The Magellanic Clouds are a pair of dwarf galaxies passing the Milky Way probably for the first time, but as they move they have been interacting with each other for billions of years. Continue ReadingTrouble near the Milky Way: The Large Magellanic Cloud is ripping its smaller neighbor galaxy apart
On Aug. 12, 2026, some of the best beaches in the world will play host to totality. Continue Reading10 best Spanish beaches to see the total solar eclipse 2026
NASA launched the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite, or EUVE, on June 7, 1992, to conduct an all-sky survey at wavelengths inaccessible from the ground. The first satellite designed to operate in the short-wave ultraviolet range, its “objectives included discovering and studying UV sources radiating in this spectral region, and analyzing effects of the interstellar mediumContinue reading “June 7, 1992: The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer launches” The post June 7, 1992: The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer launches appeared Continue ReadingJune 7, 1992: The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer launches
‘This season in a lot of ways is a celebration and I think you can feel it in everything’ Continue Reading‘Rick and Morty’ creators on their inspirations as season 9 tackles the multiverse, evolution, and a kung-fu fight in a Trader Joe’s parking lot (interview)
“If a major meteor shower outburst or storm is forecast during a mission or crew activity, the mission would be delayed or the crew kept inside until the outburst or storm is over.” Continue ReadingCould meteor storms harm NASA’s future moon missions?
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. June 6: Albireo returns By the time the sky is dark around 10 P.M. local daylight time, the constellation Canes Venatici is still more than 70° high in the west. The Hunting Dogs hold our target for tonight: M63, also known asContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, June 7: The sky’s sunflower” The post The Sky Today on Sunday, June 7: Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Sunday, June 7: The sky’s sunflower
A partial view of a SpaceX Starshield satellite in low Earth orbit. Image: SpaceX Update June 7, 12:50 a.m. EDT (0450 UTC): SpaceX landed the booster on the drone ship. SpaceX launched a combination of 21 Starlink and two Starshield satellites on Saturday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Starshield is an alternate version of the Starlink satellite architecture the government. SpaceX hasn’t announced which U.S. government agency ordered these two satellites or if they Continue ReadingSpaceX launches 2 Starshield satellites during Saturday night Starlink mission
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates how radiocarbon dating can reveal the maximum lifespan of Mediterranean hardwoods, uncovering hidden links between human history and long-term ecosystem dynamics. By analyzing mature and ancient oak trees across Italy, researchers found that a millennium of age is attainable from the Mediterranean coast to mountain environments.
Scientists at the SETI Institute searched for technological signals from 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object observed in our Solar System. Using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Northern California, the team scanned a wide range of radio frequencies for signs of extraterrestrial technology and found none, as expected based on other astronomical observations showing that the object exhibits natural comet-like composition and behavior. “Eventually, our own Voyager spacecraft will be extraterrestrial artifacts in other stellar systems,” said Dr. Sofia Sheikh, lead author on the paper. “Given that, it is important that we understand the natural distribution of interstellar objects so that we will be able to identify any anomalies that could one day be signs of an artificial interstellar object.” The team observed 3I/ATLAS for more than seven hours with the ATA, covering 1 to 9 gigahertz. This broad range allows scientists to search for narrowband radio signals, which are not produced by in nature and would be evidence of technology.
A look at why a cyclic, eternally repeating universe is such an appealing idea, and why the first serious attempt to build one, Richard Tolman’s 1930s model of endless big bangs and big crunches, collapsed under the weight of entropy. The Big Bang keeps demanding a beginning.
A research team led by Davoud Jafari at the University of Twente, in collaboration with the University of Pisa, has completed a series of parabolic flight experiments to investigate advanced smart surfaces under rapidly changing gravity conditions. Conducted aboard the Air Zero G aircraft operated by Novespace, the campaign integrated additive manufacturing, boiling heat transfer and electric field control into a single experimental platform as part of the #SmartSkin project.
Astronomers have employed the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to perform deep spectroscopic observations of a peculiar spiral galaxy known as W2246f. Results of the observational campaign, published May 27 on the pre-print server arXiv, offer new insights into how this galaxy evolved and shed more light on its nature.
‘It was such a great playground to play in, and I hope that it opens up more projects like this for creatives to embrace and trust.’ Continue ReadingHow ‘Spider-Noir’ captured the multiverse in True-Hue Full Color and Authentic Black & White (interview)
Plenty of studies have linked exposure to nature to a wide variety of health benefits, from improved cognitive function to lower blood pressure to better mental health. Other research has found connections between the human microbiome and time spent outside. But an overlooked, understudied player in that connection is the assemblage of microbes found in the nose, or the nasal microbiome.
Jason Momoa will star as the psycho space biker this summer, but who exactly is Lobo? Continue ReadingWho is Lobo, the cigar-smoking alien bounty hunter in ‘Supergirl’?
On Episode 212 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Apollo legend Gerry Griffin live from the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in McLean, Virginia. Continue ReadingThis Week In Space podcast: Episode 213 — Live From ISDC With Gerry Griffin
“Extraterrestrial Cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction,” by physicist Luis Alvarez, geologist Walter Alvarez, Frank Asaro, and Helen Michel, was published in Science June 6, 1980. In it, the authors propose that an asteroid crashing to Earth was responsible for the death of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. (The timeline was later amended to 66Continue reading “June 6, 1980: The asteroid impact theory” The post June 6, 1980: The asteroid impact theory appeared first on Continue ReadingJune 6, 1980: The asteroid impact theory
Rocket scientists have always faced a trade-off in propulsion technologies. Chemical rockets can provide lots of oomph, but burn through fuel so quickly they can only do so for a few minutes. Electric propulsion, on the other hand, can run for days, but the pushing power they provide is miniscule compared to their chemical cousins. A new paper in the Journal of Propulsion and Power from researchers at MIT describes a system that might be the best of both worlds – a propulsion system that includes an electrospray thruster that uses a chemical rocket propellant, and can seamlessly switch to a chemical rocket when needed.
SpaceX on Friday signed a blockbuster cloud computing agreement under which Google will pay the Elon Musk-founded rocket company $920 million per month for access to a massive cluster of AI chips, according to a disclosure in its initial public offering filing.
Raúl Esparza will reprise his lead role as the famous Renaissance astronomer this fall in ‘Galileo’. Continue ReadingNeil deGrasse Tyson narrates new trailer for upcoming Broadway musical, ‘Galileo’
