Space

Space

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At their cores, stars can reach many millions or even billions of degrees. But even that doesn't touch the hottest of all.
dark matter
There's an extra source of massive "stuff" in our Universe beyond what gravitation and normal matter can explain. Could light be the answer?
As technology advances, the use of laser weapons in space becomes more likely.
Illustration of large, mechanical tripod machines with glowing eyes detecting life as they shoot a beam of light at a smoking building, causing sparks and destruction.
The emergence of life in the universe is as certain as the emergence of matter, gravity, and the stars. Life is the universe developing a memory, and our chemical detection system could find it.
John Templeton Foundation
"The surface is no longer a record of every impact the moon has ever had, because at some point, impacts were erasing previous impacts."
quantum communication
Quantum communication offers a surer path to sending an interstellar message, as well as receiving one. But can we do it?
cosmic cliffs
Now that it's fully commissioned, the James Webb Space Telescope begins its exploration of the Universe. Here are its first science images!
With its very first deep-field view of the Universe now released, the James Webb Space Telescope has shown us our cosmos as never before.
james webb hubble
The James Webb Space Telescope has chosen 5 targets for its first science release. Here's what we know on the eve of JWST's big reveal!
longest gravitational waves
LIGO can detect the inspirals and mergers of the lowest-mass black holes, but not the biggest ones. Here's how pulsars can help.
The idea of gravitational redshift crossed Einstein's mind years before General Relativity was complete. Here's why it had to be there.
dark energy
The Universe is expanding, and the Hubble constant tells us how fast. But how can it be a constant if the expansion is accelerating?
The discovery calls into question the few things scientists know about these powerful astronomical phenomena.
With two different black hole event horizons now directly imaged, we can see that they are, in fact, rings, not disks. But why?
When stars form, they emit energetic radiation that boils gas away. But it can't stop gravitational collapse from making even newer stars.
jwst
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will study many dangerous cosmic phenomena, knowledge of which may help save humanity.
JWST first science
On July 12, 2022, NASA will release the first science images taken with the James Webb Space Telescope. Here's what to hope for.
jwst
The James Webb Space Telescope is about to begin science operations. Here's what astronomers are excited about.
Where did the “seed” magnetic field come from in the first place?
In all of science, no figures have changed the world more than Einstein and Newton. Will anyone ever be as revolutionary again?
"The pulsar sort of consumes the thing that recycled it, just as the spider eats its mate.”
atom
Atomic clocks keep time accurately to within 1 second every 33 billion years. Nuclear clocks could blow them all away.
The idea of black holes has been around for over 200 years. Today, we're seeing them in previously unimaginable ways.
Data from NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos suggest that long durations in space cause changes in the brain, some of which are linked to vision problems.
supermassive black hole
Astronomers in 2017 caught an image of a supermassive black hole in a galaxy far, far away. Doing it in our own galaxy is a huge milestone.
round
In Sun-like stars, hydrogen gets fused into helium. In the Big Bang, hydrogen fusion also makes helium. But they aren't close to the same.
gravity time
Extremely precise atomic clocks are not just of theoretical interest; they could help detect impending volcanic eruptions or melting glaciers.
humans universe
All life forms, anywhere in our Universe, are chemically connected yet completely unique.
It was supposed to have a 5.5-10 year lifetime, and take 6 months to calibrate. It's performing better than anyone anticipated.