Titan May be the Liveliest Place in the Solar System Titan has no liquid water whatsoever on its surface. But it does have liquids. Seas, lakes, streams, rivers…of methane and ethane. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
A new observatory is assembling the most complete time-lapse record of the night sky ever On 23 June 2025, the world will get a look at the first images from one of the most powerful telescopes ever built: the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
A Terrifying Simulation of a Black Hole Gobbling Up a Neutron Stars Across the universe, some of the most dramatic events occur when a black hole meets a neutron star. A neutron star is the ultra-dense remains of a massive star that exploded—imagine all the mass of our Sun compressed into a sphere just a few tens of kilometres wide. When a black hole and neutron star spiral toward each other, the result is one of nature’s most violent spectacles. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Astronomers observe the Sausage cluster at very low radio frequencies Using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), European astronomers have investigated a galaxy cluster designated CIZA J2242.8+5301, dubbed the Sausage cluster. The observations conducted at very low radio frequencies provide more insights into the properties of radio relics in this cluster. The new findings are presented in a research paper published May 29 on the arXiv preprint server. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Is the Hubble Tension Starting to Go Away? For years, scientists have been scratching their heads over the “Hubble Tension,” the mismatch between how fast the cosmos expanded in its youth versus how fast it’s expanding today. But now, armed with the most precise data ever captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have found the perceived gap is staring to narrow!I n fact, the expansion rate measured by Cepheid variables versus the cosmic background has overlapping error bars again. Will the tension mystery finally be resolved? Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Webb Watches Haze Rise and Fall in Pluto’s Atmosphere When the New Horizons spacecraft swept past Pluto and Charon in 2015, it revealed two amazingly complex worlds and an active atmosphere on Pluto. Those snapshots redefined our understanding of the system. Now, new observations using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) taken over the space of a week, show that Pluto’s atmosphere is completely different from any other one in the Solar System. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Harvesting the data in the stars If you’re lucky, when you look up at the night sky, you’ll see thousands and thousands of points of light. These lights each help tell the story of the universe—how it began, what worlds are out there now, and where new phenomena might develop. Unlocking the mysteries of the cosmos helps scientists better understand the science of our home on Earth, but space also holds something else for the general public—inspiration and wonder at all the possibilities out there. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
A deep look at Cosmic Noon: Prodigious star formation by special galaxies reveals Milky Way’s origin story Researchers led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick astrophysicist, who looked deeply into space at a period known as “Cosmic Noon,” about 2 billion to 3 billion years after the Big Bang, have found that a special class of galaxies were busy experiencing their first major burst of star formation. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Galaxy clusters are on course to crash again, according to Chandra X-ray Observatory New observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have captured a rare cosmic event: Two galaxy clusters have collided and are now poised to head back for another swipe at each other. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Biggest boom since Big Bang: Astronomers uncover most energetic explosions in universe Astronomers from the University of Hawaiʻi’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA) have discovered the most energetic cosmic explosions yet discovered, naming the new class of events “extreme nuclear transients” (ENTs). These extraordinary phenomena occur when massive stars—at least three times heavier than our sun—are torn apart after wandering too close to a supermassive black hole. Their disruption releases vast amounts of energy visible across enormous distances. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
What if the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning? Research suggests it may have taken place inside a black hole The Big Bang is often described as the explosive birth of the universe—a singular moment when space, time and matter sprang into existence. But what if this was not the beginning at all? What if our universe emerged from something else—something more familiar and radical at the same time? phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
What Life on Europa Needs As the years go by the chances of Europa hosting life seem to keep going down. But it’s not out of contention yet. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Rubin Observatory to detect millions of new solar system objects in vivid detail, simulations suggest A group of astronomers from across the globe, including a team from the University of Washington and led by Queen’s University Belfast, have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects will be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later in 2025. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Astronomers detect new ultracompact binary system with unusually bright, infrequent outbursts An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new ultracompact binary of the AM CVn type exhibiting infrequent outbursts. The detection of the newfound system, designated TCP J07222683+6220548, was detailed in a paper published May 27 on the arXiv preprint server. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Discovery of giant planet orbiting tiny star challenges theories on planet formation Star TOI-6894 is just like many in our galaxy, a small red dwarf, and only ~20% of the mass of our sun. Like many small stars, it is not expected to provide suitable conditions for the formation and hosting of a large planet. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Do the Clouds of Venus Really Host Life? On the surface (you’re welcome for the joke), Venus is not even close to being hospitable to life. But that’s not the end of the story. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Consciousness and collaboration were fundamental to shaping knowledge, show astronomy archives of premodern China The astronomical records of imperial China are some of the most comprehensive archives in the history of science, spanning over two millennia, from 221 BC to 1911 AD, and providing detailed insight into phenomena ranging from comets to the rate of rotation of Earth. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Star quakes and monster shock waves: Researchers simulate a black hole consuming a neutron star Across the cosmos, many stars can be found in pairs, gracefully circling one another. Yet one of the most dramatic pairings occurs between two orbiting black holes, formed after their massive progenitor stars exploded in supernova blasts. If these black holes lie close enough together, they will ultimately collide and form an even more massive black hole. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Reusable Chinese Rocket Soft-Lands in the Ocean in a New Test Chinese rocket startup Space Epoch put on a show recently, with a demonstration test launch of their reusable Yanxinghe-1 rocket booster. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Magnetic curtains on the sun: Solar telescope reveals ultra-fine striations that shape surface dynamics A team of solar physicists has released a new study shedding light on the fine-scale structure of the sun’s surface. Using the unparalleled power of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, built and operated by the National Solar Observatory (NSO) on Maui, scientists have observed, for the first time ever in such high detail, ultra-narrow bright and dark stripes on the solar photosphere, offering unprecedented insight into how magnetic fields shape solar surface dynamics at scales as small as 20 kilometers (or 12.4 miles). phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
