Credit: PixabayIn 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) unveiled the first image of a black hole, showcasing the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. Now, this cosmic giant is surprising scientists with an intense teraelectronvolt gamma-ray flare, the strongest observed in over a decade. Emitting photons billions of times more energetic...
Elliptical galaxies NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 colliding. (NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team/AURA/B. Whitmore et al.)It’s both humbling and inspiring to consider how much remains to be discovered about the Universe. My collaborators and I recently addressed one of astrophysics’ longstanding mysteries: how massive elliptical galaxies form.For the first time, we now have strong observational evidence to...
Credit: PixabayWhen you think of black hole formation, you likely picture a massive star collapsing under its own gravity. However, the early universe’s chaotic conditions might have also produced small black holes, known as primordial black holes, long before the first stars existed.These black holes, theorized for decades, could even be the elusive dark...
The Artemis program is meant to establish a permanent human presence on the MoonNASAThe Artemis II and III missions, which aim to return U.S. astronauts to the Moon, have been delayed once again. At a press briefing, NASA officials revealed that issues with the heat shield and life support systems would push back the...
Credit: PixabayBlack holes are usually detected light-years away, but a new study suggests they could also be found here on Earth, in the form of tiny tunnels carved through rocks or ancient buildings.Scientists theorize that primordial black holes formed shortly after the Big Bang, unlike regular black holes, which form from collapsing massive stars....
Credit: PixabayAstronomers have observed a massive galaxy collision in remarkable detail, triggered by a galaxy traveling at 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h), using one of Earth’s most powerful telescopes.The dramatic event occurred in Stephan's Quintet, a galaxy group discovered nearly 150 years ago, and sparked a shockwave resembling a "sonic boom from...
Credit: PixabayJupiter’s Great Red Spot has long been a planetary icon. However, UC Berkeley astronomers have now identified equally massive, Earth-sized dark spots at the planet’s poles. These UV-dark ovals, which appear within the stratospheric haze at the poles, come and go unpredictably. Notably, they sit just below the auroral zones and absorb more...
Credit: PixabayA detailed study released in May 2023 revealed that the Moon's inner core is a solid sphere with a density similar to iron. Researchers believe this discovery will resolve a long-standing debate about whether the Moon's core is solid or molten, providing a clearer understanding of the Moon's history and, in turn, the...
An artist's impression of an accreting X-ray pulsar. (Dana Berry/NASA)Neutron Star Spins at Unbelievable SpeedA neutron star located 27,400 light-years away is exhibiting one of the most remarkable rotational speeds ever observed.In the binary system 4U 1820-30, this dead star spins so rapidly around its axis that it completes an astounding 716 rotations per second....
The Micro-Reactor can be used for nuclear space propulsionRolls-RoyceRolls-Royce has received an additional £4.8 million (US$6.2 million) from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to develop critical technology for a nuclear micro-reactor, potentially powering lunar bases and spacecraft propulsion in the future.In the 1969 science fiction film Doppelganger (also known as Journey to the Far...
