Science
Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos
Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos Light pollution from human activity is encroaching on observatories around the world, making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos. The rate of human-produced light in the night sky is increasing by as much as […]
🔬 Science
Is that wildfire smoke plume hazardous? New satellite tech can map smoke plumes in 3D for better air quality alerts at neighborhood scale
Is that wildfire smoke plume hazardous? New satellite tech can map smoke plumes in 3D for better air quality alerts at neighborhood scale New satellite technology can map wildfire smoke plumes in 3D, providing more accurate air quality alerts at a neighborhood scale. The technology uses data from NASA’s TEMPO satellite to determine the height […]
🔬 Science
Hubble Surveys Supernova-Rich Spiral
Hubble Surveys Supernova-Rich Spiral Hubble Space Telescope has released a stunning image of the spiral galaxy NGC 1309, showcasing its intricate details and hundreds of distant background galaxies. The galaxy is notable for hosting two supernovae: SN 2002fk, a Type Ia supernova, and SN 2012Z, a Type Iax supernova that defied expectations by leaving behind […]
🔬 Science
How Joint NASA-ESA Sea Level Mission Will Help Hurricane Forecasts
How Joint NASA-ESA Sea Level Mission Will Help Hurricane Forecasts NASA’s Sentinel-6B satellite will measure sea surface height for nearly all of the world’s ocean, providing critical data for weather and hurricane forecasts. The satellite will help meteorologists improve forecasts of local extremes like floods and hurricanes by tracking global changes in Earth’s ocean, including […]
🔬 Science
Helio Highlights: July 2025
Helio Highlights: July 2025 Astronauts returning to the Moon will need to be aware of the Sun’s activity to ensure their safety and health, as space radiation can cause damage to spacecraft electronics and increase the risk of cancer. The Sun’s energy can be both beneficial and dangerous to humans. While it provides life-sustaining energy […]
🔬 Science
Device turns plastic waste into chemicals for fuels
Device turns plastic waste into chemicals for fuels Researchers at Yale University have developed a method to convert plastic waste into fuels and other valuable products efficiently and cheaply using pyrolysis, a process that breaks down materials without oxygen. The new method uses a 3D-printed electrically heated carbon column reactor with a hierarchical porous structure […]
🔬 Science
Crew-11 Launches to International Space Station
Crew-11 Launches to International Space Station Crew-11 launched on August 1, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Crew-11 will perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities on the space […]
🔬 Science
Why is the sun so good at evaporating water?
Why is the sun so good at evaporating water? A new study has found that the oscillating electric field inherent to sunlight is the key factor behind its exceptional ability to evaporate water. The researchers used computational simulations to explore how different parameters associated with sunlight influence evaporation, and found that removing the oscillating electric […]
🔬 Science
This tropical plant builds isolated ‘apartments’ to prevent battles among the aggressive ant tenants it relies on for survival
This tropical plant builds isolated ‘apartments’ to prevent battles among the aggressive ant tenants it relies on for survival Researchers have discovered that certain tropical plants, such as Squamellaria, build isolated “apartments” to prevent battles among aggressive ant tenants that rely on them for survival. The plants’ unique structure, called a domatium, is divided into […]
🔬 Science
Spacecraft equipped with a solar sail could deliver earlier warnings of space weather threats to Earth’s technologies
Spacecraft equipped with a solar sail could deliver earlier warnings of space weather threats to Earth’s technologies Space weather events, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can disrupt satellite operations, shut down electric grids, and expose astronauts to lethal doses of radiation. The SWIFT constellation, a next-generation satellite constellation, aims to predict potentially […]
🔬 Science
Scientific norms shape the behavior of researchers working for the greater good
Scientific norms shape the behavior of researchers working for the greater good Scientific norms are unwritten guidelines that shape the behavior of researchers working for the greater good, dating back to Robert Merton’s “ethos of science” in 1942. The four original scientific norms, as outlined by Merton, include universalism (scientific knowledge is for everyone and […]
🔬 Science
Putting the X-59 to the Test
Putting the X-59 to the Test NASA and JAXA conducted a wind tunnel test on a scale model of the X-59 aircraft to assess noise levels underneath the plane. The test was an important milestone for NASA’s one-of-a-kind X-59, designed to fly faster than sound without causing loud sonic booms. This marked the third round […]
🔬 Science
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 to Support Health Studies for Deep Space Travel
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 to Support Health Studies for Deep Space Travel NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission will launch a four-person crew to the International Space Station later this summer, conducting health studies for deep space travel. The crew members will participate in simulated lunar landings, vision assessments, and other human physiology studies to address health challenges […]
🔬 Science
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Inspects Cat’s Paw
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Inspects Cat’s Paw NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has released an image of the Cat’s Paw Nebula to celebrate its third anniversary, revealing new structural details and features. The telescope used its NIRCam camera to capture the nebula, which shows massive young stars carving away at nearby gas and dust. […]
🔬 Science
NASA Selects Instruments for Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle
NASA Selects Instruments for Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle NASA has selected three instruments to travel to the Moon as part of its Artemis campaign, including two for integration onto a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) and one for a future orbital opportunity. The LTV will enable NASA to explore the lunar surface with two astronauts or […]
🔬 Science
Living building material sucks CO2 out of the air
Living building material sucks CO2 out of the air Researchers have developed a living material that actively extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using photosynthetic bacteria. The material, which can be shaped using 3D printing, requires sunlight and artificial seawater to grow and absorbs more CO2 than it binds through organic growth. The material stores […]
🔬 Science
Hubble Snaps Galaxy Cluster’s Portrait
Hubble Snaps Galaxy Cluster’s Portrait Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of galaxy cluster Abell 209, located 2.8 billion light-years away, showcasing over 100 galaxies and hot, diffuse gas. The image provides a unique opportunity to study dark matter, a form of matter that does not interact with light, by observing its gravitational influence […]
🔬 Science
Dune patterns in California desert hold clues that help researchers map Mars’ shifting sands
Dune patterns in California desert hold clues that help researchers map Mars’ shifting sands A graduate student at Texas A&M University conducted fieldwork at the Algodones Dunes in California to study aeolian bedforms, which are wind-created geologic features found on Earth and Mars. The researcher measured the height of coarse-grained sand ripples and distance between […]
🔬 Science
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4593-4594: Three Layers and a Lot of Structure at VolcxE1n PexF1a Blanca
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4593-4594: Three Layers and a Lot of Structure at VolcxE1n PexF1a Blanca Curiosity Rover has arrived at Volcán Peña Blanca on Mars, where it will study a prominent ridge and its structure to understand how water may have formed it. The rover has taken multiple images of the outcrop using its Mast […]
🔬 Science
Are people at the South Pole upside down?
Are people at the South Pole upside down? Astrophysicist Abigail Bishop shares her experience living at the South Pole for seven weeks, where she noticed some differences that made it feel like the world was “flipped over” from what she was used to. The main difference Bishop observed was how the Moon and constellations appeared […]
🔬 Science
AI ‘detective’ sheds light on how people make decisions
AI ‘detective’ sheds light on how people make decisions A new study uses small neural networks to understand how people make decisions, shedding light on the process and revealing previously overlooked strategies. The researchers deployed tiny artificial neural networks to analyze decision-making behaviors in humans, non-human primates, and laboratory rats, achieving better predictions than classical […]
🔬 Science
Advances in NASA Imaging Changed How World Sees Mars
Advances in NASA Imaging Changed How World Sees Mars NASA’s Mariner 4 mission in 1965 captured the first-ever close-up image of Mars, leading to a steady stream of advances in camera technology. The Viking 1 orbiter in 1980 captured stunning images of Valles Marineris, the “Grand Canyon of Mars,” and paved the way for future […]
🔬 Science
What’s Up: July 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA
What’s Up: July 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA Mars will be visible in the evening sky for most of July, joined briefly by Mercury, and will appear as a dimmer star each day. Venus will shine brightly in the east during the couple of hours before sunrise, making it a great morning sight, and will […]
🔬 Science
War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities
War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities Human cultural practices, including religion, politics, and war, can shape wildlife evolution in cities, leading to genetic drift, population differentiation, and changes in ecosystem dynamics. The construction of walls around religious buildings in Oviedo, Spain, led to the isolation of fire salamander populations on either side, […]
🔬 Science
Old Glory on the Red Planet
Old Glory on the Red Planet The United States flag has been planted on Mars as part of NASA’s Perseverance rover mission. The flag is attached to an aluminum plate mounted at the base of the rover’s mast, which was captured by the WATSON camera on June 28, 2025. The WATSON camera is part of […]
🔬 Science
NASA Mission Monitoring Air Quality from Space Extended
NASA Mission Monitoring Air Quality from Space Extended NASA’s TEMPO mission has been extended through at least September 2026 after completing its initial 20-month prime mission, which aimed to measure air quality from space. The TEMPO mission uses a spectrometer to gather hourly air quality data continuously over North America during daytime hours, providing detailed […]
🔬 Science
NASA Advances Pressure Sensitive Paint Research Capability
NASA Advances Pressure Sensitive Paint Research Capability NASA has advanced its pressure sensitive paint (PSP) research capability by introducing “unsteady” pressure sensitive paint (uPSP), which allows for faster and more detailed analysis of aerodynamic forces. The new uPSP technology enables researchers to study the effects of turbulent air on aircraft and rocket designs, providing valuable […]
🔬 Science
Humans and animals can both think logically − but testing what kind of logic they’re using is tricky
Humans and animals can both think logically − but testing what kind of logic they’re using is tricky Humans and animals can both think logically, but testing what kind of logic they’re using is tricky. Researchers have been studying animal cognition to understand how different species reason. Many animals, including monkeys, pigeons, rats, fish, and […]
🔬 Science
Hubble Observations Give “Missing” Globular Cluster Time to Shine
Hubble Observations Give “Missing” Globular Cluster Time to Shine Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of a previously unexplored globular cluster, ESO 591-12, which features a dense array of multicolored stars. The study aims to provide complete observations of ages and distances for all 34 confirmed Milky Way globular clusters that Hubble has yet […]
🔬 Science
How NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Will Share Its All-Sky Map With the World
How NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Will Share Its All-Sky Map With the World NASA’s SPHEREx mission has begun delivering its sky survey data to a public archive on a weekly basis, allowing anyone to use the data to probe the secrets of the cosmos. The mission will map the entire sky in 102 different wavelengths (or […]
🔬 Science