Astronomy
Is There a way to Detect Strange Quark Stars, Even Though They Look Almost Exactly Like White Dwarfs?
If quark matter stars exist, they could look like white dwarfs that are unusually small.
Comet Records From 1240 Accurately Date When a Byzantine Princess Died
Rome was the world's first mega-empire. At its height it stretched from Western Europe to the Middle East, and over…
Why 2020 is a Great Year for the Geminid Meteors
Got clear skies? Then bundle up: the Geminid meteors—one of the best, sure-fire annual meteor showers—peaks this weekend… and near…
Black Holes Gain new Powers When They Spin Fast Enough
Fast spinning black holes could have features different from those predicted by general relativity.
That’s no Asteroid, it’s a Rocket Booster
Follow-up observations by NASA scientists has confirmed that the mystery object 2020 SO is indeed a relic of the early…
Glycine Can Form In Interstellar Clouds
Author's note: This article was written in collaboration with Vincent Kofman, a co-author of the paper it discusses and Post…
It Took 50 Nights of Observations to Capture New Data on the Magellanic Clouds
The Magellanic Clouds are two of our closest neighbours, in galactic terms. The pair of irregular dwarf galaxies were drawn…
20 Years of Hubble Photos Show how the Stingray Nebula is Fading
The Stingray Nebula is the youngest known planetary nebula. For half a century astronomers have witnessed its formation, and now…
This is Not a Photo of the Milky Way. It’s the Map of 1.8 Billion Stars From Gaia’s Major New Data Release
Thanks to the latest data release from the ESA's Gaia mission, researchers are making all kinds of discoveries about the…
If There’s Subsurface Water Across Mars, Where is it Safe to Land to Avoid Contamination?
If Mars is a potential home for alien life, can we land safely anywhere on the surface without introducing contamination…