Space
- Astronomy
A middleweight black hole has been spotted for the first time in our galaxy
The rare find, discovered in the star cluster Omega Centauri, could offer clues to how black holes and galaxies evolve.
- Space
50 years ago, scientists were gearing up to hurl a probe at the sun
The Helios mission provided key insights into the sun. Now, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has taken up the mantle, giving scientists unprecedented views of the star.
- Cosmology
Strange observations of galaxies challenge ideas about dark matter
A new look at how light bends as it travels through the universe could point to an alternative theory of gravity.
- Astronomy
A stellar explosion may add a temporary ‘new star’ to the night sky this summer
A nova occurs in the constellation Corona Borealis once every 80 years. Its bright light will be visible to the naked eye for up to a week.
- Astronomy
We may finally know the source of mysterious high-energy neutrinos
Regions around supermassive black holes in active galaxies could produce a lot of these mysterious particles.
- Physics
A black hole made from pure light is impossible, thanks to quantum physics
A “kugelblitz” is a black hole made of concentrated electromagnetic energy. But it’s not possible to make one, according to new calculations.
- Space
Astronomers watch a supermassive black hole turn on for the first time
A galaxy transitioned from being dim and quiet to bright and active, giving astronomers insight into active galactic nuclei.
- Earth
50 years ago, the sun’s influence on Earth’s lightning was revealed
The solar wind and sunspots seem to give lightning a boost. But exactly how solar activity stimulates strikes is an enduring mystery.
- Space
Human spaceflight’s new era is fraught with medical and ethical questions
A new project called the Space Omics and Medical Atlas aims to study and document astronaut health as commercial spaceflight starts to take off.
- Space
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope could help solve these 5 exoplanet puzzles
A lot of people are focused on signs of alien life, but the space telescope will have a lot to say about exoplanet geology and formation.
- Space
China’s Chang’e-6 snagged the first samples from the farside of the moon
The samples, which will be returned to Earth in late June, could help researchers figure out why the moon’s two sides are so starkly different.
- Space
The sun is entering solar maximum. Expect auroras, and more
May saw the strongest auroras in recent memory. As the sun gets more active, those light shows may be a preview of what’s to come until at least 2026.
