Oh, would it not be absurd if there was no objective state?
What if the unobserved always waits, insubstantial,
till our eyes give it shape?

— Peter Hammill

Astronomy

$249 off these Canon image stabilized binoculars — make stargazing easy

Space.com - Fri, 07/11/2025 - 3:00am
Grab the Canon 10x42L IS WP Binoculars for just $1210 at Newegg and gaze at the lunar surface during the Buck moon!
Categories: Astronomy

Hay fever relief could come in the form of a nasal 'molecular shield'

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Fri, 07/11/2025 - 1:00am
Mice experienced far fewer hay fever symptoms when a pollen-blocking antibody was applied within their nose
Categories: Astronomy

Hay fever relief could come in the form of a nasal 'molecular shield'

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Fri, 07/11/2025 - 1:00am
Mice experienced far fewer hay fever symptoms when a pollen-blocking antibody was applied within their nose
Categories: Astronomy

This Planet Makes Its Star Flare and the Planet Suffers Because Of It

Universe Today - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:14pm

Astronomers have discovered hundreds of exoplanets on extremely short orbits of less than 10 days. Our Solar System has nothing like this, and these planets are so close to their stars that they can disrupt the stars' magnetic fields. Scientists think this can induce stellar flaring, and researchers have detected the first example of exoplanet-induced stellar flaring.

Categories: Astronomy

Finding An Ocean On An Exoplanet Would Be Huge and the Habitable Worlds Observatory Could Do It

Universe Today - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:14pm

The search for habitable exoplanets boils down to the search for water. Exoplanet scientists lack the technological capability to detect surface water on exoplanets from great distances, so instead they can only search for planets in habitable zones where surface water is likely. But what if we could directly detect the surface water itself?

Categories: Astronomy

Finding PBHs Using The LSST Will Be A Statistical Challenge

Universe Today - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:14pm

With the recent first light milestone for the Vera Rubin observatory, it's only a matter of time before one of astronomy’s most long-awaited surveys begins. The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is set to start on November 5th, and will scan the sky of billions of stars for at least ten years. One of the most important things it hopes to find is evidence (or lack thereof) of primordial black holes (PBHs), one of the primary candidates for dark matter. A new paper from researchers at Durham University and the University of New Mexico looks at the difficulties the LSST will have in finding those enigmatic objects, especially the statistical challenges, and how they might be overcome.

Categories: Astronomy

New Heat Sink Tested in Space Uses Melting Wax to Regulate Temperature

Universe Today - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:14pm

It's cold in space, but overheating is a bigger problem than low temperatures. That's because the only way to regulate a spacecraft's heat is through radiation, or slowing down its computing. Engineers have tested a new type of heat sink in space that contains a wax-based phase change material that melts within the normal operating temperature range of the electronics, absorbing heat and then helping to radiate it away. The heat sink was part of a CubeSat launched in August 2024.

Categories: Astronomy

Two Powerful Space Telescopes are Better Than One

Universe Today - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:14pm

When the JWST was being built, some labelled it as the Hubble's successor. In some ways it is, even though the Hubble is still performing important science observations. When the two telescopes team up, we get the best of both.

Categories: Astronomy

Could Bioplastics be the Solution to Living Beyond Earth?

Universe Today - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:14pm

An international team of scientists led by the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) proposed a new method for living beyond Earth. Their experiment demonstrated how bioplastic structures can be grown using algae, which would be rugged enough to survive the hostile Martian environment.

Categories: Astronomy

NASA, SpaceX targeting July 31 for launch of Crew-11 astronaut mission to ISS

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 6:18pm
NASA and SpaceX are targeting July 31 for the launch of the four-astronaut Crew-11 mission, which will fly a mix of rookies and spaceflight veterans to the ISS.
Categories: Astronomy

Why bizarre Cold War hoverboats are making a comeback

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 5:56pm
Sea-skimming crafts – which fly just above the water – were once considered Cold War relics of a failed Soviet experiment. Now, China and the US are resurrecting the technology as a possible Pacific conflict looms
Categories: Astronomy

Why bizarre Cold War hoverboats are making a comeback

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 5:56pm
Sea-skimming crafts – which fly just above the water – were once considered Cold War relics of a failed Soviet experiment. Now, China and the US are resurrecting the technology as a possible Pacific conflict looms
Categories: Astronomy

10 best Lego Star Wars sets of 2025 so far: Amazon Prime Day

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 5:30pm
In a galaxy not so far, far away, here are the 10 best Lego Star Wars sets released so far this year, now that Prime Day is underway.
Categories: Astronomy

James Webb Space Telescope celebrates 3 years of science with dazzling 'toe beans' image of Cat's Paw Nebula

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 5:00pm
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is celebrating three years of transformational science with a striking new image of the Cat's Paw Nebula.
Categories: Astronomy

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Inspects Cat’s Paw

NASA Image of the Day - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 4:10pm
To celebrate its third year of revealing stunning scenes of the cosmos in infrared light, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has “clawed” back the thick, dusty layers of a section within the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334).
Categories: Astronomy, NASA

Senators push back on Trump's proposal to cut NASA science funding by 47%

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 4:09pm
The Senate appropriations committee initially voted in favor of a bill rejecting Trump's NASA budget cuts, but discussions are still ongoing.
Categories: Astronomy

Last chance to save up to 51% on these show-accurate Star Wars Force FX lightsabers this Prime Day

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 3:25pm
Today is your last chance to save up to 51% on these Baylen Skoll and Sabine Wren Black Series Force FX lightsabers this Amazon Prime Day.
Categories: Astronomy

Fatal genetic disorder treated by replacing the brain's immune cells

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 3:00pm
Microglia replacement therapy helps treat people with a rare genetic condition called ALSP, suggesting the approach could also work for other neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s
Categories: Astronomy

Fatal genetic disorder treated by replacing the brain's immune cells

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 3:00pm
Microglia replacement therapy helps treat people with a rare genetic condition called ALSP, suggesting the approach could also work for other neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s
Categories: Astronomy

Superman's biggest weakness isn't kryptonite; It's that every Man of Steel movie to date has a disappointing ending

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 3:00pm
He may be faster than a speeding bullet, but Superman has a long-standing problem with final acts.
Categories: Astronomy