Ten years ago, we heard the universe whisper for the first time. On September 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) detected ripples in space-time. The signal came from the gravitational waves that had traveled 1.3 billion years to reach Earth, carrying the story of two colliding black holes. This historic moment, predicted … Read more
The period known as “Cosmic Noon,” which took place roughly 2 to 3 billion years after the Big Bang, was characterized by the rapid formation of new stars and planetary systems. Naturally, objects dated to this period are coveted by scientists hoping to learn more about the processes that led to the formation of planets … Read more
Europe’s upcoming Mars rover mission has received an unexpected boost in its search for signs of ancient life. The Rosalind Franklin rover, scheduled to launch in 2028, will land in Oxia Planum, a vast clay rich plain that formed in water billions of years ago. Two new studies have revealed that natural Martian processes could … Read more
Different parts of Mars have different advantages and disadvantages when it comes to their available resources, just like Earth. The polar caps are likely the most valuable in terms of their water content, which will be critical to any early stage crewed mission to the Red Planet. But to really unlock the fully potential of … Read more
Artist’s impression of a black hole star (not to scale). The cut-out reveals the central black hole with it surrounding accretion disk. What makes this a black hole star is the surrounding envelope of turbulent gas. This configuration can explain what astronomers observe in the object they are calling “The Cliff.” (Credit : MPIA/HdA/T. Müller/A. … Read more
According to every experiment, the constants of nature appear to be constant. And this creates a really sticky, nasty, ugly problem for us: it looks like the constants are fine-tuned. As in, if they had any other value, we’d be dead. Actually, less than dead, which is probably worse. Non-existent. Impossible to be here. Check … Read more
While plate tectonics may not be absolutely necessary for life, they may be necessary for a technological civilization to arise. Habitability may be possible on a static world, but habitability probably won’t persist long enough for a technological civilization like ours to appear. Plate tectonics regulates our planet’s climate, and without it, atmospheric CO2 would … Read more
The Gemini South Telescope captured this image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it sped through the inner Solar System. The comet’s coma and tail are growing as it approaches the Sun. Image Credit: By International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Shadow the Scientist, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=174444353 Comet 3I/ATLAS’s appearance in the inner Solar System in July 2025 … Read more
Protoplanets are celestial objects in the act of forming into full planets within the gas and dust disks surrounding hot, young stars. These objects, often several times the mass of Jupiter, are still embedded in their birth environments, actively feeding on surrounding material through their own circumplanetary disks. Unlike mature planets, protoplanets offer a rare … Read more
A new comet approaching from sunward could make a fine dusk appearance in October. Hello. A bright new comet is now emerging from the Sun’s glare at dusk. It all started with discussion on the boards this past Friday September 12th, about a comet seen in the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) images near the Sun. … Read more