Astronomers have made the exciting discovery of an Earth-mass exoplanet in the habitable zone of our nearest neighbouring star, Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf star 4.25 light years (1.3 parsec) from the Sun. The new-found world, designated Proxima b, is a little more massive than the Earth, implying that it Read more…
Seventy thousand years ago our world, unmarked by agriculture and industry, was a very different planet. Back then Earth was shared by at least four separate types of human being. Tough and sturdy Neanderthal folk hunted mammoths and built huts across the chilly forests, mountains and plains of Eurasia. Further Read more…
A clear night sky is a thing of beauty and wonder. Thousands of scattered stars twinkle in the darkness. What are the stars? How do they live and die? Could an exploding star cause disaster on Earth? Over the past century or so astronomers have by observation and calculation established Read more…
Once planets orbiting other stars were unknown as they could not be directly observed. Several decades ago one astronomer was certain he had found the planets of a nearby star and his work seemed so painstaking that the astronomical community accepted their existence. Today they are forgotten. Whatever happened to Read more…
The smallest stars in the galaxy are the red dwarfs. Recent research suggests they are more common than previously suspected. Tiny, cool and dim compared to the Sun, they may seem unimportant. But consider this: red dwarfs not only outnumber every other type of star in the Universe but will Read more…