In a stellar flyby, a star approaches our Solar System close enough to create gravitational mayhem. The last one was 70,000 years ago. There are more in the future, and it’s possible that they could disrupt comets from the Oort Cloud and send them into the inner Solar System, with the risk of catastrophic impact.
Artist Ashley Zelinskie and DJ illich Mujica get psychedelic in New York City. Continue Reading‘Redshift’ blends James Webb Space Telescope, Artemis 2 and Pink Floyd into a cosmic journey through light and sound (video, photos)
Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have developed a new procedure, enabling them to speed up elaborate computer simulations that analyze matter under extreme conditions. In particular, this work improves the evaluation of experiments at large-scale research facilities like the European XFEL—and should facilitate substantial progress, among others, in fusion research and laboratory astrophysics.
The two boosters hang out mid-air after separation. Continue ReadingSeeing double with the Artemis 2 rocket boosters | Space photo of the day for May 26, 2026
File photo of a Falcon 9 fueled for launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Image: SpaceX. SpaceX will follow up a picturesque Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Monday morning with another from Vandenberg Space Force Base Tuesday morning. The Starlink 17-37 mission, which was originally scheduled to launch on May 9, faced several launch delays throughout the month of May. The flight went through two previous booster assignments (B1097 and B1103) before Continue ReadingLive coverage: SpaceX to launch 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
A large protocluster of galaxies that existed 12.6 billion years ago, first discovered with the Subaru Telescope, has been examined in detail using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The study found that galaxies in crowded regions are more extended than similar galaxies in less dense environments. The results, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters , show that even when the universe was only 1.2 billion years old, environment was already influencing how galaxies grow.
Across the world, air pollution is associated with more early deaths than any other environmental exposure, raising risks of dying from lung cancer, respiratory infection, heart and lung disease and other causes.
The universe may have its own version of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, and that might be enough to explain dark energy without invoking any new physics at all. Continue ReadingCould a cosmic uncertainty principle help explain dark matter?
May 25 and 26, 1959, saw the first meeting of the Research Steering Committee on Manned Space Flight. The committee was also referred to as the Goett Committee, as it was chaired by Harry J. Goett. An engineering manager at Ames Research Center, Goett brought a wealth of knowledge of complex aerodynamics, and was widelyContinue reading “May 26, 1959: The first meeting of the Goett Committee” The post May 26, 1959: The first meeting of Continue ReadingMay 26, 1959: The first meeting of the Goett Committee
The source of the significant water ice deposits hidden in Mercury’s polar regions has been a topic of debate among researchers. A new study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, suggests that these deposits were accumulated in only one Mercurian day (176 Earth days) by a large impactor, such as a comet or asteroid. While previous studies have suggested a similar scenario, this is the first study to fully model the impact. Furthermore, these new models suggest that the impactor may have been larger and slower than previously suggested.
Researchers analyzing crimson auroras over Japan found the glowing displays stretched hundreds of miles higher into Earth’s atmosphere than expected, challenging long-held assumptions about the strength of geomagnetic storms. Continue ReadingUnusual red northern lights over Japan suggest some solar storms are stronger than we thought
Translucent, speckled, and barely the size of a grain of rice, a new species of sea slug has been identified in the coastal waters of Keelung, Taiwan. Because of its minute size and distinctive black and yellow markings, researchers from National Taiwan Ocean University, National Museum of Natural Science and National Taipei University of Education have named the creature Thecacera sesama.
Using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have discovered a triply-eclipsing star system. The newfound system, designated TIC 295741342, consists of two sun-like stars in an eclipsing binary and a giant tertiary companion, which orbits the binary. The finding was reported in a paper published May 19 on the arXiv pre-print server.
“This ring? It’s the most powerful weapon in the universe.” Continue ReadingHBO’s ‘Lanterns’ does have some green in it after all, as latest trailer shows Hal Jordan unleashing the power of the ring (video)
Data from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft revealed a never-before-seen atmospheric effect on Mars, revealing how solar storms may shape planets without strong magnetic fields. Continue Reading‘Very interesting wiggles’ in data from silent NASA Mars spacecraft lead to unexpected solar wind discovery
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. May 25: Three planets after sunset Tonight, let’s compare the appearance of the Moon to that of a week ago to see the effects of lunar libration, the “nodding” motion caused by the tilt of the Moon’s orbit around Earth. High inContinue reading “The Sky Today on Tuesday, May 26: Enter Endymion” The post The Sky Today on Tuesday, May 26: Enter Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Tuesday, May 26: Enter Endymion
As part of a commercial partnership, NASA is developing a sophisticated chip that will give spacecraft the processing capabilities to think for themselves.
We’ve discovered large numbers of small rocky exoplanets, but they’re at such great distances that habitability is extremely difficult to determine. New research suggests than since Mars is on the edge of being habitable, studying it in detail can shed light on rocky exoplanets. If we can understand things like tectonic activity and atmospheric escape on Mars, we can understand how they may play out on rocky exoplanets.
New research led by Penn State scientists suggests that some of the highest-energy cosmic rays may consist of atomic nuclei heavier than iron and could help narrow down the cosmic sources capable of accelerating these particles.
A team of South Korean scientists has uncovered new evidence that could help explain how Earth’s atmosphere became rich in oxygen, one of the most transformative events in the planet’s history. Researchers from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) report the finding of stromatolites, layered structures formed by microbial communities, within the Hapcheon impact crater on the Korean Peninsula. While the Hapcheon crater is only about 40,000 years old, it shows how stromatolites got a boost from the heat in impact crater hydrothermal systems.
