Space & Earth Science

1. Runaway stars reveal hidden black hole in Milky Way's nearest neighbor

   Astronomers have discovered strong evidence for the closest supermassive black hole outside of the Milky Way galaxy. This giant black hole is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the nearest galactic neighbors to our own.

2. Private lunar lander touches down on the moon, but its status is unknown

   A privately owned lunar lander touched down on the moon Thursday, but as the minutes dragged on, flight controllers could not confirm its condition or whether it was even upright near the south pole.

3. Astrophysicists predict origins of unexpected space objects in solar system and Alpha Centauri

   Interstellar material has been discovered in our solar system, but researchers continue to hunt for where it came from and how it got here. A new study led by Western astrophysicists Cole Gregg and Paul Wiegert recommends Alpha Centauri—the next closest solar system to ours—is a great place to start, highlighting how and why it's a prime target.

4. US firm hours away from Moon landing with drill, rovers, drone

   A drill for ice, a 4G network test, three rovers, and a hopping drone: a US company is hours away from its second lunar landing attempt on Thursday, aiming to advance technologies for future human missions.