We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

— Oscar Wilde

Astronomy

JWST Traces Details of Complex Planetary Nebula

Universe Today - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 7:34am

The James Webb Space Telescope’s latest look at a planetary nebula, NGC 6072, provides new insights into the lifecycle of stars. This could help astronomers predict what will happen to our Sun during its final days as well.

Categories: Astronomy

A Stellar Explosion Backfires On A Baby Star

Universe Today - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 7:34am

A jet from a young star created an expanding bubble that collided with the star's protoplanetary disk. Astronomers have found these explosive bubbles before, but never one that's collided with the disk. What does this mean for planet formation?

Categories: Astronomy

Dwarf Galaxies Like the Magellanic Clouds Have Their Own Small Satellite Galaxies

Universe Today - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 7:34am

Massive galaxies like the Milky Way have smaller satellite galaxies that are tidally disrupted and absorbed. Astronomers think this is how galaxies assemble hierarchically. New research examines galaxies much less massive than the Milky Way to see if they also have their own, much less massive satellites.

Categories: Astronomy

How This AI Breakthrough with Pure Mathematics and Reinforcement Learning Could Help Predict Future Crises

Scientific American.com - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 7:00am

An artificial intelligence breakthrough uses reinforcement learning to tackle the Andrews-Curtis conjecture, solving long-standing counterexamples and hinting at tools for forecasting stock crashes, diseases and climate disasters

Categories: Astronomy

Pessimistic Dogs Are Better at Smelling Cancer—And Other Keys to Disease-Sniffing Success

Scientific American.com - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 6:45am

New research is revealing how disease-smelling dogs can excel

Categories: Astronomy

Rogue Worlds May Not Be So Lonely After All, NASA’s Europa Mission Advances, and RFK, Jr., Pulls mRNA Vaccine Funds

Scientific American.com - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 6:00am

From planets roaming space to major shifts in health funding, catch up with this week’s news roundup.

Categories: Astronomy

Is astronomy safe from organized scientific fraud?

Space.com - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 6:00am
As space becomes more important to the economy of nations around the world, the risk of paper mills flooding the literature with fraudulent results is increasing.
Categories: Astronomy

Smithsonian Planetarium star projector review

Space.com - Mon, 08/11/2025 - 5:40am
This chunky star projector is a good choice for kids thanks to its low price and easy-to-use functions.
Categories: Astronomy

Are these names of real spacecraft or fictional ones? Test your sci-fi smarts in our quiz!

Space.com - Sun, 08/10/2025 - 12:00pm
Both science fiction and real life have some interesting spacecraft names, sometimes borrowing from each other. This quiz will test to see if you know the difference.
Categories: Astronomy

Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos

Space.com - Sun, 08/10/2025 - 11:00am
The rate of human-produced light is increasing in the night sky by as much as 10% per year, making it difficult for astronomers to study the night sky.
Categories: Astronomy

'Ice cube' clouds discovered at the galaxy's center shouldn't exist — and they hint at a recent black hole explosion

Space.com - Sun, 08/10/2025 - 10:00am
Twin orbs of superhot plasma at the Milky Way's center known as the "Fermi bubbles" contain inexplicable clouds of cold hydrogen, new research reveals.
Categories: Astronomy

Did Disease Defeat Napoleon?

Scientific American.com - Sun, 08/10/2025 - 8:00am

Napoleon’s campaign against the Russian Empire was one of the most costly wars in history. Many soldiers died of diseases. Some of these illnesses are only now being identified

Categories: Astronomy

Solar Powered Moon Brick Factory Could Build Future Lunar Cities

Universe Today - Sun, 08/10/2025 - 5:17am

Imagine building an entire city on the Moon using nothing but sunlight and lunar soil! Chinese scientists have made this science fiction dream a reality by creating a revolutionary machine that acts like a solar powered 3D printer, melting lunar soil at temperatures exceeding 1,300°C to create strong construction bricks. This technology could transform space exploration by eliminating the need to transport heavy building materials from Earth, making lunar bases not only possible but affordable.

Categories: Astronomy

This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 8 – 17

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Fri, 08/08/2025 - 5:08am

Set an alarm and take a peek east in early dawn to follow Venus and Jupiter through their spectacular conjunction this week.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 8 – 17 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Categories: Astronomy

Alpha Centauri Might Have a Planet, Webb Telescope Finds

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Thu, 08/07/2025 - 12:25pm

Direct images from the James Webb Space Telescope show what could be a Saturn-mass planet around Alpha Centauri.

The post Alpha Centauri Might Have a Planet, Webb Telescope Finds appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Categories: Astronomy

Honoring the Women of Astronomy

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Tue, 08/05/2025 - 11:47am

Even today, the names of women in astronomy are not as well known as they should be.

The post Honoring the Women of Astronomy appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Categories: Astronomy