Researchers have discovered a mysterious, repeating pattern of fast radio bursts from space – and no one knows where they are coming from. Continue reading Mysterious Pattern of Fast Radio Bursts Detected in Space
by Christopher Rota figures by Hannah Zucker When the first Apollo program astronauts set foot on the Moon in 1969, their footsteps inspired a generation. This opened a new realm of possibility for what humans can achieve with the necessary motivation and resources. Now, just over 50 years later, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has put the wheels in motion to lay down a fresh … Continue reading Should We Help NASA “Shoot for the Moon” Again?
Data from the New Horizons probe, flying in the asteroid field far beyond Pluto, have finally been downloaded and analyzed. They challenge our previous views of the formation of the solar system. Continue reading Fly-by of a distant asteroid provides clues about the formation of our solar system
Curiosity rover’s analysis of rocks on Mars suggests that ancient water on the red planet would have been suitable for supporting life. Continue reading Water on Mars Was Similar To Water on Earth
Betelguese, a star in the Orion constellation, was spotted dimming in December 2019. Despite news reports that this may signal an impending supernova, it is probably just part of the star’s natural brightness cycles. Continue reading Betelguese: dimming, but probably not dying
A new study shows that the universe is expanding faster than scientists had initially predicted, sparking an effort to determine what unknown force in space is responsible. Read Ben Andreone’s article to learn more! Continue reading The Universe is Expanding Faster than Scientists Thought
Engineers at MIT have developed the blackest material to date by growing carbon nanotubes on an aluminum surface. The treated aluminum structure additionally has improved electrical properties and the synthesis process can be easily scaled for a number of applications. Continue reading Back in Black: The New Blackest Material
Scientists find the heaviest neutron star known to man – and it’s helping us understand when black holes form. Continue reading Super Heavy Star Found
50 years after the Apollo 11 landing, the US is planning on returning to the moon. While such a mission could answer new scientific questions about the history of our corner of the universe and help test new technology, lack of federal support and behind-schedule and over-budget projects make a 2024 landing a challenging goal. Continue reading Back to the Moon: Challenges Facing the 2024 Return
Everyone on Earth is familiar with gravity to some extent; it is the force that pulls us down to the planet’s surface. In fact, all objects with mass tug on other objects moving around them because of gravity. The strength of the gravitational pull depends on the mass of the object, and is often too weak to notice. However, for things as massive as galaxies, … Continue reading Seeing with Gravity: How invisible particles can be observed in outer space