With the next tranche of declassified files from the Pentagon expected any day now, dive deeper into the UFO phenomenon with these 15 books covering its history, impact and possible explanations. Continue ReadingGet ready for the next Pentagon file drop with our essential UFO reading list
If we’re to reach another star, chemical propulsion will not get us there in any reasonable time frame. We’re going to need a different propulsion technology, and one of the most promising seems to be a solar sail. These giant reflective surfaces form the basis of many interstellar missions. Combined with giant lasers pushing them, they can be accelerated to speeds unreachable by any other current technologies. However, according to a new paper available on arXiv from Chao Shen and Jiaze Li of the Harbin Institute of Technology, once those missions start reaching a significant percentage of the speed of light they’re going to run into a drag force from the light itself.
A new theoretical study may have cracked one of the most puzzling discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Little Red Dots, spotted across the early universe. The paper, posted to the arXiv preprint server on May 29, argues that these objects could be black holes caught in rare, violent bursts of feeding at a rate exceeding theoretical limits.
A new study published in Precambrian Research by Jawad Shabbir, a Ph.D. student at Peking University’s School of Earth and Space Sciences under Professor Song Shuguang, addresses a critical yet poorly understood period in Earth history. The Archean–Proterozoic transition witnessed global tectonic evolution, cratonization, glaciation, banded iron formations and the Great Oxygenation Event—events linked to supercontinent formation. Focusing on the Yinshan Block within the North China Craton (NCC), the research challenges previous ambiguities by revealing two complete orogenic cycles driven by tectonic processes similar to those on modern Earth.
A supermassive black hole lies at the heart of every galaxy, including the Milky Way. When a black hole is active, it pulls material in as a whirlpool of high-temperature gas and dust. As this cosmic material piles up and falls onto a black hole, it lights up its vicinity, radiating a huge amount of energy.
Jupiter and Venus meet in the western sky on June 9 — here’s how to see it. Continue ReadingDon’t miss Jupiter and Venus meet in a dazzling conjunction on June 9: Here’s where and when to look
This April, humanity had front-row seats to space as the Artemis II Orion spacecraft transmitted crystal-clear footage of its historic journey around the moon from more than 250,000 miles (about 402,000 kilometers) back to Earth at speeds on par with home internet connections.
“From orbit, volcanoes are some of the most beautiful natural sights.” Continue ReadingAstronaut spots Mount Vesuvius from space | Space photo of the day for June 8, 2026
Why does one side of the Moon have a lot of craters, while the other side does not? Stephen LogesBrooksville, Florida When the first photos of the Moon’s farside were obtained, people usually expressed the difference between the back and the front in terms of “more craters on the back.” It might be better toContinue reading “Why does one side of the Moon have a lot of craters, while the other does not?” The post Continue ReadingWhy does one side of the Moon have a lot of craters, while the other does not?
Giovanni Cassini was born in Perinaldo, in what is now Italy, on June 8, 1625. Early work on Jupiter and Mars’ rotational periods and the positions of Jupiter’s satellites led to an invitation to Paris and the Academie des Sciences by King Louis XIV; he became director of the Observatorie de Paris in 1671, andContinue reading “June 8, 1625: The birth of Giovanni Cassini” The post June 8, 1625: The birth of Giovanni Cassini appeared Continue ReadingJune 8, 1625: The birth of Giovanni Cassini
A coronal mass ejection is currently racing toward Earth and could trigger G2 to G3 geomagnetic storm conditions on June 8, potentially boosting aurora displays across northern latitudes. Continue ReadingIncoming CME could spark impressive northern lights over the northern US tonight
Prada (yes, that Prada) and Axiom Space are taking spacesuits up a notch with this liquid cooling ventilation garment. Continue Reading‘It’s very aesthetically pleasing.’ Prada and Axiom just revealed the stylish cooling suit Artemis astronauts will wear under their spacesuits on the moon
It feels like there’s no escaping AI right now, whether you’re trying to type a sentence without being interrupted by a digital “assistant” or struggling to find a new refrigerator that doesn’t require a Wi-Fi connection for some reason. You’d be forgiven for wondering if we’re in the midst of a quantum leap in tech or whether people are just hyping up a heap of slop. So what should we make of the growing use of AI in weather and climate modeling? The conversation didn’t get off to a great start earlier this year when a National Weather Service office Continue ReadingThe weather and climate science AI revolution isn’t revolutionary
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 10-35 mission on June 8, 2026. This was the 35th flight of the Falcon 9 booster, B1067, the SpaceX flight leader. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update June 8, 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 UTC): SpaceX landed its booster on the drone ship. SpaceX continued to push its Falcon 9 rocket fleet to the next level Continue ReadingSpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket booster on record-breaking 35th flight
Most meteor showers are seen after dark, but the Arietids offer a rare chance to spot shooting stars in the dawn sky. Continue ReadingRare daytime meteor shower peak this week — here’s how to see (and even hear) them
On June 9, NASA will reveal the astronauts who will fly on the Artemis 3 docking mission in Earth orbit next year. Here’s a look at the contenders. Continue ReadingIs this the next Artemis crew? A look at the astronauts on NASA’s shortlist
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. June 7: The sky’s sunflower Venus passes 5° south of the star Pollux at noon EDT. You can view them after sunset in the west, as Venus and Jupiter are closing in for a conjunction. Tonight the planets are 1.7° apart, standingContinue reading “The Sky Today on Monday, June 8: Venus and Jupiter close in” The post The Sky Today on Monday, Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Monday, June 8: Venus and Jupiter close in
3I/ATLAS has caused quite a stir over the last year, inviting astronomers to update what they know about other solar systems as well as our own. However, this third interstellar visitor may have an unexpected impact on our understanding of dark matter. A new paper, available on the arXiv preprint server from researchers at the University of Hamburg, attempts to calculate the impact that the presence of large amounts of interstellar objects, or ISOs, would have on our calculation of dark matter in our galaxy.
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used simulations to show that a newly developed, compact X-ray telescope could be used to map the chemical composition of the entire lunar surface, a vital breakthrough for understanding its geological evolution. Detailed modeling of the detector and a realistic satellite mission show that two years would be enough to map five key elements, while an array of 5-by-5 detectors could improve resolution and get results faster.
Inflation is awkward, possibly not even a proper theory, and it has reigned over cosmology for forty years anyway. Here is what it claims, the flatness, horizon, and monopole problems it solves, the structure-formation prediction it nailed, and the deep problems it still cannot escape.
