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The Vibrational Lives of Black Holes
When black holes are disrupted by things like infalling matter or gravitational waves, they vibrate like a bell struck with a clapper. The vibrations decay over time as the black hole returns to an equilibrium state. Astrophysicists can measure these vibrations to learn more about the black hole.
When Dwarfs Dance, Do Galaxies Merge?
New research shows how the 'dancing' behaviour of dwarf satellite galaxies can predict mergers between their hosts. A distant pair of galaxies is undergoing the same type of merger that Milky Way/Andromeda will undergo. Can the behaviour of their dwarf satellites tell astronomers what will happen when the MW and Andromeda merge?
The Eye of Sauron And An Optical Illusion Solve A Cosmic Puzzle
A stunning new image of a cosmic jet has helped astronomers unlock the mystery behind the unusually bright emission of high-energy gamma rays and neutrinos from a peculiar celestial object. The source is a blazar—a type of active galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole devouring matter at the heart of a galaxy. They have captured what looks like the mythical "Eye of Sauron" in the distant universe and may have just solved a decade-long cosmic puzzle.
New Lightsail Material Pushes Interstellar Probe Dream Closer
Any material used as a light sail is bound by very restrictive physical requirements. It has to be extremely light , can’t melt from the energy applied to it, and must bend, but not break, from that pressure. Various research groups around the world have been working on materials they believe will meet those requirements, and a new paper from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania describes experimental testing of what they believe to be the most functional light sail material yet developed.
Astronomers Capture Rare Birth of Black Hole Activity
A supermassive black hole in the act of awakening from slumber haas been detected by a team of astronomers. Using powerful radio telescopes, they observed this sleeping giant as it began to stir for the first time, offering an unprecedented look at how these stellar monsters come to life. Located 6 billion light years away, this giant has been dormant but suddenly roared to life just 1,000 years ago, revealing secrets about how the universe's most powerful forces shape entire galaxies.
How AI Could Prevent Satellite Collisions
Space is getting dangerously crowded but a new automated system could be the key to preventing catastrophic collisions that threaten our satellites and astronauts. The European Space Agency has developed CREAM (Collision Risk Estimation and Automated Mitigation), a revolutionary technology that aims to transform how we manage traffic in Earth orbit and keep space safe for future generations.
NASA's Juno Spacecraft Could Intercept 3I/ATLAS as it Approaches Jupiter
arXiv:2507.21402v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is expected to arrive at a distance of $53.56(\pm 0.45)$ million ${\rm km}$ ($0.358\pm 0.003$~au) from Jupiter on March 16, 2026. We show that applying a total thrust $\Delta$V of $2.6755{{\rm km~s^{-1}}}$ to lower perijove on September 9, 2025 and then execute a Jupiter Oberth Maneuver, can bring the Juno spacecraft from its orbit around Jupiter to intercept the path of 3I/ATLAS on March 14, 2026. A close fly-by...
Comet's Water Reveals Clues About Life on Earth
A team of scientists have made a discovery that could help solve one of Earth's greatest mysteries, where did our planet's water come from? Using powerful radio telescopes, the researchers have detected water vapour in a comet located far beyond Neptune's orbit, and the results are changing our understanding of how life sustaining water arrived on our world.
Scientists Use Earth's Shadow to Hunt for Alien Probes
For decades, astronomers have searched for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence using radio telescopes and optical instruments, scanning the skies for artificial signals. Now, researchers are taking a different approach, this time looking much closer to home for alien artefacts that might already be in our Solar System.
This Is What Happens Inside Lava Planets
Some exoplanets are so close to their stars that the rock is melted. Astronomers have dozens of these lava planets, maybe more because they're challenging to confirm. New research shows how the JWST can help astronomers understand them.
3I/ATLAS Is Very Actively Releasing Water
3I/ATLAS, our third discovered interstellar visitor, has been in the news a lot lately for a whole host of reasons, and rightly so given the amount of unique scientific data different groups and telescopes have been collecting off of it. A new pre-release paper from researchers at the Auburn University Department of Physics recounts yet another interesting aspect of the new visitor - its water content.
How Telescope Noise Could Help Us Monitor Climate Change
University of Warwick astronomers, in partnership with institutions in Spain, are showing how astronomy tools, that are usually used to study stars, can be repurposed as climate sensors, helping us track how Earth's atmosphere is changing in the face of global warming.