Astronomy

Phosphine has caused quite a stir in the astronomical world lately. That was largely due to its (still hotly debated) detection in the atmosphere of Venus. While the only known way for phosphine to be created on terrestrial worlds, like Venus, is through some sort of biological origin, it is relatively common among larger gas giants and even “brown dwarfs” - failed stars larger than Jupiter but not quite large enough to start their own hydrogen fusion process. Previously, we hadn’t yet seen phosphine in the atmosphere of brown dwarf in other solar systems, but a new paper from a diverse group of researchers, available in pre-print form on arXiv, used data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to find it for the first time. They also realized the mechanism that made it so hard to spot in the first place - the object’s metallicity.

Applying a daily serum that contains extracts of a tropical plant improved hair density and strand thickness in just 56 days

Applying a daily serum that contains extracts of a tropical plant improved hair density and strand thickness in just 56 days

Week in images: 06-10 October 2025

Discover our week through the lens

By tracing when variations in the human genome first appeared, researchers have found that advances in cognitive abilities may have led to our vulnerability to mental illness

By tracing when variations in the human genome first appeared, researchers have found that advances in cognitive abilities may have led to our vulnerability to mental illness

Researchers hope the finding could point to new therapeutic approaches for the disease

Samples from the seafloor reveal evidence of several earthquakes along the West Coast’s two major fault zones happening in quick succession over the past 3,000 years

If you pick the right time, our home world and our moon could be easily visible from the Red Planet

A former White House physician reveals the medical realities of caring for the president of the U.S.

Never caught a double shadow transit on Jupiter? This week offers several chances. Meanwhile, Cassiopeia stands high and the Little Dipper leans over.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 10 – 19 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Image: This wide view of Copernicus Sentinel-3 shows Cyclone Errol heading towards the coast of Western Australia.

A beautifully preserved skeleton found on the UK’s Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new species of the marine reptiles known as ichthyosaurs

A beautifully preserved skeleton found on the UK’s Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new species of the marine reptiles known as ichthyosaurs

Redwing, a robotic submarine about the size of a surfboard, is embarking on a five-year journey that will follow the famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage around the world

Redwing, a robotic submarine about the size of a surfboard, is embarking on a five-year journey that will follow the famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage around the world

Studies suggesting circumcision rates are linked with autism are “riddled with flaws”

People with irritable bowel syndrome are often only given treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy after others have failed, but research suggests this approach is more effective than we thought

People with irritable bowel syndrome are often only given treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy after others have failed, but research suggests this approach is more effective than we thought

The interior of the mysterious far side of the moon may be colder than the side constantly facing Earth, suggests a new analysis of rock samples co-led by a UCL and Peking University researcher.