Schematic sketches of SN 2018evt at the different phases. Credit: arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2310.14874 Cosmic dust—like dust on Earth—comprises groupings of molecules that have condensed and stuck together in a grain. But the exact nature of dust creation in the universe has long been a mystery. Now, however, an international …
Read More »JWST data suggest exoplanet K2-18b may have molten surface rather than a watery ocean
The fraction of nitrogen in the planet’s atmosphere compared to the planet’s total inventory, as a function of magma ocean oxygen fugacity. As oxygen fugacity is decreased, nitrogen’s increased solubility depletes the atmosphere by orders of magnitude. Credit: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2024). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad206e A multi-institutional team of astronomers, …
Read More »Which came first: Black holes or galaxies?
An illustration of a magnetic field generated by a supermassive black hole in the early universe, showing turbulent plasma outflows that turn gas clouds into stars. Credit: ROBERTO MOLAR CANDANOSA / JHU Black holes not only existed at the dawn of time, they birthed new stars and supercharged galaxy formation, …
Read More »Blood vessels made with 3D-printed ice could improve lab-grown organs
A 3D-printed ice template of blood vessels Philip LeDuc et al./Carnegie Mellon University Complex artificial organs could be created by 3D printing a mould of veins, arteries and capillaries in ice, casting that in organic material and then allowing the ice to melt away, resulting in a delicate, hollow network. …
Read More »Astronauts from Turkey, Italy and Sweden return to Earth, ending private space station trip
This photo provided by Axiom Space shows a SpaceX capsule parachuting into the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 off the Florida coast. Astronauts from Turkey, Italy and Sweden returned to Earth on Friday, ending a private three-week mission to the International Space Station. Credit: Axiom Space via AP …
Read More »Did the Galileo mission find life on Earth?
An image of Earth taken by the Galileo spacecraft in 1990. Credit: NASA/JPL In the fall of 1989, the Galileo spacecraft was launched into space, bound for Jupiter and its family of moons. Given the great distance to the king of planets, Galileo had to take a roundabout tour through …
Read More »Learning the trick to finding cannibalized stars
Artistic depiction of a Be star and its disk (upper right) orbited by a faint, hot, stripped star (lower left). Credit: Painting by William Pounds Scientists working with the powerful telescopes at Georgia State’s Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array have completed a survey of a group of …
Read More »Hubble spots a galaxy shrouded by stars
This Hubble image shows irregular galaxy ESO 245-5 located some of 15 million light-years from Earth. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Messa This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a densely packed field of stars laid upon a background of dust, gas, and light from more distant celestial objects. There …
Read More »Lunar science is entering a new active phase
The Intuitive Machines payload, which will contain materials for ROLSES, shown on the lunar surface in an illustration. Intuitive Machines, Inc. For the first time since 1972, NASA is putting science experiments on the moon in 2024. And thanks to new technologies and public-private partnerships, these projects will open up …
Read More »Sensitive prosthetic lets man feel hot and cold in his missing hand
Fabrizio Fidati tests the temperature-sensitive prosthetic arm EPFL Caillet A man who had his right arm amputated below the elbow has been able to feel hot and cold in his missing hand via a modified prosthetic arm with thermal sensors. After an amputation, some people can still perceive touch and …
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