Supermassive Black Holes Can Render Exoplanets Uninhabitable at Great Distances

Life on Earth relies on energy from astrophysical sources. But what if the astrophysical source isn’t a star, but a supermassive black hole and its active galactic nuclei? Life needs shelter from their powerful energy, and the only shelter is distance. New research shows that SMBH and their AGN could strip away exoplanet atmospheres and destroy their ozone at vast distances.

Using pulsars as ultra-precise gravitational probes to ‘weigh’ neighboring galaxies

Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, have identified a promising new method for measuring the mass of galaxies orbiting the Milky Way by using pulsars, some of the universe’s most precise natural clocks, to detect tiny gravitational effects across our galaxy.

An ancient solar storm left clues in tree rings and a famous poet’s diary: ‘Red lights in the northern sky’

A Japanese poet wrote in his diary that “red lights” appeared in the sky over Kyoto. An analysis of tree rings suggests a powerful solar storm created the sight. Continue ReadingAn ancient solar storm left clues in tree rings and a famous poet’s diary: ‘Red lights in the northern sky’

Heat vulnerability follows more than temperature, and this global map exposes the overlooked fault lines

A Nature Sustainability paper titled “A multidimensional assessment of Systemic Cooling Poverty in the Global South,” provides the first large-scale, multidimensional measurement of Systemic Cooling Poverty (SCP)—defined as situations in which individuals are “prevented from attaining thermal safety as a result of intersecting forms of systemic deprivation.”

Hubble captures galaxy cluster MACS J1141.6-1905

Look closely at this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and you’ll see galaxies of various shapes and sizes clustered together toward the center-left of the image. A few foreground stars shine brightly and are easily distinguished by the spikes that appear to extend outward from each star. These spikes, called diffraction spikes, are the result of how point sources of light (such as stars) bend, or diffract, around the supports for Hubble’s secondary mirror.

Superconducting vortices moonlight as controllable qubits, turning a disruption into a resource

Vortices in superconductors have so far been considered a disruption, as they can impair the superconducting properties. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have proved in experiments that magnetic vortices can be used as controllable quantum systems in certain materials. This means that a previously unwanted phenomenon is becoming a potential resource in quantum technologies, opening up new avenues for the development of quantum computers, highly sensitive sensor systems, and innovative approaches in materials research. These results are published in Nature.

May 22, 1969: Snoopy’s closest approach to the Moon

The final mission before the landmark Apollo 11, Apollo 10 served as a dress rehearsal, testing every aspect of the Moon landing except for the actual landing itself. On May 18, the crew of Commander Tom Stafford, Command Module Pilot John Young, and Lunar Module Pilot Gene Cernan blasted off from Kennedy Space Center.  WhileContinue reading “May 22, 1969: Snoopy’s closest approach to the Moon” The post May 22, 1969: Snoopy’s closest approach to the Continue ReadingMay 22, 1969: Snoopy’s closest approach to the Moon