Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.

— Inscription on Columbus' caravels

Feed aggregator

Fossil fuel emissions rise again – but China's are levelling off

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 7:01pm
Global emissions from fossil fuels are expected to hit another record high in 2025, but China’s carbon emissions appear to be reaching a peak
Categories: Astronomy

Fossil fuel emissions rise again – but China's are levelling off

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 7:01pm
Global emissions from fossil fuels are expected to hit another record high in 2025, but China’s carbon emissions appear to be reaching a peak
Categories: Astronomy

CIA Kryptos Puzzle Creator Releases Final Clues

Scientific American.com - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 4:30pm

Kryptos has not been solved,” said artist Jim Sanborn after releasing his parting clues to the “K4” section of his sculpture puzzle

Categories: Astronomy

Euclid's First Data Release Sheds Light on Galaxy Evolution

Universe Today - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 3:28pm

ESA’s Euclid space telescope is revealing the patterns of galaxy evolution of millions of galaxies across cosmic time. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) are using this data to trace how galaxies grow, merge, and transform.

Categories: Astronomy

Double Solar Eruptions Spark Widespread Aurora — With More to Come Tonight!

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:49pm

Last night's aurora painted the sky in reds, greens and even oranges. It's expected to return tonight!

The post Double Solar Eruptions Spark Widespread Aurora — With More to Come Tonight! appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Categories: Astronomy

Meet Jacklyn, The Barge That Changed Blue Origin's Plans

Universe Today - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:38pm

After spending four years converting a massive cargo ferry into a rocket catching ship, Blue Origin scrapped the entire vessel and started from scratch. The story of Jacklyn, named after Jeff Bezos's mother, reveals how even a company founded by one of the world's richest people had to learn hard lessons about what actually works when trying to catch 57 metre rocket boosters descending from space at hypersonic speeds. The barge that ultimately took its name represents a dramatic shift in strategy, from elegant complexity to purpose built simplicity.

Categories: Astronomy

The Intruder That Knocked Our Planets Askew

Universe Today - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:38pm

Billions of years ago, a rogue planet eight times more massive than Jupiter tore through our Solar System, passing closer to the Sun than Mars orbits today. That single violent encounter may explain why our giant planets don't orbit in perfect circles like formation theories predict and new simulations suggest there was roughly a one in 9,000 chance it happened at all. The discovery reveals that near misses with interstellar wanderers might be more important in shaping planetary systems than anyone realised.

Categories: Astronomy

Heat Waves Will Be Less Extreme because of Paris Climate Agreement

Scientific American.com - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:28pm

Ten years after the Paris climate agreement, the limited progress we’ve made in reducing global warming means that there will be less extreme heat in the future than there would be without the accord

Categories: Astronomy

When Space Junk Comes Home

Universe Today - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:12pm

When a chunk of SpaceX rocket debris crashed into a Polish warehouse this year, it exposed a troubling reality, that the international laws governing space accidents were written for a world where only governments launched rockets. Now, as private companies deploy thousands of satellites and debris rains down with increasing frequency, victims have no direct legal recourse and must rely on their governments to pursue claims on their behalf, that’s if those governments choose to act at all. A new analysis reveals how a Cold War era treaty struggles to protect ordinary people in the age of commercial spaceflight, and why some nations are now taking matters into their own hands.

Categories: Astronomy

The Epstein-Barr Virus May Cause Lupus

Scientific American.com - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:05pm

Early findings indicate that Epstein-Barr Virus may also cause the autoimmune disease lupus

Categories: Astronomy

Strongest evidence yet that the Epstein-Barr virus causes lupus

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:00pm
Lupus has been linked to the Epstein-Barr virus – which causes glandular fever, or mono – before, but we now have evidence of how it can bring about the autoimmune condition
Categories: Astronomy

Strongest evidence yet that the Epstein-Barr virus causes lupus

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 2:00pm
Lupus has been linked to the Epstein-Barr virus – which causes glandular fever, or mono – before, but we now have evidence of how it can bring about the autoimmune condition
Categories: Astronomy

New Scientist recommends this extreme birdwatching documentary

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
Categories: Astronomy

Smart new book takes an axe to the myth of human exceptionalism

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
Christine Webb's provocative and moving book The Arrogant Ape explores our unjustifiable sense of superiority in the living world, laying out the evidence against it, says Elle Hunt
Categories: Astronomy

New Scientist recommends this extreme birdwatching documentary

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
Categories: Astronomy

Smart new book takes an axe to the myth of human exceptionalism

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
Christine Webb's provocative and moving book The Arrogant Ape explores our unjustifiable sense of superiority in the living world, laying out the evidence against it, says Elle Hunt
Categories: Astronomy

Is the future of education outside universities?

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
New technologies and academic funding cuts are upending the ways we learn today. Newly enrolled student Annalee Newitz finds some silver linings
Categories: Astronomy

Sperm are selfish – and so are we

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
A new study hammers home how the "survival of the nicest" view makes no sense when it comes to evolution, says Jonathan R. Goodman
Categories: Astronomy

Is the future of education outside universities?

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
New technologies and academic funding cuts are upending the ways we learn today. Newly enrolled student Annalee Newitz finds some silver linings
Categories: Astronomy

Sperm are selfish – and so are we

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 11/12/2025 - 1:00pm
A new study hammers home how the "survival of the nicest" view makes no sense when it comes to evolution, says Jonathan R. Goodman
Categories: Astronomy