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Excavations of a workshop that was buried in Pompeii almost 2000 years ago have given archaeologists unique insights into Roman construction techniques and the longevity of the empire’s concrete

Astronomers have discovered one of the largest structures in the universe — and the galaxies within it — spinning like a fairground teacup ride.

The post Galaxies Spin on Vast Filament Like a Teacup Ride appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

On our 2025 Best Nonfiction of the Year list, Karen Hao’s investigation of artificial intelligence reveals how the AI future is still in our hands

Michelle Hoehn is a cost accountant at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, where her work contributes to NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA/Danny Nowlin

Michelle Hoehn vividly remembers the day a seed was planted for her future at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

As a seventh grader, the Bogalusa, Louisiana, native joined her dad for Father/Daughter Day at NASA Stennis. Hoehn knew she wanted to be part of something bigger, something that sparked wonder and purpose, in the moment she visited her dad’s office. She recalled feeling a sense of awe and possibility that day.

It was not until her second year at Southeastern Louisiana University – after the birth of her first child – that she focused on building a career, though. Finance and accounting have always been a part of her life. She filed paperwork at her grandfather’s store and helped her mom during tax season. 

“It was clear that this field was the right fit for me,” she said.

Today, Hoehn works as a cost accountant in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at NASA Stennis. She ensures all costs are accurately recorded and reported. Her work supports financial integrity, enabling informed decisions and efficient use of resources.

“It is incredibly rewarding to know that my work helps keep NASA’s operations transparent and efficient because every accurate number supports the bigger mission of space exploration and discovery,” said Hoehn.

Hoehn’s financial management work supports NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to establish a sustainable presence and prepare for future human exploration of Mars.

“I’m honored to be a part of NASA’s Artemis effort,” she said. “Knowing that my work helps enable the next chapter of lunar exploration, and ultimately the journey to Mars, is both humbling and deeply motivating.”

One of the most fascinating parts of Hoehn’s work at NASA Stennis is seeing how even the smallest financial details can have a ripple effect on major NASA missions.

Although her work is often behind the scenes, the data she manages helps guide decisions that impact propulsion testing, technology development, and even future space exploration.

“It is incredible to realize that a spreadsheet I work on today could be tied to a rocket engine test of the future,” she said. “That connection between everyday tasks and extraordinary outcomes is something I never take for granted, and it is what makes working at NASA Stennis so rewarding.”

Working as an accountant on large, complex projects – some worth millions of dollars – also comes with challenges.

The projects demand precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of evolving financial regulations and systems. To stay ahead, Hoehn keeps an open mind and embraces continuous learning. She is always looking for ways to grow, adapt, and strengthen her role in supporting NASA’s financial integrity and broader mission.

This year marks 15 years as a NASA employee for Hoehn and 21 years of service overall at NASA Stennis, where she began as a contractor in 2004.

“The workforce at NASA Stennis is highly collaborative and mission-driven,” Hoehn said. “Whether you are working in engineering, finance, or support services, there is a collective sense of purpose and pride in contributing to space exploration and scientific discovery. It is an environment where ideas are welcomed, excellence is encouraged, and every individual plays a vital role in the success of NASA’s mission.”

From the time Hoehn walked in her dad’s office as a seventh-grade student, she has experienced firsthand the opportunities NASA Stennis offers.

“NASA Stennis is a place of unlimited potential, not only in its contributions to NASA’s missions, but in the opportunities it offers to current and future employees, customers, and stakeholders,” Hoehn said. “It is where I have been empowered to exceed the goals I once set for myself and continue to grow, both personally and professionally. NASA Stennis is a place where you are encouraged to be part of something greater than yourself.”

Learn More About Careers at NASA Stennis Explore More 2 min read NASA Makes Webby 30s List of Most Iconic, Influential on Internet Article 3 months ago 5 min read Crossroads to the Future – NASA Stennis Grows into a Model Federal City Article 3 months ago 4 min read NASA Stennis Provides Ideal Location for Range of Site Tenants Article 3 months ago

Michelle Hoehn is a cost accountant at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, where her work contributes to NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA/Danny Nowlin

Michelle Hoehn vividly remembers the day a seed was planted for her future at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

As a seventh grader, the Bogalusa, Louisiana, native joined her dad for Father/Daughter Day at NASA Stennis. Hoehn knew she wanted to be part of something bigger, something that sparked wonder and purpose, in the moment she visited her dad’s office. She recalled feeling a sense of awe and possibility that day.

It was not until her second year at Southeastern Louisiana University – after the birth of her first child – that she focused on building a career, though. Finance and accounting have always been a part of her life. She filed paperwork at her grandfather’s store and helped her mom during tax season. 

“It was clear that this field was the right fit for me,” she said.

Today, Hoehn works as a cost accountant in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at NASA Stennis. She ensures all costs are accurately recorded and reported. Her work supports financial integrity, enabling informed decisions and efficient use of resources.

“It is incredibly rewarding to know that my work helps keep NASA’s operations transparent and efficient because every accurate number supports the bigger mission of space exploration and discovery,” said Hoehn.

Hoehn’s financial management work supports NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to establish a sustainable presence and prepare for future human exploration of Mars.

“I’m honored to be a part of NASA’s Artemis effort,” she said. “Knowing that my work helps enable the next chapter of lunar exploration, and ultimately the journey to Mars, is both humbling and deeply motivating.”

One of the most fascinating parts of Hoehn’s work at NASA Stennis is seeing how even the smallest financial details can have a ripple effect on major NASA missions.

Although her work is often behind the scenes, the data she manages helps guide decisions that impact propulsion testing, technology development, and even future space exploration.

“It is incredible to realize that a spreadsheet I work on today could be tied to a rocket engine test of the future,” she said. “That connection between everyday tasks and extraordinary outcomes is something I never take for granted, and it is what makes working at NASA Stennis so rewarding.”

Working as an accountant on large, complex projects – some worth millions of dollars – also comes with challenges.

The projects demand precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of evolving financial regulations and systems. To stay ahead, Hoehn keeps an open mind and embraces continuous learning. She is always looking for ways to grow, adapt, and strengthen her role in supporting NASA’s financial integrity and broader mission.

This year marks 15 years as a NASA employee for Hoehn and 21 years of service overall at NASA Stennis, where she began as a contractor in 2004.

“The workforce at NASA Stennis is highly collaborative and mission-driven,” Hoehn said. “Whether you are working in engineering, finance, or support services, there is a collective sense of purpose and pride in contributing to space exploration and scientific discovery. It is an environment where ideas are welcomed, excellence is encouraged, and every individual plays a vital role in the success of NASA’s mission.”

From the time Hoehn walked in her dad’s office as a seventh-grade student, she has experienced firsthand the opportunities NASA Stennis offers.

“NASA Stennis is a place of unlimited potential, not only in its contributions to NASA’s missions, but in the opportunities it offers to current and future employees, customers, and stakeholders,” Hoehn said. “It is where I have been empowered to exceed the goals I once set for myself and continue to grow, both personally and professionally. NASA Stennis is a place where you are encouraged to be part of something greater than yourself.”

Learn More About Careers at NASA Stennis Explore More 2 min read NASA Makes Webby 30s List of Most Iconic, Influential on Internet Article 3 months ago 5 min read Crossroads to the Future – NASA Stennis Grows into a Model Federal City Article 3 months ago 4 min read NASA Stennis Provides Ideal Location for Range of Site Tenants Article 3 months ago

X-ray space telescopes caught a supermassive black hole flinging matter into space at a fifth of the speed of light

The time of day that cancer drugs are administered could make a big difference to a patient's outcomes, and would be a relatively simple intervention to roll out

The time of day that cancer drugs are administered could make a big difference to a patient's outcomes, and would be a relatively simple intervention to roll out

How a Finnish physicist named Karl Lemström once became obsessed with recreating the aurora borealis from scratch – and may have ended up creating something even more intriguing

How a Finnish physicist named Karl Lemström once became obsessed with recreating the aurora borealis from scratch – and may have ended up creating something even more intriguing

As far as annual meteor showers are concerned, 2025 has saved the best for last. This year’s Geminids are not to be missed

Space-based computing offers easy access to solar power but presents its own environmental challenges

At the same time that Vera Rubin was turning cosmology upside down with conclusive evidence for the existence of dark matter, Stephen Hawking was doing…Stephen Hawking things.

A type of chaos found in everything from prime numbers to turbulence can unify a pair of unrelated ideas, revealing a mysterious, deep connection that disappears without randomness

These miniature displays can be the size of your pupil, with as many pixels as you have photoreceptors—opening the way to improved virtual reality

Engineers can be split into two camps - those who just release whatever they’re building and try to fix whatever might be wrong with it as they get feedback on it, and those who test their product in every possible way before releasing it to the public. Luckily, NASA engineers are in the latter camp - it wouldn’t look great if all of the probes we send throughout the solar system failed because of something we could have easily tested for here at home. However, finding analogues for the places we want to send those probes remains a challenge for some NASA projects, so they make due with the best Earth has to offer. For Mars, that means testing technology in the desert’s rolling sand dune and rocky outcrops, and this year several different NASA technologies were tested in deserts throughout the country, as reported in a press release from the agency.

Video: 00:42:04

Watch the replay of the media briefing held ahead of the 14th operational launch of the Galileo programme. The briefing covers the mission details for the launch of two Galileo satellites, which are set to lift off on 17 December aboard Ariane 6 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

From machine learning to voting, the workings of the world demand randomisation, but true sources of randomness are surprisingly hard to find. Now quantum mechanics has supplied the answer

From machine learning to voting, the workings of the world demand randomisation, but true sources of randomness are surprisingly hard to find. Now quantum mechanics has supplied the answer

Leading X-ray space telescopes XMM-Newton and XRISM have spotted an extraordinary blast from a supermassive black hole. In a matter of hours, the gravitational monster whipped up powerful winds, flinging material out into space at eye-watering speeds of 60 000 km per second.