Science Focus (Prod)

Colin Stuart

Science communicator

Colin Stuart is an astronomy author and speaker.

Recent articles by Colin Stuart

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Leading astronomers are hunting for alien messages in supernova explosions. Here’s why

Astronomers in the US think extra-terrestrials could take advantage of the spectacular cosmic events to inform us of their existence.

space-exploration

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Could bringing back samples of Martian rock contaminate the Earth with foreign microbes?

NASA and ESA plan to bring back samples or rock, soil and air from the Red Planet within the next two decades.

space-exploration

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A race is afoot to make billions from the Moon's resources. Here's the story so far

A new space race has begun. Over the coming years, an armada of rockets will head to the Moon to hunt down precious resources, satisfy the urges of billionaire tourists and maybe do some intriguing science along the way.

space-exploration

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JUICE: What secrets lie beneath the icy surface of Jupiter’s moons?

The European Space Agency’s JUICE mission aims to peer beneath the surfaces of Jupiter’s moons to determine whether something could be living in the waters below.

space-exploration

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Reality Check |Why is the ISS being retired and what will happen to it?

NASA has set out a timeline for the last decade of the ageing space station's life that includes private occupants, movies and a watery grave.

international-space-station

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Mysterious, ancient black holes may have been shaping the Universe's destiny since its birth. Here's how

Since just after the Big Bang, ancient black holes may have been shaping the Universe as we know it. Now, scientists are tantalisingly close to glimpsing these mysterious objects for the first time.

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Could we build an elevator to the Moon?

Blasting off in a rocket is an expensive, difficult and dangerous way to get to the Moon. Colin Stuart looks into another way we could travel there and back.

space-exploration

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Reality Check |Space Junk: Is it a disaster waiting to happen?

Experts are calling for urgent action before debris floating in orbit around the Earth triggers a runaway cascade of collisions known as the Kessler Syndrome.

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Inside the mission to spot an alien city by harnessing the Sun’s colossal gravity

Astronomers generally view the Sun as an obstacle to the objects they want to study. But it might just be the key that enables them to observe Earth-like exoplanets located many light-years away.

space-exploration

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Ghost stars |The radical theory that could solve the mystery of dark matter

Mysterious discoveries around the globe have opened up a tantalising possibility: the cosmos could be full of ghostly stars that are invisible to our most sensitive detectors.

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How to build a Moon base

With NASA, ESA, Russia and China all researching lunar living, we look into the challenges and advantages of building a Moon base.

space-exploration

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Can life exist around a black hole?

New research suggests that 'Goldilocks zones', where planets could have the perfect conditions for life, could exist near supermassive black holes.

extraterrestrial-life

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The Solar System |How do we know how it formed?

From Earth's prime position as the third planet out from the Sun, we’re finally understanding the origins of our Solar System

the-solar-system

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Comet Interceptor |Unlocking the secrets of the early Solar System

Comets may hold the secret to life on Earth. That’s why scientists are designing a mission that will pay a visit to one of these enigmatic, icy travellers to take a closer look.

space-exploration

the-solar-system

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Cosmic origins: the miraculous journey from dust clouds to life

We are made of starstuff - but how did that starstuff form the Sun, then the Earth, then us?

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Race to the Moon |Inside China's plans to build a lunar base

The landing of Chang'e 4 on the far side of the Moon is only start of China's groundbreaking lunar feats.

space-exploration

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Planet Nine |How we’ll find the Solar System's missing planet

Beyond Neptune, a handful of small worlds are moving in harmony. Astronomers think they might be dancing to the tune of a third world lurking in the darkness, one that’s four times bigger than Earth and significant enough to be named our Solar System’s ninth planet. Now they think they know exactly where to look for it…

the-solar-system

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The Apollo programme |Why we need to go back to the Moon

这是近半个世纪以来人类ventured beyond Earth’s orbit. But resolve is growing for a return to the Moon.

apollo-programme

space-exploration

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First contact |What if we find alien life?

If we're going to spend time and resources searching for extraterrestrial life, we should know what happens when we make alien contact.

extraterrestrial-life

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九个最神秘objects in the Universe

'Oumuamua, the bizarre object hurtling through our Solar System, joined a select group of cosmic enigmas that have astronomers scratching their heads…

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InSight: what NASA's mission to Mars could find inside the Red Planet

Mars has been an object of intrigue for centuries, yet for all our exploration efforts there remains a perplexing mystery: just what is going on underneath the surface?

space-exploration