SCIENCE
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The science case for why Pluto should become a planet (again)
In 2006, the IAU defined “planet” for the first time, excluding Pluto and all other dwarf planets. In 2026, is…
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Ask Ethan: How can ultra-distant galaxies move so fast?
It takes incredible energies to accelerate masses near the speed of light. So how do the farthest galaxies speed away…
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Dark matter in the Bullet Cluster celebrates 20 years
The first colliding galaxy cluster to reveal dark matter, empirically, turns 20 this year. Here’s why it cements dark matter’s…
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Ask Ethan: What’s the biggest misconception in astronomy?
Many facts are well-known to professionals, but are unappreciated or even rejected outright by the public. “How stars work” takes…
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The idea of “theories of everything” may be fundamentally wrong
For decades, theorists have been cooking up “theories of everything” to explain our Universe. Are all of them completely off-track?…
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Star birth doesn’t come from ignition, but from equilibrium
Although a star’s “birth” is well-defined, it doesn’t correspond to an ignition event in its core. Here’s how stars are…
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Ask Ethan: How long does it take planets to form?
Every time a new star forms, there’s an opportunity to form planets alongside and around it. How does it happen,…
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Everything in the Universe changes by adding enough mass
One parameter, alone, sets the dividing line between rocky planets, gas giants, brown dwarfs, stars, and much more. Here’s why…
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Starts With A Bang #128 — Planet formation and proto-protoplanets
By looking at a giant, remarkable, edge-on protoplanetary system, astronomers have found a proto-protoplanet for the first time. Continue reading…
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To alien eyes, Earth looks deceptively peaceful
As the world teeters on the brink of nuclear war, distant, advanced civilizations would never know it. Earth appears peaceful…
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