Astronomy

Distant exoplanets can be dodgy to spot even in the best of observations. Despite the challenges, a team of astronomers just reported the discovery of a gas giant exoplanet that lies about 400 light-years from Earth. It's called TOI-4465 b and it takes 12 hours to transit across the face of its star during its 102-day orbit.

If you're looking for early Amazon Prime Day model rocket deals, then getting 20% off this Estes two-in-one set could be what you're looking for.

The acidity of drinks like Red Bull can erode dental enamel, but a lab experiment suggests this could be avoided via calcium fortification

The acidity of drinks like Red Bull can erode dental enamel, but a lab experiment suggests this could be avoided via calcium fortification

If you want to become a Jedi, a Sith, or a bounty hunter without muchhassle, check out the best Star Wars costumes you can buy right now.

Image: Earth from Space: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Using data from ESA’s SMOS satellite, scientists have revealed a surprising shift in the Southern Ocean – surface waters around Antarctica are growing saltier, even as sea ice is diminishing rapidly. This finding defies the norm because melting ice typically freshens ocean surface water.

The implications are far-reaching as changes in this remote region can disrupt global ocean currents, affect climate patterns, and alter ecosystems far beyond the Antarctic.

Very massive stars are cosmic "rock stars" that live fast, die young and leave black holes in their place. During this transformation, they may vomit out more stellar material than we knew.

Small, 3D-printed devices, designed to be implanted directly under the skin, could allow people with type 1 diabetes to produce their own insulin

Small, 3D-printed devices, designed to be implanted directly under the skin, could allow people with type 1 diabetes to produce their own insulin

Adult brains grow new neurons, and scientists have finally pinpointed where they come from

What is the importance of studying and utilizing lunar polar volatiles during the Artemis program, and specifically for first crewed mission, Artemis III? This is what a recent study presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated using lunar polar volatiles for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) purposes. In geology, volatiles are substances that vaporize at low temperatures, and examples include water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. In the case of the Moon, key volatiles are water located in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar south polar region.

Quasars provide some of the most spectacular light shows in the universe. However, they are typically exceedingly rare since they are caused by massive astrophysical forces that don’t happen very often. So it came as quite a surprise when scientists found a group of 11 of them hanging on in the same general area, in what appeared to be equivalent to the galactic countryside. A new paper from Yongming Liang and their co-authors at the University of Tokyo describes this finding, which they dubbed the Cosmic Himalayas, and some of the weird astronomical circumstances that place the discovery in context.

Spacecraft violently shake, rattle, and roll on their way into space aboard a giant explosion. Therefore, they must also be tested to make sure they can withstand those forces before getting to their orbit for deployment. One of NASA’s major observatories recently completed part of its trials, with the core portion of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope successfully completing its shock and vibration testing a few weeks ago.

Scientists are constantly finding new ways to look at things, and that’s especially true for objects that represent an outlier of their specific type. Adjectives like “biggest”, “brightest”, or “fastest spinning” all seem to attract scientific studies - perhaps because they’re an easier sell to funding agencies. No matter the reason, that means we typically get a lot of good science on specific objects that represent their particular class of objects well, and a new paper from Ozcan Caliskan from Istanbul University in Turkey hits that nail on the head when it comes to the most massive known white dwarf star.

While randomising a deck of cards gets more difficult as you add more cards, it turns out that the same isn't true for the qubits of quantum computers, which may prove surprisingly useful

While randomising a deck of cards gets more difficult as you add more cards, it turns out that the same isn't true for the qubits of quantum computers, which may prove surprisingly useful

Scientists have found evidence of new brain cells sprouting in adults - a process that many thought only occurred in children

Scientists have found evidence of new brain cells sprouting in adults - a process that many thought only occurred in children

The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted in June to stop recommending certain kinds of flu vaccines, a notable shift in vaccine guidance