Not all asteroids are alike. Some of them, known as “active” asteroids, sport comet-like tails of gas and dust. Studying active asteroids could reveal clues to how the solar system…
Category: Astronomy
Explaining a Supernova’s ‘String of Pearls’
Physicists often use the Rayleigh-Taylor instability to explain why fluid structures form in plasmas, but research from the University of Michigan suggests that that may not be the full story…
Astronomers Spot Oldest ‘Dead’ Galaxy Yet Observed
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge have spotted a ‘dead’ galaxy when the universe was just 700 million years…
NASA’s Roman Team Selects Survey to Map Our Galaxy’s Far Side
The plane of our Milky Way galaxy is seen in ESA’s Gaia space mission. It contains more than a billion stars and darker, dusty regions Gaia couldn’t see through. With…
NASA’s Webb Finds Ethanol, Other Icy Ingredients for Worlds
The science team also detected simpler molecules, including formic acid (which causes the burning sensation of an ant sting), methane, formaldehyde, and sulfur dioxide. Research suggests that sulfur-containing compounds like…
NASA-Supported Team Discovers Aurora-Like Radio Bursts Above Sunspot
A NASA-funded team of scientists has discovered long-lasting radio signals emanating from the Sun that are similar to those associated with auroras—the northern and southern lights—on Earth. Scientists have discovered…
Groundbreaking Survey Reveals Secrets of Planet Birth Around Dozens of Stars
In a series of studies, a team of astronomers led by Per-Gunnar Valegård has shed new light on the fascinating and complex process of planet formation. One of the studies…
AI Makes a Rendezvous in Space
Uniting the complex mathematics of trajectory optimization with the powers of generative AI, aerospace engineers at Stanford hope to put self-driving spacecraft within reach. Space travel is complex, expensive, and…
Finding New Physics In Debris From Colliding Neutron Stars
According to research from Washington University in St. Louis, neutron star mergers are a treasure trove for new physics signals, with implications for determining the true nature of dark matter.…
Plasma Oscillations Propel Breakthroughs in Fusion Energy
New insights into plasma oscillations pave the way for improved particle accelerators and commercial fusion energy. A NASA image of plasma bursting from the sun. Plasma—a hot soup of atoms…
