Hubble reveals baby stars in a galaxy torn by gravity
Hubble’s latest look at Messier 96 reveals a warped spiral galaxy glowing with rings of stellar birth. The new details shed light on how stars emerge and influence their surroundings.
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NASA just confirmed its 6,000th alien world. Some are truly bizarre
NASA has confirmed 6,000 exoplanets, marking a major milestone in humanity’s quest to understand other worlds. From gas giants hugging their stars to planets covered in lava or clouds of gemstones, the diversity of discoveries is staggering. With upcoming missions like the Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, scientists are getting closer to detecting Earth-like planets, and possibly signs of life.
Read moreAlien water worlds were just a mirage
A new study challenges the dream of water-rich “Hycean” planets like K2-18b, suggesting that most sub-Neptunes lose their water deep into their interiors during formation. Instead of vast oceans, these worlds likely retain only a few percent of water at the surface.
Read moreScientists just found the hidden cosmic fingerprints of dark matter
Scientists at Rutgers and collaborators have traced the invisible dark matter scaffolding of the universe using over 100,000 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies. By studying how these galaxies clustered across three eras shortly after the Big Bang, they mapped dark matter concentrations, uncovering cosmic “fingerprints” that reveal how galaxies grow and evolve.
Read moreNew measurement of Hubble constant adds to cosmic mystery
New measurements of the rate of expansion of the universe add to a growing mystery: Estimates of a fundamental constant made with different methods keep giving different results.
Read moreHow to spot a wormhole (if they exist)
Whether wormholes exist is up for debate. But in a recent article, physicists describe a technique for detecting these pathways.
Read moreMonstrous galaxy from dawn of the universe accidentally discovered
The early universe is filled with monsters, a new study revealed. Researchers discovered a previously invisible galaxy, and perhaps a new galaxy population waiting to be discovered.
Read moreA star is born: Using lasers to study how star stuff is made
On a typical day at the world's biggest laser you can find scientists casually making star-like conditions using 192 high-powered lasers. Stars in the universe are formed through a process called nucleosynthesis, which fuses lighter atoms to create new heavier atomic nuclei. Natural elements found here on Earth, such as helium and aluminum, were formed through this process inside of a star not unlike our own sun.
Read moreMars once had salt lakes similar to those on Earth
Mars once had salt lakes that are similar to those on Earth and has gone through wet and dry periods.
Read moreOrigin and chemical makeup of Saturn's Moon Titan's dunes
Astronomers exposed acetylene ice — a chemical that is used on Earth in welding torches and exists at Titan's equatorial regions — at low temperatures to proxies of high-energy galactic cosmic rays.
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