Palomar 5, a seemingly calm star cluster, may hide a swarm of over 100 stellar-mass black holes. Spanning 30,000 light-years and located 80,000 light-years away, it provides clues about star cluster evolution and tidal stream formation. Unique in its loose structure and 20-degree tidal stream, Palomar 5 contrasts with typical dense globular clusters of...
An artist’s concept of the Pandora mission, seen here without the thermal blanketing that will protect the spacecraft, observing a star and its transiting exoplanet. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image LabSet to launch later this year, NASA’s Pandora mission promises groundbreaking advancements in our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres. By focusing on at...
Artist's impression of ASKAP J1839-0756. (James Josephides)At the end of their lifecycles, some of the largest stars explode in massive supernovas, leaving behind dense cores called neutron stars. These remnants can emit strong radio waves from their magnetic poles.As these stars rotate, their radio beams sweep across Earth, creating periodic pulses much like a...
Credit: PixabayA rare celestial spectacle is set to illuminate Earth’s night skies. On the evening of February 28, 2025, all seven other planets in the Solar System—Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars—will align in a striking row. This breathtaking event, known as a great planetary alignment, promises a stunning visual treat.Six Planets...
Artist's concept of the Parker Solar ProbeNASAThe Parker Solar Probe has been confirmed by NASA to be safe and fully functional following a groundbreaking close approach to the Sun on December 24, 2024. During this event, the spacecraft set a record, venturing to within just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the Sun's...
Multiple flares recorded on the Sun. (NOAA)As Earth completes another orbit around the Sun, a storm brewing in space may soon illuminate our skies with a breathtaking display of auroras.On December 29 and 30, the Sun unleashed a series of dramatic events, including massive eruptions, powerful flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), potentially aimed in...
The JWST image of NGC 628. The new Webb image of NGC 628. (Judy Schmidt/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)Three years ago, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched, marking a monumental moment in space exploration. As the largest and most powerful space telescope ever built, it has redefined our understanding of the Universe in just a...
The orbits of the planets around the Sun have been a subject of intense scientific debate. Scientists understand planetary properties well, but their trajectories have changed significantly since the Solar System's formation.
The Ingenuity helicopterNASAFuture space helicopters could benefit from findings made during the first-ever interplanetary aircraft crash investigation. NASA is finalizing a technical report that will explain the causes of the Ingenuity helicopter crash on Mars, which occurred on January 18, 2024.From a Modest Goal to a Revolutionary AchievementPart of the Mars 2020 mission, Ingenuity...
Credit: PixabayIo, one of Jupiter's moons, holds the title of the most volcanically active body in the Solar System, boasting around 400 volcanoes and vast lava flows across its surface. However, contrary to earlier theories, a recent study suggests that this volcanic activity is not driven by a global magma ocean beneath its crust.New...
