Planet

Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year Highly Commended: M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy © ZiYang Chang (China), aged 14. The Whirlpool Galaxy colliding with its neighbor NGC 5195

Photography

Gallery: Cosmic wonders in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards

Few photography subjects offer the breadth of beauty as astronomy, and the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards celebrate that. The winners for 2024 have now been crowned, including breathtaking cosmic shots.

A sample of parts and tools made from 3D-printed titanium and Mars dust

Materials

Astronauts could 3D print tools and parts from titanium and Mars dust

Sending materials into space is expensive, so the more astronauts can make on-site, the better. Engineers have now demonstrated how crushed Martian rock could be mixed with a titanium alloy to make 3D-printable building materials.

An artist's impression of some of the types of exoplanets astronomers have discovered over the last few decades

New Atlas 20th Anniversary

Brave New Worlds: The age of exoplanet discovery

The hunt for planets beyond our solar system has taken off over the last few decades. With the recent discovery of the 5,000th exoplanet coinciding with our own 20th anniversary, now is the perfect time to reflect on the milestones along the way.

Image of the Venusian atmosphere at 60km over the south pole (yellow dot) using Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on board Venus Express (Image: ESA/VIRTIS/INAF-IASF/Obs. de Paris-LESIA/University of Oxford)

Space Systems

Venus atmosphere unexpectedly measured by drag

Scientists have accidentally discovered that the atmosphere on Venus is 60 percent thinner than expected by measuring drag of the Venus Express satellite.