Hydrogen
This Alien Landscape is Actually a Microscopic View of an Atomic Clock
Navigation satellites couldn't accomplish anything without extremely accurate clocks. But a regular clock won't do. Only atomic clocks are accurate…
Could Life Exist in Molecular Clouds?
Our search for life beyond Earth is still in its infancy. We're focused on Mars and, to a lesser extent,…
JWST Reveals a Newly-Forming Double Protostar
As our newest, most perceptive eye on the ongoing unfolding of the cosmos, the James Webb Space Telescope is revealing…
Astronomers Have Been Watching a Supernova’s Debris Cloud Expand for Decades with Hubble
Twenty thousand years ago, a star in the constellation Cygnus went supernova. Like all supernovae, the explosion released a staggering…
Early Life on Mars Might Have Wiped Out Life on Mars
Life might have wiped itself out on early Mars. That's not as absurd as it sounds; that's sort of what…
Water was Already Here Before the Earth Formed
Where did Earth's water come from? That's one of the most compelling questions in the ongoing effort to understand life's…
A Mars Colony Could be a Hydrogen Factory, Providing Propellant for the Inner Solar System
There are lots of potential uses for a Mars colony. It could be a research outpost, mining colony, or even…
White Dwarfs can Continue Burning Hydrogen, Even After They’re Dead
White dwarfs are supposed to be dead remnants of stars, doomed to simply fade away into the background. But new…
Worlds With Hydrogen in Their Atmospheres Could Be the Perfect Place to Search for Life
We're waiting patiently for telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope to see first light, and one of the reasons…
Astronomy Cast Ep. 513: Stellar Fusion
The Sun. It's a big ball of fire, right? Apparently not. In fact, what's going on inside of the Sun…