Astronomy
How Webb Stays in Focus
JWST's primary mirror consists of 18 individual segments, each of which can be moved on 6 different axes of freedom.…
A Star Disappeared in Andromeda, Replaced by a Black Hole
Massive stars about eight times more massive than the Sun explode as supernovae at the end of their lives. The…
eROSITA All-Sky Survey Takes the Local Hot Bubble’s Temperature
About half a century ago, astronomers theorized that the Solar System is situated in a low-density hot gas environment. This…
CODEX Coronagraph Heads to the ISS on Cargo Dragon
A new space-based telescope aims to address a key solar mystery.
Japan Launches the First Wooden Satellite to Space
Space debris, which consists of pieces of spent rocket stages, satellites, and other objects launched into orbit since 1957 -…
New Report Details What Happened to the Arecibo Observatory
In 1963, the Arecibo Observatory became operational on the island of Puerto Rico. Measuring 305 meters (~1000 ft) in diameter,…
Future Space Telescopes Could be Made From Thin Membranes, Unrolled in Space to Enormous Size
As we saw with JWST, it's difficult and expensive to launch large telescope apertures, relying on origami techniques to unfold…
Voyager 1 is Forced to Rely on its Low Power Radio
Voyager 1 was launched waaaaaay back in 1977. I would have been 4 years old then! It’s an incredible achievement…
The Aftermath of a Neutron Star Collision Resembles the Conditions in the Early Universe
Neutron stars are extraordinarily dense objects, the densest in the Universe. They pack a lot of matter into a small…
Amazing Reader Views of Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS From Around the World
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS survived perihelion to become a fine dusk object for northern hemisphere observers.