Universe Today
Fraser Cain
Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today, founding the website in March 1999. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast.
Recent Articles
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SPHEREx is Now Mapping the Entire Sky
May 06, 2025A new space mission is open for business. Last week, we got a look at science images from NASA's SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Re-ionization, and Ices Explorer) mission. The mission will now begin science operations, taking 3,600 unique images a day in an effort to create a 3D map of the sky.
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Welcome to the New, Ad-Free Universe Today, Brought to You By 3,000 Space Fans
March 12, 2025If you're a regular visitor to Universe Today, you've probably noticed that the website looks dramatically different. Simpler, cleaner, without all those pesky intrusive ads. We're in a new era, now. Here's what happened, why I decided to remove the ads from the site, and what you can expect going forward.
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Andromeda's Dwarf Galaxies Reveal Unique Star Formation Histories
February 28, 2025 -
Rogue Planets are Born in Young Star Clusters
February 28, 2025 -
A New Way to Measure Where the Milky Way's Dark Matter Is
February 28, 2025 -
A Giant Ribbon Can Pull Payloads Along
February 28, 2025 -
Lucy Sees its Next Target: Asteroid Donaldjohanson
February 27, 2025 -
Mars's Northern Ice Cap is Surprisingly Young
February 27, 2025 -
The Solar System is Taking a Fascinating Journey Through the Milky Way
February 27, 2025 -
Is T Coronae Borealis About to Light Up?
February 27, 2025 -
Perseverance Takes A Second Look At Some Ancient Rocks
February 26, 2025 -
Rover Finds the Shoreline of an Ancient Beach on Mars
February 26, 2025 -
As Expected, the Threat from 2024 YR4 has Essentially Dropped to Zero
February 26, 2025 -
So This is How You Get Magnetars
February 26, 2025Magnetars are a type of neutron star with the most powerful magnetic fields in the universe. They're formed by the death of massive stars, like pulsars and other neutron stars. So, what creates such intense magnetic fields? Thanks to a new simulation, astronomers have discovered that a magnetar probably forms when material ejected by the supernova explosion falls back down onto the star's surface, amplifying its dynamo effect.
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This Laser Could Find Fossil Microbes on Mars
February 25, 2025 -
Can We Develop a More Accurate Habitable Zone Using Sulfur?
February 25, 2025The habitable zone is where planets could have liquid water on their surfaces, but not if they're actually habitable. In a new paper, astronomers propose a new way to map the inner edge of habitable zones by searching for sulfur dioxide (SO?) in the atmospheres of exoplanets. If there's SO?, this indicates that the planet doesn't have liquid water on its surface. Telescopes like Webb could scan planets for SO?, creating a more accurate map of habitable zones.
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A Hybrid Hydrogen Drive Train Could Eliminate Aircraft Emissions
February 25, 2025 -
Sampling Enceladus' Subsurface Ocean with TIGRE Mission Concept
February 22, 2025