The Milky Way may have merged with another galaxy shortly after the Big Bang
ⓘ NASA – Unsplash An artist’s illustration showing two galaxies. Since its formation, the Milky Way has merged…
Extreme X-rays from a magnetar exposes that empty space may not be empty
A highly magnetized neutron star produced unusually polarized X-rays, offering some of the strongest evidence yet that empty…
The Milky Way glows brightly in first-of-its-kind neutrino image
IceCube has produced the first neutrino image of the Milky Way, revealing high-energy particle activity concentrated along our…
Space habitat design could shape astronaut mental health on Mars missions
Space habitats may need to protect astronauts’ mental and social wellbeing, not just shield them from physical hazards.…
Scientists discover remnants of Theia, the planet that collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago
Two continent-sized structures deep inside Earth may contain remnants of Theia, the ancient planet thought to have collided…
Three supermassive black holes have been discovered in the same galaxy
If black holes fascinate astronomers, it is mainly because of their power, but also because of the many…
Astronomers have observed a wandering black hole shredding a star
ⓘ NASA – Unsplash An illustration showing a star and a galaxy. Astronomers have recently detected a black…
New cosmology model finds that dark matter doesn’t exist
A proposed cosmology model argues that the universe may contain ordinary matter alone, without dark matter or dark…
Astronomers have precisely measured the size of the largest known galaxy
ⓘ NASA – Unsplash An image showing the galaxy UGC 2885 in the universe. Astronomers have measured the…
A beam of light can cross the entire universe in no time at all
A photon can cross a billion light-years while accumulating no elapsed time along its path. Special relativity links…
Inside the strange physics of why time stops at the speed of light
A clock aboard a fast-moving spacecraft does not break, lag or malfunction. It ticks normally for everyone inside.…
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage will hit the Moon in the coming days
ⓘ NASA – Unsplash An image showing the Moon. In the coming days, the upper stage of a…