Astronomy

On bizarre Titan, chemicals can combine in surprising ways, creating host-and-guest relationships. Since Titan is similar to primitive Earth, these new findings could shed light on Earth's prebiotic chemistry. Stay tuned.

Confining and rotating extremely cold atoms or molecules within atomic “Ferris wheels” made from laser light could test relativity’s predictions on the quantum scale

Confining and rotating extremely cold atoms or molecules within atomic “Ferris wheels” made from laser light could test relativity’s predictions on the quantum scale

We have more satellites than ever before, but when they burn up they create a new kind of air pollution. Evidence is now revealing what effects this could have and how to tackle it

We have more satellites than ever before, but when they burn up they create a new kind of air pollution. Evidence is now revealing what effects this could have and how to tackle it

An electronic retinal implant has improved vision in people with age-related macular degeneration—but it isn’t a full restoration, and it didn’t improve participants’ quality of life

In a surprise to researchers, the small, icy bodies beyond Pluto's orbit tend to rotate opposite the way they move around the Sun, which might say something about how they formed.

The post Objects at the Edge of the Solar System Behave in an Unexpected Way appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

All sorts of crazy things have been suggested regarding 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object that we’ve discovered. Some are simply conspiracy theories about it being an alien spacecraft, while others have been well-thought out suggestions, like using Martian-based probes to observe the comet as it streaked past the red planet. A new paper pre-published on arXiv and accepted for publication by the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society by Samuel Grand and Geraint Jones, of the Finnish Meteorological Institute and ESA respectively, falls into the latter category, and suggests utilizing two spacecraft already en route to their separate destinations to potentially detect ions from the object’s spectacular tail that has formed as it approaches the Sun.

Better in-flight streaming and video-calling might just become more accessible thanks to a project supported by the European Space Agency (ESA). Building upon the success of an experiment for a new type of antenna terminal together with ESA, Viasat – a global leader in satellite communications – now plans to commercialise its new in-flight connectivity solution called Viasat Amara.

Are you ready to take your first step into the space sector? The countdown has begun for the launch of the European Space Agency's 2026 Student Internship Programme, and you could be part of it. Applications open the first week of November.

The new Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission has delivered its first images, highlighting concentrations of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Despite being preliminary, these images mark a major milestone in Europe’s ability to monitor air quality all the way from geostationary orbit, 36 000 kilometres above Earth.

Researchers have discovered remnants from the primordial Earth before the giant collision that created the Moon. The ingredients of this "proto-Earth" help tell the tale of the entire Solar System. But there are still unanswered questions regarding all of the material that became the Earth.

An international research team led by the University of Bern analyzed images taken by the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) camera, CaSSIS, and the stereo camera HRSC, utilizing machine learning. Their work reveals that dust devils, a common feature on Mars, are faster than previously thought.

Massive marches nationwide in the U.S. marked a turn against an increasing acceptance of political violence among protesters, report sociologists

The comet-like object Chiron has been caught in the process of forming new rings, which could help us understand how these complex systems work

The comet-like object Chiron has been caught in the process of forming new rings, which could help us understand how these complex systems work

Telling the same story in different ways can change the brain networks that the listener uses to form memories

By treating optical telescopes as an array of smaller telescopes, astronomers could observe exoplanets more clearly.

Many of the signs of perimenopause can also be symptoms of other conditions, and some of these get increasingly dangerous if they’re misdiagnosed

Many of the signs of perimenopause can also be symptoms of other conditions, and some of these get increasingly dangerous if they’re misdiagnosed