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European planet hunters on brink of Earth-sized prize

2 May 2007

Europe's new space telescope is proving 10 times as sensitive as expected, giving it the edge in the hunt for new planets

New Earth-like planet could be perfect home from home

25 April 2007

Temperatures as mild as a summer's day, and the possibility of water, could provide human-friendly conditions just 20.5 light years away

'Goldilocks' planet may be just right for life

24 April 2007

Astronomers have found the first planet that might be hospitable to life – it's not much bigger than Earth and is as balmy as New York in June

For plants on alien worlds, it isn't easy being green

11 April 2007

Depending on the planet's atmosphere and its host star's light, the foliage sprouting up on other Earths may look yellow, orange – or even black

Cannibal star: first sighting of a celestial glutton

3 April 2007

Exploding stars are supposed to flare and die. So when one just kept on belching fire, astronomers knew they had some explaining to do

Pluto-bound probe suffers temporary brain freeze

27 March 2007

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft recently suffered a memory problem that could have spelled disaster, but quickly regained its composure

60 Seconds

14 March 2007

Review: The Last Human, by Esteban Sarmiento et al

31 January 2007

Humans dominate the planet because of our evolutionary ancestors' darker sides. Adrian Barnett confronts a formidable cast of characters

Pluto probe begins close-up study of Jupiter

9 January 2007

As it nears its closest approach with the giant planet, NASA's New Horizons probe starts taking data – it will be the only spacecraft to visit Jupiter for a decade

2006: The year in astronomy

28 December 2006

The year was one of things lost and found – with Pluto bidding farewell to its planet status and signs of recent liquid water discovered on Mars