Astronomy
Hommkiety Galaxy Projector review
'Cocoon' at 40: Ron Howard's sci-fi smash is proof they don't make them like they used to
World's 1st multimedia performance in microgravity will bring together Cirque du Soleil, National Geographic and NASA
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 166 — Live From the Swamps, ISDC 2025
Honda - Yes, Honda - Tests a Reusable Rocket
Just when you thought the race to reusable rockets was all wrapped up, a new competitor emerges from the shadows. Honda R&D Co (a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co) successfully tested their new experimental reusable rocket. The 6.3-meter rocket blasted off, reached an altitude of 271.4 m, and then landed within 37 cm of their touchdown point. The flight lasted for 56.6 seconds.
Superdense Star Factories Tell a Tale of Starbirth in the Early Universe
The early Universe was a busy place some 13 billion years ago. That's when countless young galaxies began to evolve and birthed stars at a prodigious rate. The hearts of those very distant galaxies show turbulent, lumpy disks studded with even thicker clumps of dust and gas that spawned huge batches of stars. Astronomers want to understand what's driving the clumping, so they've turned to recent surveys of closer galaxies in the "local Universe" that contain similar lumpy regions.
Vast Filament of Hidden Matter Seen for the First Time
More than one third of the regular matter in the Universe is missing (we're not talking about dark matter, just regular matter). It's needed to make the current cosmological models work, so astronomers continue to search for it, and have found many indirect examples of it. Now a team of astronomers has directly observed it as a huge filament of hot gas bridging four galaxy clusters and containing 10 times the mass of the Milky Way.
ESA's New Mission Can See a Solar Eclipse Every Day
Solar eclipses are beautiful, but they're a valuable chance to study the Sun's atmosphere as its surface is blocked by the Moon. Now, ESA can generate artificial solar eclipses from space with the Proba-3 mission. The two satellites fly in formation 150 meters apart. One spacecraft occults the Sun, while the other observes the faint solar corona. They can produce a new 6-hour eclipse every 19.6-hour orbit around the Earth. Solar eclipses on demand.
Monster Oort Cloud Comet Observed in the Outer Solar System
Comet C/2014 UN271 is one of the largest Oort Cloud comets ever observed, measuring 140 km across. It's currently at a distance of 16.5 AU from the Sun, which makes it tough to observe with all but the largest telescopes. Astronomers have used ALMA in Chile to observe the comet, watching as jets of carbon monoxide gas are erupting from its nucleus. This is a surprising level of activity for a comet that's so far from the Sun.
The Solar System's Greatest Mystery May Finally Be Solved!
Scientists are using a new approach to find the mysterious - if it exists - Planet Nine by hunting for its heat signature instead of reflected light. Using data from Japan's AKARI space telescope, a team of researchers identified two promising candidates using their thermal detection method which is more effective than optical searches alone. But could these distant heat sources finally prove the existence of our Solar System's most elusive world, or will they turn out to be yet another false alarm in the decades long search?
A Way to Directly Measure Hawking Radiation
Stephen Hawking has made a compelling case that black holes eventually evaporate, but the time scales are beyond our ability to detect it. A new paper suggests that primordial black holes passing through the Solar System could be releasing positron emissions that would be detectable when they pass up to 10 AU from Earth. If found, they would confirm Hawking's theories and provide an explanation for dark matter. Unfortunately, our best technology isn't quite sensitive enough.
China Tests the Crew Escape for its New Lunar Capsule
The Chinese Space Agency took a major step toward its 2030 lunar mission goals this week by successfully testing the escape system of its next-generation Mengzhou spacecraft. At the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, engineers conducted their first zero-altitude escape flight test at 12:30 PM when solid rocket engines ignited, propelling the spacecraft skyward for 20 seconds before the return capsule separated, deployed parachutes, and landed safely.
Tabletop Exercises Can Help Us Understand and Avoid Potential Conflicts Over the Moon
As different nations begin conducing operations on the lunar surface, humanity's penchant for geopolitical struggles will likely be along for the ride. Tension between nations and/or corporations could grow. There are few rules and treaties that can calm this potential rising tension. What kinds of conflict might erupt and how can it be prevented?