Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS Shows Water Ice Behaves the Same Across Alien Star Systems

Targets of opportunity sometimes happen in astronomy, and we got a major one when the third interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, was discovered in July 2025. And it just so happens that in the intervening years between the last known interstellar visitor (2I/Borisov in 2019), we got a major upgrade in our observational capabilities with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). A new paper from a team of researchers led by Dr. Silvia Protopapa of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Southwest Research Institute, and published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, details JWST’s findings on the water ice content of this most recent visitor from beyond our solar system.

Exoplanets Can't Hide From The JWST's 'Digital Twin'

Finding dim exoplanets hidden in the glare of their stars is an ongoing challenge in astronomy. Telescopes use coronagraphs to block out starlight, but even they have their limitations. Researchers have developed a new technique with the JWST that can find dim exoplanets more easily than ever.

Game Theory Helps SETI Search for Alien Civilizations

SETI can be more effective the more the targets in the search are refined. SETI's newest survey effort uses game theory to inform its search. It's based on the idea that other ETIs would almost certainly use the transit method to detect habitable worlds like Earth.

Giant Impacts Help Rocky Planets Retain Their Atmospheres

For a long time, planetary scientists thought that giant impacts drove a young planet's atmosphere away into space with all the heat they generated. But it turns out the opposite could be true. The mass a young planet gains through a giant impact increases its gravitational hold on its atmosphere.

A Virtual Lifeless Earth Will Help Scientists Find Life on Exoplanets

Researchers have created a model lifeless Earth that couples the atmosphere with interior planetary processes. The model can reproduce Earth's modern habitable state without including life, showing that a planet that appears habitable isn't necessarily inhabited. The tool will be useful when and if the Habitable Worlds Observatory is launched, by helping identify false positives.

Students Test Prototype Landing Pad to Make Lunar Operations Safe

This summer, a team of students and researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville successfully conducted three rocket-motor firing tests on a prototype lunar landing pad. The tests showed the prototype’s ability to capture and redirect rocket exhaust through an integrated vent system, marking an important milestone in developing landing infrastructure for future Moon base operations.

What Will Politics Look Like on Other Planets? It's Likely to Be a Mishmash

When we make our home on other worlds, who will be in charge? Will it be an emperor? A billionaire? A rebel alliance? Or none of the above? Astrobiologist Jacob Haqq Misra runs through the legal and political options.