Astronomy

According to the newly released 35th State of the Climate report, 2024 saw record highs in greenhouse gas concentrations, global land and ocean temperatures, sea levels, and ocean heat content. Glaciers also suffered their largest annual ice loss on record. Data records from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative helped underpin these findings.

A new theoretical study by University of Virginia astrophysicist Jonathan Tan, a research professor with the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences’ Department of Astronomy, proposes a comprehensive framework for the birth of supermassive black holes.

New images from NASA's Psyche spacecraft show that its cameras are working just fine. By pointing them at Earth and the Moon, NASA was able to test the spacecraft's cameras and science instruments. Since both bodies reflect light like Psyche, and since their spectra are familiar, it's a valuable opportunity to test and calibrate the instruments.

For thousands of years, humanity viewed the skies as unchanging, except for a few “wandering stars” (that we now know are planets). As we improved our ability to perceive the cosmos with light-gathering telescopes and electronic detectors, we realized that the universe is full of things that change in brightness, whether it be an exploding star or a matter-gulping black hole. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is poised to deliver an avalanche of such transients, including thousands of “standard candle” supernovae that allow us to measure the expansion history of the universe.

The discovery of an extremely rare quadruple star system could significantly advance our understanding of brown dwarfs, astronomers say. Brown dwarfs in wide binary orbits offer a chance to determine their properties more clearly.

The hunt will be on shortly, to once again recover a clandestine mission in low Earth orbit. SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon-9 rocket from launch pad LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center Thursday night August 21st, with the classified USSF-36 mission. The U.S. Space Force has announced that this is the eighth mission for its fleet of two Orbital Test Vehicles (OTV-8). This is the automated ‘mini-space shuttle’ about the size of a large SUV that launches like a rocket, and lands like a plane.

Sometimes inspiration can strike from the most unexpected places. It can result in a cross-pollination between ideas commonly used in one field but applied to a completely different one. That might have been the case with a recent paper on lightsail design from researchers at the University of Nottingham that used techniques typically used in video games to develop a new and improved structure of a lightsail.

In this roundup of recent news, birds react to light pollution and a respected mirror maker calls it a day.

The post 60-Second Astro News: Light Pollution, Birds, and Zambuto Mirrors appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Users’ Internet search questions can strengthen echo chambers, even on factual topics, but there are simple ways to lessen the effect

In honor of SciAm’s 180th birthday, we’re spotlighting the biggest “wait, what?” moments in science history.

The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is on track for its gravity-assist flyby at Venus on 31 August, following the successful resolution of a spacecraft communication anomaly that temporarily severed contact with Earth.

The issue, which emerged during a routine ground station pass on 16 July, temporarily disrupted Juice’s ability to transmit information about its health and status (telemetry).

Thanks to swift and coordinated action by the teams at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, and Juice’s manufacturer, Airbus, communication was restored in time to prepare for the upcoming planetary encounter.

NASA's Psyche spacecraft, which is headed toward a big and bizarre metal asteroid, has delivered a stunning perspective of our home planet from deep space.

SpaceX scrubbed the planned 10th test flight of its Starship megarocket today (Aug. 24), citing a problem with ground systems at its Starbase site in South Texas.

This galaxy is not only pretty -- it's useful.

A SpaceX cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Aug. 25 carrying about 5,000 pounds (2,270 kilograms) of food, supplies and scientific experiments.

Could you be the Lord of the rings (of Saturn)? Try your hand at our Saturn-themed space quiz!

From the semi-annoying antics of 'ALF' to 'Knight Rider's' awesome autonomous auto, the 1980s were a transitional time for stimulating small-screen science fiction!

A new wave of climate research is sounding a stark warning: Human activity may be driving drought more intensely — and more directly — than previously understood.

A new wave of delusional thinking fueled by artificial intelligence has researchers investigating the dark side of AI companionship

If black holes are actually droplets of dark energy that convert stellar matter into this mysterious and dominant force, many "cosmic hiccups" could soon be cured.