An illustration of a supermassive black hole surrounded by dust. (Image credit: ESA) Observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) show that a black hole that grows rapidly and appears to defy the laws of physics is actually…
A mosaic of Saturn taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft on November 20, 2017. The image is a composite of 42 wide-angle photographs taken with red, green, and blue spectral filters that were combined and stitched together to form a natural-color…
Data from NASA’s STEREO mission showing the solar wind in action. The researchers reduced the brightness of stars and dust in the collected data to make the solar wind stand out more clearly. (Image credit: NASA/SwRI/Craig DeForest) Continuous emissions of…
An image from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. (Image credit: National Science Foundation Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope) The weather on our planet can be unpredictable, but it’s not the only type of atmospheric conditions we have to cope…
Illustration of the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall. Our entire galaxy sits on one of these tiny strands. (Image credit: Robert Lee (created with Canva)) The largest structure in the Universe, the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall, was already difficult to analyze…
Magnetars are capable of tearing apart anything that gets too close to their powerful magnetic fields. (Image credit: Getty Images) Astronomers have identified an incredibly powerful “zombie star” hurtling through the Milky Way at more than 110,000 mph (177,000 km/h).…
NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered a unique dark, jagged rock called Skull Hill while exploring the rim of Jezero Crater. The rock stands out from its lighter surroundings and scientists believe it may have been transported from another location. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU)…
An illustration of a Dyson sphere surrounded by a star (Image credit: Marc Ward/Stocktrek Images/Getty) Dyson spheres, theoretical megastructures that advanced alien civilizations could use to envelop a star and extract its energy, have a serious flaw: They are horribly…
A new study has found that lichens can withstand the intense ionizing radiation that hits the surface of Mars. (The lichen in this photo is Cetraria aculeata.) (Image credit: Pensoft) A recent study suggests that organisms known as lichens may…
Venus will reach its brightest in the morning sky on April 24, 2025. (Photo credit: Orchidpoet via Getty Images) Head outside an hour before sunrise on Thursday, April 24, and if the weather is clear, you’ll see a spectacular sight…
Planetary nebula NGC 1514 as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, Caltech, UCLA, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC)) What is it: NGC 1514, a planetary nebula. Location: 1,500 light years away…
The Curiosity rover took this selfie on June 15, 2018, while in Gale Crater on Mars, which corresponds to the 2,082nd Martian day, or sol, of its mission. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS) The longest molecules ever discovered on Mars have been found…