Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people

— Carl Sagan

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Mysterious holes in Andean mountain may be an Inca spreadsheet

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Sun, 11/09/2025 - 7:01pm
Thousands of holes arranged in a snake-like pattern on Monte Sierpe in Peru could have been a monumental accounting device for trade and tax
Categories: Astronomy

AI Slop—How Every Media Revolution Breeds Rubbish and Art

Scientific American.com - Sun, 11/09/2025 - 7:00am

The popularization of the term “slop” for AI output follows a centuries-long pattern where new tools flood the zone, audiences adapt and some of tomorrow’s art emerges from today’s excess

Categories: Astronomy

Dwarf Galaxies May Hold the Answers to the Debate on Dark Matter

Universe Today - Sat, 11/08/2025 - 10:09pm

An international team of researchers, led by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), has shed light on a decades-long debate about why galaxies rotate faster than expected, and whether this behaviour is caused by unseen dark matter or a breakdown of gravity on cosmic scales.

Categories: Astronomy

The ExoMars Orbiter Captures Dark Streaks on the Slopes of Mars Caused by a Meteorite Impact

Universe Today - Sat, 11/08/2025 - 6:20pm

The ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) recently captured images of streaks formed from a dust avalanche on the slopes of Apollinaris Mons the night before Christmas in 2023. A new study reveals that these types streaks are largely the result of seasonal factors, rather than meteoroid impacts.

Categories: Astronomy

This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 7 – 16

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Sat, 11/08/2025 - 9:28am

The interstellar comet: Can you see it in your scope? Maybe you can, starting late this week as Comet 3I/ATLAS emerges from behind the Sun. If you have a large […]

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 7 – 16 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Categories: Astronomy

Euclid Has 8 Extra Years of Fuel. A Scientist Has A Brilliant Plan To Use It.

Universe Today - Sat, 11/08/2025 - 8:23am

It’s almost become expected that many space telescopes and probes can have “extended missions”. Both Voyagers are still sending data back 40+ years after their 5-year primary mission ended. But figuring out what to do with those spacecraft after their primary mission takes some negotiation. One such craft that will reach its end-of-mission in 2030 is Euclid, which is currently on a mission to map the “dark universe” of dark energy and dark matter. According to a new paper from Luigi “Rolly” Bedin of the Astronomical Institute of Padova, which is available in pre-print form on arXiv, for its second act we could turn Euclid into the most powerful astrometric telescope ever made.

Categories: Astronomy

Rubin Observatory Discovers Surprise ‘Tail’ on Iconic Galaxy

Scientific American.com - Sat, 11/08/2025 - 8:00am

The first image from the Vera C. Rubin telescope reveals a previously unnoticed feature of the galaxy M61 that may explain its mysterious properties

Categories: Astronomy

China's Tianwen-1 Orbiter Spots 3I/ATLAS

Universe Today - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 7:12pm

Using its high-resolution camera, China's Tianwen-1 orbiter has successfully observed the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS at a distance of about 30 million kilometers, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Categories: Astronomy

James Watson, Co-Discoverer of DNA’s Structure, Dead at Age 97

Scientific American.com - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 5:00pm

James Watson’s work on the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA led to a revolution in biology and genetics

Categories: Astronomy

James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix, has died aged 97

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 4:13pm
As one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century, James Watson pioneered the field of genetics and left behind a complicated legacy
Categories: Astronomy

James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix, has died aged 97

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 4:13pm
As one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century, James Watson pioneered the field of genetics and left behind a complicated legacy
Categories: Astronomy

Do Interstellar Objects Pose A Threat To Earth?

Universe Today - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 3:53pm

We're only starting to awaken to the passage of interstellar objects through our inner Solar System. So far we know of three, but there are bound to be many more. Do they pose an impact threat to Earth?

Categories: Astronomy

Enceladus’s ocean may be even better for life than we realised

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 2:00pm
The buried ocean on Saturn’s moon Enceladus seems to be stable across extremely long periods of time, making it an even more promising place to hunt for life
Categories: Astronomy

Enceladus’s ocean may be even better for life than we realised

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 2:00pm
The buried ocean on Saturn’s moon Enceladus seems to be stable across extremely long periods of time, making it an even more promising place to hunt for life
Categories: Astronomy

Having children plays a complicated role in the rate we age

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 2:00pm
The effort of reproducing may divert energy away from repairing DNA or fighting illness, which could drive ageing, but a new study suggests that is only the case when environmental conditions are tough
Categories: Astronomy

Having children plays a complicated role in the rate we age

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 2:00pm
The effort of reproducing may divert energy away from repairing DNA or fighting illness, which could drive ageing, but a new study suggests that is only the case when environmental conditions are tough
Categories: Astronomy

Early Arctic Cold Snap Could Break Decades-Old Temperature Records

Scientific American.com - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 1:40pm

An early cold snap will chill much of the U.S., potentially breaking records in the Southeast

Categories: Astronomy

China's Stranded Astronauts Show the Dangers of Space Junk

Scientific American.com - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 1:35pm

Three Chinese astronauts will likely return safely to Earth after a reported space-junk strike. But the incident highlights the growing risk of orbital debris

Categories: Astronomy

Habitable Zone Planets Around Red Dwarfs Aren't Likely To Host Exomoons

Universe Today - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 12:38pm

The planets in our Solar System host hundreds of moons, so it seems likely that planets in other solar systems do, too. New research examines the likelihood of rocky planets around M dwarfs having exomoons, and it doesn't look good. They don't last long enough for them to give life a helping hand like Earth's moon has.

Categories: Astronomy