The sight of a fireball streaking across the sky brings wonder and excitement to children and adults alike. It’s a reminder that Earth is part of a much larger and…
Category: Planetary Science
Physicists show that neutron stars may be shrouded in clouds of axions
An axion cloud around a neutron star. While some axions escape the star’s gravitational pull, many remain bound to the star and over a long period of time form a…
Hubble captures a new view of galaxy M90
This eye-catching image offers us a new view of the spiral galaxy Messier 90 from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, J This NASA/ESA Hubble…
First results from the Axion Dark-Matter Birefringent Cavity experiment establish a new technique for axion search
Experimental setup at MIT, picture by Swadha Pandey. Our four-mirror detector is housed inside two steel vacuum chambers connected by a pipe. The platform in front of the near vacuum…
Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer helps researchers determine shape of black hole corona
This illustration of material swirling around a black hole highlights a particular feature, called the “corona,” that shines brightly in X-ray light. In this depiction, the corona can be seen…
Space Force’s X-37B will perform ‘never before-seen maneuvers’ in orbit
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle taxiing on the flightline on March 30th, 2010, at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: USAF The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) has been…
Sun reaches maximum phase in 11-year solar cycle
Images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory highlight the appearance of the sun at solar minimum (left, Dec. 2019) versus solar maximum (right, May 2024). These images are in the 171…
Asteroid-sample return mission enables researchers to conduct largest geophysical observation campaign of its kind
An animated OSIRIS-REx leaves the Bennu asteroid. Credit: NASA The OSIRIS-REx project made history last year as the first U.S. mission to bring back an asteroid sample from space—and with…
Is life possible on a Jupiter moon? NASA goes to investigate
Does Europa contain the ingredients that would allow life to be present? Is there anywhere else in our solar system that could support life? An imposing NASA probe is due…
In a first, Starship megarocket booster caught by SpaceX’s ‘chopsticks’
This still image taken from a SpaceX broadcast shows the Starship’s Super Heavy Booster being ‘caught’ mid-air as it returns to the launch pad near Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX successfully…
