new study of lung cancer shows.

Violent Space Rock Smashups Caused a Dusty Wreck in a Nearby Planetary System - Learn about the collisions between space rocks that have created huge dust clouds, one of which was previously mistaken for an exoplanet. 

Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients Are Likely Large Black Holes Shredding Their Massive Companions - In 2024, astronomers discovered the brightest Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transient (LFBOT) ever observed.

NASA will soon find out if the Perseverance rover can really persevere on Mars - Engineers at JPL are certifying the Perseverance rover to drive up to 100 kilometers.

4 ways to track 3I/ATLAS without a telescope as it makes its closest approach to Earth tonight - Interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS is travelling away from the sun on its way back to interstellar space.

The JWST Found A Jekyll-and-Hyde Galaxy In The Early Universe - In a glimpse of the early universe, astronomers have observed a galaxy as it appeared just 800 million years after the Big Bang – a cosmic Jekyll and Hyde that looks like any other galaxy when viewed in visible and even ultraviolet light but transforms into a cosmic beast when observed at infrared wavelengths.

Rare Footage Reveals the Mysterious Seven-Arm Octopus Eating Its Prey - Learn what this seven-armed cephalopod loves to eat and how it catches its prey. 

'Crash Clock' reveals how soon satellite collisions would occur after a severe solar storm — and it's pretty scary - Satellites would likely begin colliding with each other or space junk in less than three days if they were to lose the ability to maneuver, for example due to an intense solar storm.

'AI advisor' helps self-driving labs share control in creation of next-generation materials - "Self-driving" or "autonomous" labs are an emerging technology in which artificial intelligence guides the discovery process, helping design experiments or perfecting decision strategies.

Improved tracer labeling expands PET imaging possibilities - Imagine being able to watch organs and tissues work in real time.

The Year in Mathematics - Explore a shape that can’t pass through itself, a teenage prodigy, and two new kinds of infinity.

Oldest known evidence of father-daughter incest found in 3,700-year-old bones in Italy - Archaeologists have found the earliest DNA evidence to date of a father-daughter pairing.

Does Stress Make Holidate Sex More Likely? - Desire to have a short-term companion for the holidays - a "holidate" - is common enough that it gets its own portmanteau but the reasons may not always be positive.

Scientists detect X-ray glow from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS extending 250,000 miles into space - A rare interstellar comet has been caught in X-rays by two space telescopes, revealing how its gases interact with charged particles from the sun as it travels through the inner solar system.

Does swearing make you stronger? Science says yes. - "A calorie-neutral, drug-free, low-cost, readily available tool for when we need a boost in performance.”

Using Bent Light to Map Complex Planetary Architectures - With new technologies comes new discoveries.

'Molecular microscope' reveals greener path to ammonia - A team of researchers at Radboud University has discovered a promising new method to make ammonia—a key ingredient in fertilizers and many industrial chemicals—more efficiently and sustainably.

Organic materials conduct ions in solids as easily as in liquids thanks to flexible sidechains - Normally, when liquids solidify, their molecules become locked in place, making it much harder for ions to move and leading to a steep decrease in ionic conductivity.

Will 2026 bring strong auroras? What the sun's recent activity tells us - Solar Cycle 25 is moving past its peak, but strong solar storms and vivid auroras may still lie ahead in 2026.

As above, so below: Earth in the sky | Space photo of the day for Dec. 18, 2025 - This 3D rendering of our planet was part of France's Festival of Lights celebration.

Farmers 'bewildered and frightened' over inheritance tax, report finds - A government-commissioned report into farm profitability says farmers fear what the future might hold.

Rare earth elements: Of peptides and the origins of life - The group of rare earth elements (REEs) comprises a total of 17 elements, all of which possess similar chemical properties.

Rare 1,300-year-old medallion decorated with menorahs found near Jerusalem's Temple Mount - An excavation at the City of David in Jerusalem unearthed a 1,300-year-old medallion decorated with a seven-branched menorah on each side.

A new natural sunscreen: Novel compound discovered in thermophilic cyanobacteria - Natural sunscreens shield the skin from harmful radiation, without triggering allergic reactions.

Fractals describe patterns hidden all around us - Over the last 50 years, fractals have challenged ideas about geometry and pushed math, science and technology into unexpected areas.

Night sky tonight and the weekend: See the winter Milky Way shine in a moonless sky - Find out what you can see in the night sky for tonight, from planets and stars to dazzling meteor showers.

What time will interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS be closest to Earth today? - NASA JPL pinpoints the moment the interstellar visitor passes closest to our planet.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe mapped an unseen part of the sun at its most active moment - Data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe has enabled astronomers to map the unssen surface of the sun's atmosphere for the first time.

Astronomers just watched a black hole twist spacetime - Astronomers have detected spacetime itself being dragged and twisted by a spinning black hole for the first time.

Light-controlled cholesterol 'look-alikes' point toward smarter drug delivery - High levels of cholesterol are linked to heart disease, stroke, and many other health problems.

Enzyme shape-shifting captured in real time during catalysis - Researchers have captured real-time "molecular movies" showing how an enzyme changes shape during catalysis.

The western U.S. Tried to stop wildfires and it backfired - Much of the western U.S. is overdue for wildfire, with decades of suppression allowing fuel to build up across millions of hectares.

Which is the best star projector for under $50 this Christmas? - After testing and reviewing countless star projectors over the years, we're putting the very best head-to-head to determine which is the best for under $50 this Christmas.

10 gifts under $100 to transform any space-loving kid's bedroom - Totally transform a kid’s bedroom into a hub of space exploration without breaking the bank this holiday season.