A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 24 Starlink broadband satellites early Dec. 4. It will be the 24th flight for the rocket's first stage, setting a new record.

© SpaceX

A preview of "Ahsoka" Season 1 and "The Mandalorian" Season 3 4K UHD Steelbook releases

© Disney+

An Indian PSLV rocket will launch Europe's Proba-3 precision formation-flying mission to orbit early Wednesday (Dec. 4), and you can watch the action live.

© ISRO

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope explores the evolution of spiral galaxy UGC 10043 through images taken 23 years apart, in 2000 and 2023.

© ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Windhorst, W. Keel

You don’t want to miss Jupiter this month. The giant planet reaches opposition and peak visibility December 7 against the stunning backdrop of Taurus the Bull. Shining at magnitude –2.8, Jupiter dominates the northeastern sky once darkness falls. Although the gas giant lies well north of the celestial equator — less than optimal for usContinue reading "December 2024: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month?"

The post December 2024: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The fifth installment of Supermassive Games' Dark Pictures Anthology is going to outer space in search of Lovecraftian horrors.

© Supermassive Games

A sneak peek at the new "Star Trek" short story anthology, "A Year To The Day I Saw Myself Die and Other Stories"

© Titan Books

Author(s): David Ehrenstein

Prize-winning videos cover the range from microscopic droplets to global climate.

[Physics 17, 171] Published Tue Dec 03, 2024

A preview of new "Galaxy Quest" 4K UHD Blu-ray and Limited Edition Steelbook

© Paramount

New research suggests that tiny primordial black holes could be hollowing out planets and passing through everyday objects, maybe even you and your cat!

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)

Chinese scientists are developing the capability to build a moon base made of bricks formed from lunar soil.

© China National Space Administration

A tiny asteroid measuring some 27 inches (70 cm) wide was detected on a collision course with Earth above Siberia. It is expected to burn up harmlessly on the morning of Dec. 3, 2024.

© ESA/SIO/NOAA/U.S. Navy/NGA/GEBCO

Active volcanoes were erupting on the far side of the moon 2.8 billion years ago, the first lunar samples returned from the far side reveal. 1

© Ben Yuen and Angela Demetriadou

Author(s): Rachel Berkowitz

Cell–cell alignment and a background of stationary cells together shape the emergence of cellular clusters in a primary tumor.

[Physics 17, s141] Published Tue Dec 03, 2024

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew explores the New Republic era from a new, innocent perspective, but there's more than meets the eye...

© Disney

A company that crafts knife handles from leftover rocket metal and the wood from trees surrounding the launch pad has created a limited piece celebrating the anniversary of Europe's venerable Ariane.

© Spacepep's

Asteroids colliding with neutron stars could account for mysterious blasts of energy called fast radio bursts by releasing enough energy to supply humanity's power needs for one hundred million years.

© Robert Lea (Created with Canva)

Most people associate the discovery that faraway galaxies are receding from us — and thus, that the universe is expanding — with Edwin Hubble, thanks to his landmark 1929 paper. It was one of the most fundamental discoveries in the history of science. But Hubble did not discover the expansion. In the 1910s, a LowellContinue reading "Is it time to rename the Hubble constant?"

The post Is it time to rename the Hubble constant? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The Big Bang may not have been the origin of the universe's most mysterious matter. Instead, dark matter could have been created in a second creation event, a "Dark Big Bang."

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)

Energetic particles that arise when cosmic rays hit Earth’s atmosphere could help assess hidden damage to buildings in Ukraine after the war.

© Getty

Vega, located in the constellation Lyra, is the fifth-brightest star in the night sky. It is known to be surrounded a disk of particle debris that’s almost 100 billion miles (160 billion kilometers) in diameter. The star and its orbiting disk have been photographed countless times by several observatories and satellites, although it was onlyContinue reading "What is Vega’s smooth-surface secret?"

The post What is Vega’s smooth-surface secret? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Hao Liu, taken in Nanjing, China The name Tsuchinshan was on world’s lips this year when Comet C/2023 A3 — otherwise known as Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS — burst into naked-eye view. The name refers to Tuschinshan Observatory (or Purple Mountain Observatory), whose facility in Xuyi was the first to discover the comet. In this image, theContinue reading "Tsuchinshan, take a bow"

The post Tsuchinshan, take a bow appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Data processing for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and IRIS probe are down for a while, thanks to a burst water pipe in a server room used by the missions.

© NASA/SDO

The European-Japanese BepiColombo probe made a close flyby of Mercury on Dec. 1, 2024 and captured an image of the planet.

© JAXA/ESA

New research suggests that Venus may never have possessed liquid water oceans. That would mean "Earth's evil twin" was always hostile to life.

© NASA

Cyber Monday deals are nearly over but you can still save on these powerful Nikon Porro prism binoculars binoculars at Amazon.

© Getty Images, Nikon, Future

Years after the collapse of the Arecebo telescope data from the radio observatory has helped SETI scientists probe the characteristics of pulsars, cosmic lighthouses powered by dead stars.

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)

Why do we not see effects of dark matter in our solar system and other nearby star systems? Curran RodeAmmannsville, Texas Dark matter refers to material that does not absorb, reflect, or emit any electromagnetic radiation. Astronomers have ascertained the existence of dark matter through the gravitational influence it exerts over visible matter. In fact,Continue reading "Does dark matter affect our solar system?"

The post Does dark matter affect our solar system? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

A panel of experts has picked seven finalists for the name of asteroid (164207) 2004 GU9, a "quasi-moon" of Earth. You can vote for your favorite through Jan. 1, 2025.

© Data source: HORIZONS System, JPL, NASA, created by wiki User:Phoenix7777

The story of the inner early Solar System goes something like this: Billions of years ago, there were three rocky worlds with oceans of liquid water. Perhaps all three could have been primed for life. But as Mars lost its atmosphere and Venus’ atmosphere experienced a runaway greenhouse effect, only Earth could support life byContinue reading "Venus may never have had oceans"

The post Venus may never have had oceans appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Two decades on, Halo 2 remains one of the best video game sequels of all time. Here's how it became a monument to Xbox and sci-fi shooters.

© Xbox

The DJI Avata, a well-rounded drone suitable for all levels, is over $100 off in this Cyber Monday drone deal.

© Future/Amazon

The DJI Mini 4k offers great overall performance and is one of the best drones in this price bracket.

© Amazon

Satellites watched bright burning lava surge toward Iceland's Blue Lagoon following a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

© NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and VIIRS day-night band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership.

In this episode, Dave Eicher invites you to observe the Moon passing by Saturn on the evening of December 7. Both objects at the time will be in the constellation Aquarius the Water-bearer. The Moon will be 43 percent illuminated, or nearly at its First Quarter phase. The Ringed Planet will lie 4 degrees toContinue reading "The Moon passes Saturn: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher"

The post The Moon passes Saturn: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Looking for the perfect Christmas present for a young stargazer? Rush to snap up one of the best telescopes for kids, the Celestron AstroMaster, 15% off for Cyber Monday.

© Celestron / Future

This Potensic Atom has everything a new drone pilot could want — we dub it 'the best drone you can fly for less than $400' (it's currently almost $300 on sale).

© Amazon

China's Shenzhou 19 astronauts have some winged companions to oversee aboard the country's Tiangong space station — fruit flies, which arrived on a cargo ship on Nov. 15.

© CCTV

Author(s): Philip Ball

A new method for controlling the interactions between ultracold atoms and light could advance efforts to simulate complex quantum systems using atom clouds.

[Physics 17, 170] Published Mon Dec 02, 2024

Author(s): Ryan Wilkinson

A new analysis challenges the claim that a gamma-ray signal observed from a direction near the Milky Way’s center is produced by a dwarf galaxy.

[Physics 17, s147] Published Mon Dec 02, 2024

This Unistellar Odyssey telescope is loaded with features that take the work out of observing the cosmos and it's $460 off for Cyber Monday, but you'll have to be fast!

© Unistellar / Future

Cyber Monday is your last day to save serious money on telescopes, but you'll have to be fast, we've already seen some deals disappear into a black hole but here are 9 you won't want to miss!

© Future / Celestron / Unistellar / Gskyer

There's a Cyber Monday Meta Quest 3 deal available as you can get Batman: Arkham Shadow and three months of Meta Quest Plus for free.

© Future/Amazon

Active volcanoes were erupting on the far side of the moon 2.8 billion years ago, the first lunar samples returned from the far side reveal. 1

© NASA/ARC/MIT

Scientists used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe a star with a planet-forming disk that gets to absolutely scorching temperatures.

© NASA-JPL, Caltech

It may be cold this month, but now is a great time to get outside and explore Jupiter’s beauty and might. The fifth planet will not only reach opposition on Dec. 7, it will also be at perigee (closest to Earth) on Dec. 6, putting on its biggest and brightest show of the year. KnownContinue reading "Watch Jupiter’s moons in action this month"

The post Watch Jupiter’s moons in action this month appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Astronomers explain why the highly-anticipated "guest star" has not appeared in the night sky yet.

© NASA/Conceptual Image Lab/Goddard Space Flight Center

A recap of "Dune: Prophecy" Episode 3, "Sisterhood Above All"

© HBO/Max

A new frontier has been reached in simulations of the universe, with the powerful exascale supercomputer called "Frontier" performing the most detailed simulation yet of the cosmos.

© Argonne National Laboratory/U.S Dept of Energy

Still live! We gave this star projector five stars in our glowing review and it's currently on offer for Cyber Monday, except it's not a genuine deal, but I'd buy it anyway.

© Getty Images, Future, Orzorz

Save $60 on an annual Peacock Premium subscription or pay-as-you-watch for $1.99 a month.

© Future/Getty/Peacock

This small but mighty instrument provides everything you need to get started in skywatching — snap it up now this Cyber Monday.

© Future/Hexeum

After making waves on Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch, the online action game Star Wars: Hunters is coming to PC.

© Disney / Lucasfilm Games / Zynga

This Black Friday weekend, the Sky-Watcher EvoStar 120 APO Doublet Refractor is 20% off and is a must-buy if you are a seasoned skywatcher or looking for an upgrade on your current instrument.

© Sky-Watcher

Universal manual Penguin Random HouseNew York, NY The beauty and science of space combine in the book Smithsonian Atlas of Space. This 400-page hardback, created by NASA’s Chief Historian Roger D. Launius, features illustrations, maps, and images detailing humanity’s understanding of the universe from ancient times to modern day. It also includes profiles of someContinue reading "Festive astronomy products for everyone on your list"

The post Festive astronomy products for everyone on your list appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Historical texts that mentioned details about the battle site helped researchers match the images to the lost town of al-Qadisiyyah.

© USGS

Save a massive 37% on the PSVR 2 headset this Cyber Monday as one of the best VR headsets is at its lowest-ever price.

© Future/Amazon

New moon December 2024: A young moon passes Venus

© Chris Vaughan/Starry Night

Jupiter reaches its best apparition in a decade for northern observers and offers a wealth of detail. Joining in late evening is brilliant Mars, now a month from opposition. Saturn is visible in the early evening, along with Venus soon after sunset. Uranus and Neptune remain visible with binoculars, and Mercury makes a fine morningContinue reading "December 2024: What’s in the sky this month? Jupiter reaches its best Northern Hemisphere opposition in a decade"

The post December 2024: What’s in the sky this month? Jupiter reaches its best Northern Hemisphere opposition in a decade appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

I've tried and tested many telescopes over the years to ensure you're choosing the right kit for you. These top five Black Friday weekend steals offer superb views of planets, galaxies, nebulas and stars.

© Getty

The "Resilience" Mission 2 lander, built by Japanese company ispace, has arrived in Florida ahead of its planned January launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

© ispace

The Holy Stone HS175D is 20% off on Amazon this Black Friday weekend, making it one of the cheapest drones on the market.

© Amazon.

A recap of "Silo" Season 2 episode 3, "That Thing He Does"

© Apple TV+

The Dell XPS 16 has $750 off at Best Buy this Black Friday so you can grab this great laptop for astronomers for less.

© Best Buy.

Giant robots and piloted machines have been popular in science fiction for decades. If you want to be a mech jock yourself, these are the best mech games.

© EA / Respawn

Decoding emergent languages in AI can have many benefits.

© Warner Bros.

Want to roleplay as Star Wars' little green Jedi Master? Get 32% off this electronic Star Wars Black Series Yoda Lightsaber on Amazon this Black Friday.

© Future / Hasbro

It may be six years old but this fan-favorite Sony mirrorless is now $860 cheaper at Walmart from Black Friday through Cyber Monday — a huge 43% discount!

© Amazon

The optics for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope have been delivered, marking a big milestone in the assembly of the powerful next-generation observatory.

© NASA/Chris Gunn

Behyar Bakhshandeh from Carlsbad, California Resembling an outstretched hand, the Helping Hand in Cassiopeia consists of the dark nebulae LDN 1355/7/8, which overlie a region of reflection nebulosity cataloged as LBN 643. This imager took 9 hours of exposure on a 4.2-inch scope in LRGB filters.

The post Need a hand? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

SpaceX launched 24 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at midnight on Saturday (Nov. 30).

© SpaceX

This amazing Lego Space Shuttle Discovery set is 20% off with a free Lego Insiders membership, and you can get a free gift while supplies last, too!

© Lego / Future

Astronomers have tracked a mysterious, record-breaking blast of energy to a binary star system containing a red dwarf star and a white dwarf — solving a two-decade-long puzzle.

© ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/N, Risinger (skysurvey.org) ESO/L. Calçada/University of Warwick

SpaceX launched a batch of spy satellites for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office on Saturday morning (Nov. 30) from California's central coast.

© SpaceX

If you have a telescope, or access to one, now’s the time to point it at Jupiter. The largest planet in our solar system reaches opposition December 7. That means it’s directly opposite the Sun from our viewpoint here on Earth. It rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and is visible all night.  During theContinue reading "See Jupiter at its best"

The post See Jupiter at its best appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Normally $70, the Blue Origin New Shepard model rocket from Estes is currently just $22.99 in Amazon's Black Friday sale.

© Estes/Future

Don't leave this stunning Lego set on the launch pad! This massive Lego Icons NASA Artemis Space Launch System set is £33 off in Amazon UK's Black Friday sale.

© Future / Lego

Looking for a gift for a space-loving child? Or do you just want a star projector that won't break the bank? Our favorite Astronaut star projector is 35% cheaper this Black Friday.

© Amazon

If astronomers could catch bursts of gamma rays from supernova explosions that create neutron stars near the Milky Way, the mystery of dark matter could be wrapped up in 10 seconds.

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)

The Sky-Watcher Flextube 400P is $780 off at B&H Photo this Black Friday, so you can grab one of the best deep space telescopes for under $4,000.

© B&H Photo/Future.

Voyager 1 is shouting across the cosmos again, following a glitch that had seen it inadvertently switch to its low-power transmitter.

© NASA

The James Webb Space Telescope has taken a detailed look at the Milky Way's monstrous young supercluster Westerlund 1.

© NASA/ MIRI/ NIRCam/ Giuseppe, et al 2024/ EWOCS

There is 31% off the huge Lego Star Wars UCS Razor Crest this Black Friday and it is already selling out

© Lego

The HS900 is the best Holy Stone drone on the market. The flight performance is great and the camera is impressive. Save $200 this Black Friday.

© Amazon

The Vaonis Vespera Pro is now only $2499 this Black Friday making it the first time we have ever seen it discounted, with stock selling fast.

© Amazon

Looking for a gift for a budding sky watcher, or just don't want to break the bank? This Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope is a stellar $115 off in Amazon's Black Friday sale, so grab it while you can!

© Future / Celestron

The Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42 binoculars feature in our best binoculars guide and have 25% off this Black Friday

© Amazon/Future.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a favorite city of mine. Not only is it an incredibly beautiful place, with Moccasin Bend in the Tennessee River tucked near the downtown area, but breathtaking views of the whole region await from the towering plateaus of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, arranged neatly around the city’s perimeter. Moreover, for aContinue reading "Firecrown opens revolutionary Space Store in Chattanooga"

The post Firecrown opens revolutionary Space Store in Chattanooga appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

HBO's Dune prequel series has kicked things off with plenty of intriguing questions, but chief among them is who, or what, is Tiran-Arafel?

© HBO

This Star Wars: Black Series Force Elite Sabine Wren Lightsaber is 34% off at Amazon, just what I need to tide me over till Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2.

© Hasbro / Future

New modeling research reveals that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is particularly vulnerable to shifts in the Irminger sea off Greenland from increasing Arctic meltwater.

© Planet Observer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

This sleek MacBook Air M3 13-inch laptop, ideal for budding astronomers, is an absolute steal at 23% in Amazon's Black Friday sale.

© Apple / Future

The bacteria could be grown in space, and lend their photosynthesizing talents to supplying power to the hundreds of thousands of satellites in orbit.

© NASA

Some of the best Lego Star Wars sets are reduced by 40% in Lego's Black Friday sale, including the Phantom Menace BrickHeadz collection.

© Lego/Future

I love sci-fi and I would get the Disney Plus and Hulu bundle, which is 72% off for Black Friday, if I didn't already have a subscription.

© Disney/Future

This magnificent Celestron NexStar Evolution 8, with a computerized star-tracking mount, is an amazing $450 off in Adorama's Black Friday sale

© Future / Celestron

Normally selling for $279, there is a 20% discount on the sought-after Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber this Black Friday, making it just $222.

© Hasbro/Future

If this colossal solar storm hit our technologically advanced world the effects would have been devastating.

© Science Photo Library via Getty Images

This Black Friday the Lego Marvel Endgame Final Battle set has $40 off and, with it retiring soon, why not treat yourself to what we described as a "captivating build"?

© Space/Lego

This highly-rated star projector is just $28 this Black Friday, offering up gorgeous views of the Milky Way in your living room.

© Fussion/Future

Friday, November 29Pegasus the Winged Horse might be the most well-known horse-themed star pattern in the sky, but he is not alone. Once you find Pegasus, slowly sinking in the west this evening after sunset, next locate Enif, the star that typically is drawn marking Pegasus’ nose or mouth. Just below (west of) this starContinue reading "The Sky This Week from November 29 to December 6: The Moon meets Venus"

The post The Sky This Week from November 29 to December 6: The Moon meets Venus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Amazon, BestBuy, Adorama and other retailers have slashed $500 of the Canon EOS R6 Mark II for Black Friday Week.

© Amazon

Want to fly longer for less? We think this DJI Air 3 Fly More Combo bundle is one of the best camera drones and it's an unbeatable $270 this Black Friday

© DJI / Future

A preview of Titan Books' "The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen"

© Titan Books

This Black Friday save $1000 on the Nikon Z 7II, one of our best-rated mirrorless cameras for low-light photography to take your astrophotography out of this world.

© Nikon/Future

The sun's complex behavior still holds many mysteries.

© NASA/Irina Kitiashvili and Timothy A. Sandstrom

There is a huge saving to be had on the Leica 10x42 Noctivid binoculars this Black Friday, some of the best binos you will ever have the pleasure of using.

© Leica/Future

Peculiar James Webb Space Telescope observations seem to show gargantuan black holes in the earliest moments of the universe. New research may explain how they formed, thanks to primordial "seeds".

© NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

The BlissLights Starport is small but mighty — completely transform a space with this thumb-sized laser projector, the perfect stocking filler for gamers or space lovers.

© Amazon

Save 33% and buy the Nikon Z7 II at its best-ever price when bundled with the handy FTZ II Adapter.

© Future

Despite some bold ideas, The Book of Boba Fett season 1 was a bit of a mess, but that doesn’t mean a second season wouldn’t work.

© Lucasfilm/Disney+

The Celestron NexStar Evolution 9.25" is the best premium GoTo scope you can buy with a huge saving of $450 this Black Friday.

© Celestron/Future

To explore the galaxy and hunt for resources, intelligent aliens might need to turn their home stars into natural spaceships, a new paper suggests. A few known star systems might fit the bill.

© dottedhippo/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Through the ages, humans have tried to preserve their knowledge and treasures in various repositories, and some of those storehouses have been massive in scale. The library of Ashurbanipal, assembled 700 years before the life of Jesus of Nazareth, is the oldest known collection of human knowledge. Ashurbanipal located his collection of 30,000 cuneiform tabletsContinue reading "How the Moon can save Earth"

The post How the Moon can save Earth appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

We think the Celestron Nature DX ED 12x50 binoculars are some of the finest handheld binoculars for stargazing and wildlife observation.

© Amazon

NASA has given us a holiday treat — a virtual fireplace lit by the engines of its Space Launch System moon rocket.

© NASA

A familiar head from the Enterprise-D shows up in this week's 'Lower Decks'. Here's how…

© Paramount

Whichever mission NASA selects to image the cosmos next should launch by 2032. Here are the two contenders.

© NASA/JPL–Caltech/ESO/S. Brunier

The Canon EOS R8 can be picked up for a bargain at $1070 this Black Friday — rated our best entry-level astrophotography camera.

© Space/Canon

There is a huge 30% saving on the highly-rated Govee Star Light Projector so grab yourself a galactic bargain this Black Friday.

© Govee

Haribo is adding its own "cosmic" taste to Thanksgiving by sending Goldbear (and its friends) where no gummi candy has gone before. The confectioner has a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

© Haribo/NASA/collectSPACE.com

Team ShaRA; data acquired via Chilescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile The latest collaborative processing effort from Team ShaRA targets the Small Magellanic Cloud, working with 13.7 hours of data captured with a cooled CCD camera and 200mm f/2 Nikon lens operated by the Chilescope service. Numerous star-forming emission nebulae are visible, as are details inContinue reading "No small task"

The post No small task appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

If you are serious about photography, the Nikon Z8 is the ultimate mirrorless camera upgrade and you can save $700 on this camera and lens bundle this Black Friday.

© Space/Nikon

The four NASA astronauts currently living on the International Space Station wished us all a happy Thanksgiving — and revealed what they'll be feasting on this Turkey Day.

© NASA

NASA's Europa Clipper mission has successfully deployed its magnetometer's boom and several antennas for its radar instrument as it continues on its journey toward Jupiter's ice-covered moon.

© NASA/JPL-Caltech

A sample of the asteroid Ryugu returned to Earth by the Hayabusa2 mission was rapidly colonized by terrestrial microorganisms, new research has revealed.

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)/NASA/JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, Aizu University, AIST

NASA astronaut Don Pettit took a 10-hour timelapse of Dextre, a handy Canadian robot, working with a science experiment on the ISS.

© NASA

Want stunning views of the cosmos without a telescope? Celestron SkyMaster Pro 20x80 binoculars are only $210 in Amazon's Black Friday sale.

© Celestron / Future

Want to relax, meditate, or lull little ones to sleep? Invite the cosmos into your home with this amazing Blisslights Sky Lite Evolve projector, $10 off at Amazon for Black Friday.

© Blisslights / Future

Astronomers used the Two-meter Twin Telescope to catch a "see-you-soon" image of the asteroid 2024 PT5 as it ended its stint as Earth's second moon on Monday (Nov. 25).

© Two-Meter Twin Telescope / Light Bridges / Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

The Tianzhou 7 spacecraft undocked from China's Tiangong space station on Nov. 10 and reentered Earth's atmosphere at around 8:25 a.m. EST (1325 GMT) on Nov. 17.

© CCTV

These Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 binoculars are superb for surveying the night skies and they are 22% off at Amazon this Black Friday.

© Celestron / Future

If you're looking for a Christmas present for the Star Wars fan in your life, save $89 on this impressive lightsaber in this Black Friday deal.

© Future/Hasbro

Astronomers have discovered a group of dwarf galaxies with distinct features that challenge predictions made by the prevailing cold dark matter (CDM) model.

© Sanjaya Paudel et al 2024 ApJL / Legacy survey viewer

Author(s): Charles Day

Researchers used machine learning to optimize the process by which a tiny cage is opened to release a molecule.

[Physics 17, 169] Published Wed Nov 27, 2024

Author(s): Rachel Berkowitz

Forces imposed by laser light can manipulate the shape of a membrane’s vibrational modes.

[Physics 17, s148] Published Wed Nov 27, 2024

For Thanksgiving 2024, we have a celestial feast as three bright planets shine prominently during the early evening hours:Saturn, Jupiter and Venus.

© Alan Dyer/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Unistellar eVscope 2 is an absolutely remarkable telescope — and being able to save $980 on it this Black Friday, you may find yourself gravitating towards it.

© Unistellar/Future

New York-based Near Space Labs has launched a new fleet of balloon-borne zero-emission robots to keep a supersharp eye on Earth.

© Sen

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station may be far from family and friends this Thanksgiving, but will still enjoy a festive meal. The SpaceX CRS-31 supply mission that docked Nov. 5 carried some 2,119 pounds (961 kilograms) of crew supplies. Among those supplies are holiday treats for the eight astronauts currently manning the station, whichContinue reading "How astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving in space"

The post How astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving in space appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The new Vulcan Centaur rocket's first launch for the U.S. Space Force will come at an exciting time for the spaceflight industry.

© United Launch Alliance

The Lego Star Wars Pirate Snub Fighter set should be $34.99, but there's a 30% saving to be had on Amazon this Black Friday.

© Lego/Space

Huge $800 off this Black Friday: Nikon D850, the best DSLR on the market and our pick as the best DSLR for astrophotography now almost 27% cheaper in this camera deal.

© Space/Nikon

China's human spaceflight agency has released a video detailing its plans for a first crewed mission to the moon, including progress on lunar hardware.

© CMSA/CCTV

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows off its infrared capabilities once again in new imaging of the well-known Sombrero Galaxy, otherwise known as Messier 104. By resolving the thickly textured dust clouds in the outer disk and toning down the brilliant central star glow, JWST shows a whole new side of the famous galaxy.Continue reading "The Sombrero Galaxy doffs its cap to the power of JWST"

The post The Sombrero Galaxy doffs its cap to the power of JWST appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Recreate Darth Vader's iconic Star Wars entrance with this awesome Lego Star Wars: Boarding the Tantive IV set, complete with force-choking action, now 20% cheaper for Black Friday.

© Lego

A new "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew" teaser and featurette were just released by Disney+'

© Disney+

Magnetic vortices twisting down from Jupiter's ionosphere into its deep atmosphere cause giant, ultraviolet-absorbing polar anticyclones, each the size of our Earth.

© Troy Tsubota and Michael Wong (UC Berkeley)/Hubble Space Telescope

A Russian Progress freighter docked to the ISS fired its thrusters Monday (Nov. 25) to dodge a piece of debris, the second such evasive maneuver for the orbiting lab in less than a week.

© NASA/SpaceX

We revisit the Star Wars RPG sequel that subverted the expectations of fans and gained a cult following, despite a troubled development.

© Aspyr/Lucasfilm Games

A new trailer has arrived for Disney/Pixar's new animated sci-fi adventure, "Elio," the story of a young boy who is mistakenly identified as Earth's leader by intergalactic aliens.

© Disney/Pixar

An engine hot fire test for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's new Epsilon S rocket ended prematurely when the engine caught fire and exploded.

© JAXA

Author(s): Charles Day

Observations confirm a theoretical model explaining how—in Earth’s magnetosphere—large-scale magnetic waves heat up the magnetosphere’s plasma by transferring their energy to smaller-scale acoustic waves.

[Physics 17, 168] Published Tue Nov 26, 2024

Cargo is finally being unloaded from a docked Russian Progress spacecraft at the ISS. A delay occurred after astronauts reported an unexpected smell on Nov. 23.

© NASA

NASA has picked SpaceX and Blue Origin to deliver a lunar rover and habitat to the moon within the next decade. The space agency last week announced it will assign two lunar cargo demonstration missions—one to each partner—under the companies’ contracts to build human landing systems (HLS) for the Artemis moon mission program. SpaceX and Blue Origin are working under multibillion-dollar dealsContinue reading "NASA picks SpaceX, Blue Origin to fly lunar rover and habitat to the Moon"

The post NASA picks SpaceX, Blue Origin to fly lunar rover and habitat to the Moon appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Departing on Monday (Nov. 25), Earth's recent "mini-moon" asteroid 2024 PT5 didn't stick around for Thanksgiving, but don't be sad. It will be back... but will it ever be a second moon again?

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)

How we fund the content that you read on Space.com.

© Space.com

NASA telescope spotted a glowing nebula that looks like a guitar shredding rapid pulses of stellar material through space like soundwaves through a packed concert stadium.

© X-ray: NASA/CXC/Stanford Univ./M. de Vries et al.; Optical: (Hubble) NASA/ESA/STScI and (Palomar) Hale Telescope/Palomar/CalTech; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare

This Black Friday, you can have two of our favorite streaming services for just $2.99 a month for 12 months

© Disney/Future

For decades, astronomers have puzzled over how the supermassive black holes residing in the center of galaxies form. Now, researchers may have found the biggest clue yet to how these monstrous objects — weighing millions of solar masses — came to exist.  An international team used the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) high sensitivity toContinue reading "This black hole is gulping material 40 times faster than the theoretical limit"

The post This black hole is gulping material 40 times faster than the theoretical limit appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

One of the best GoTo telescopes you can buy is now $200 cheaper on Amazon with this out-of-this-world Black Friday telescope deal.

© Space/Celestron

This Black Friday you can get Hulu for just 99 cents a month for 12 months, saving a huge 90% over the standard $9.99 price.

© Hulu/Future

AMC Plus is now just $1.25 for two months in this Black Friday streaming deal: Watch "Interstellar", "The Walking Dead", "Snowpiercer" and more for less.

© AMC / Future

This Discovery+ deal will keep you glued to your set with everything from space documentaries to Shark Week, and it's a good way to keep the family happy this Thanksgiving.

© Discovery

Author(s): David Ehrenstein

Erbium and similar elements provide a wide range of electronic “handles” for manipulating atoms in many-body quantum experiments.

[Physics 17, s151] Published Tue Nov 26, 2024

In a "rite of passage," the JAXA/NASA X-ray telescope XRISM has mapped in detail Cygnus X-3, a curious binary system with a potential black hole feasting stellar winds blowing from a massive star.

© NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Scientists are using chemical modeling to dissect whether life exists on icy moons in our solar system.

© ESA Science Office

Michael Sussman/Warren Keller The Fish Head Nebula (IC 1795) lies at the corner of the Heart Nebula (Sharpless 2–190) in Cassiopeia, forming a large stellar nursery laced with dark dust lanes. The imagers collected 27.6 hours of data in SHO filters with a 5-inch scope.

The post On the plate appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

A new theory proposes that Phobos and Deimos resulted from the wreckage of a larger asteroid that wandered too close to Mars and was ripped apart.

© NASA

Save $300 on the Celestron NexStar 8SE, a bargain for serious stargazers and the best-motorised telescope out there.

© Fututre/Amazon

Want a little help with your skygazing? This beginner-friendly Celestron 114LCM newtonian telescope will find and track celestial objects, and it's down to $359.99 at Amazon this Black Friday.

© Celestron

A pair of planetary scientists simulated how our solar system might have evolved if it had a super-Earth orbiting where the asteroid belt is today. The results are enough to make you grateful that we only have eight planets.

© NASA

This is a huge Black Friday streaming deal as Max, the home of the Dune movies and the DC universe, is 70% off for six months.

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SpaceX plans to launch yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from NASA's Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday morning (Nov. 26).

© SpaceX

Watch the gripping new teaser for Hulu's upcoming sci-fi horror series 'Alien: Earth.'

© FX/Hulu

NASA has picked SpaceX to launch its Dragonfly astrobiology mission to the intriguing Saturn moon Titan. A Falcon Heavy will loft Dragonfly in July 2028.

© NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben

A brand-new James Webb Space Telescope image captures the steady, slow lifestyle of the distinctive Sombrero Galaxy.

© NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

Long-duration spaceflight affects some aspects of astronauts' cognitive health, but the observed impairment was not found to be lasting, a new study finds.

© NASA

We may know why Uranus and Neptune lack dipole magnetic fields, at last.

© NASA, ESA, Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC), Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley), Andrew I. Hsu (UC Berkeley)

In 1986 and 1989, Voyager 2 made the final two stops on its grand tour of the outer solar system when it swept by Uranus and Neptune, respectively. Now, nearly 40 years later, the archive of data the craft collected is still returning unexpected results.  In a paper published today in PNAS, astronomer Burkhard MilitzerContinue reading "Uranus and Neptune have weird magnetic fields — this might be why"

The post Uranus and Neptune have weird magnetic fields — this might be why appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Get an entire year of Peacock for just $19.99 as the streaming platform is offering 75% off this Black Friday.

© Future/Peacock

A Progress spacecraft at the ISS has a strange smell and unusual droplets after arriving at the ISS, NASA reported. Troubleshooting is ongoing, but its hatch is closed for now.

© NASA

The James Webb Space Telescope may have broken another of its own records, finding potentially five of the earliest and most distant galaxies ever seen.

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)/ Kokorev et al 2024

NASA scientists conducting surveys of arctic ice sheets in Greenland got an unprecedented view of an abandoned "city under the ice" built by the U.S. military during the Cold War.

© NASA/US Army/Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images

In microgravity, astronauts must measure their mass, not their weight, which they can do with two devices on the ISS.

© NASA/ESA

China’s lunar exploration program continues to rack up impressive scientific results. Their methodical progression of lunar orbiters, landers, and sample return missions display a consistent national effort to explore and understand the Moon in the 21st century. Unlike the early American and Russian lunar probes at the dawn of the Space Age that often endedContinue reading "Chang’e 6 shakes up our knowledge of the Moon’s farside"

The post Chang’e 6 shakes up our knowledge of the Moon’s farside appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Firefly Aerospace announced its Blue Ghost lunar lander has completed testing and will now be shipped to Florida ahead of its planned January 2025 launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

© Firefly Aerospace

Scientists with the HESS Observatory have identified the most energetic cosmic electrons ever observed. What could this mean for our understanding of the universe?

© Collaboration MPIK/H.E.S.S.

Author(s): Carmelo Evoli

A new analysis of more than a decade’s worth of observations extends the spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons to unprecedented high energies.

[Physics 17, 165] Published Mon Nov 25, 2024

The second episode of "Dune: Prophecy," "Two Wolves," explores the mysterious character Desmond Hart who appears to have gained unexplained powers after being swallowed by a sandworm.

© HBO Max/Warner Bros.

A camera set up on a buoy in the Indian Ocean caught the end of the sixth test flight of SpaceX's Starship megarocket on Nov. 19.

© SpaceX

There are strange "zebra" patterns coming from the Crab Nebula, and the reason has to do with plasma refraction.

© ESA/Herschel/PACS/MESS Key Programme Supernova Remnant Team; NASA, ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester (Arizona State University)

With the Moon’s terminator moving almost 10 mph (16 km/h) across its equator, how long would it take for an observer using binoculars to notice a change in lunar features? Gary GarcharSan Jose, California The lunar terminator, the sunset/sunrise line that sweeps across the Moon’s surface as the Moon orbits Earth, travels at a rateContinue reading "How long would it take for an observer using binoculars to notice the Moon’s terminator moving?"

The post How long would it take for an observer using binoculars to notice the Moon’s terminator moving? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Data from NASA satellites show a plunge in freshwater on Earth since May 2014, with 13 of the 30 most powerful droughts across the globe having taken place since January 2015.

© Ugur Yildirim/ dia images via Getty Images

A waning crescent moon will creep closer and closer to Spica until the star's light is extinguished in the blink of an eye on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 27.

© Chris Vaughan/Starry Night

SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Monday morning (Nov. 25).

© SpaceX

A new Paramount+ video details the history of Starfleet's secret Section 31, the subject of a new "Star Trek" movie coming to the streaming service in January.

© Paramount+

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) aims to inspire and educate youth in STEM through connecting astronauts in orbit with people on the ground.

© NASA

If it bleeds, we can kill it. But what about donning the mask and playing as the alien hunter instead? These are the best Predator video games.

© Illfonic

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently tested prototypes of miniature, self-propelled robots designed to explore the hidden oceans of distant moons like Europa, Jupiter's icy moon.

© NASA/JPL-Caltech

Though data from all modern missions is digitized and properly archived, the same can't be said for missions prior to 1990.

© NASA/Lonnie Shekhtman

SpaceX launched 20 more of its Starlink internet satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base early this morning (Nov. 24).

© SpaceX

Watch "Star Trek" and "Halo" on Paramount Plus for just $2.99 a month if you sign up this Black Friday.

© Space/Paramount

In the aftermath of Juliette's shocking walk over the hill, seeds of rebellion begin putting down roots in Apple TV+'s "Silo" Season 2 Episode 2, "Order."

© Apple TV+

On Episode 138 of This Week In Space, Rod and Tariq talk with Scott Tibbitts, a dynamic and engaging space entrepreneur.

© TWiT

"Forbidden Planet" scores a remake from writer Brian K. Vaughan and veteran producer Emma Watts.

© Warner Bros

NASA has awarded $11.5 million to five organizations that will contribute to the study of new design concepts for more sustainable aircraft.

© Electra

Rocket Lab plans to launch five French "Internet of Things" satellites on Sunday night (Nov. 24), and you can watch the action live.

© Rocket Lab via X

In the 1960s, celebrated radio astronomer Frank Drake proposed his eponymous equation, which attempted to wrangle with the probability of finding extraterrestrial life — at least, the kind that we could identify through radio broadcasts — somewhere out there in the universe. One of the key parameters of that formulation is the rate of starContinue reading "Dark energy sheds light on life in the cosmos"

The post Dark energy sheds light on life in the cosmos appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The new rocket's maiden flight may be in late 2024.

© Blue Origin

The age of Mare Orientale could act like a lunar Rosetta stone for dating the age of the moon's other giant impact basins.

© NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Was alien life in "hot water" on Mars billions of years ago? New evidence from the Martian meteorite "Black Beauty" suggests so.

© NASA/Curtin University

David Gluchowski, taken from Brooklyn, New York The Lion Nebula (Sharpless 2–132) is a faint emission nebula lit by young hot stars; their winds and radiation are expanding outward, forming shock waves that comprise many of the lion’s features. This shot also accentuates the play of light and shadow around the lion’s “head”. The imagerContinue reading "The Lion’s markings"

The post The Lion’s markings appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Google's Rise of the Half Moon November Google Doodle celebrates the lunar cycle with an interactive and educational card game challenging players to match cards according to different phases of the moon.

© Google

Astronomers have observed a galaxy ripping through galactic debris left by multiple collisions at a dangerous "cosmic crossroads" called Stephan's Quintet.

© William Herschel Telescope Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer (WEAVE) wide-field spectrograph in La Palma, Spain

In this Black Friday drone deal, the DJI Mini 3 is $90 off and we rate it as the best beginner drone out there.

© Space/DJI

Scientists seeking the secrets of the universe would like to make a model that shows how all of nature’s forces and particles fit together. It would be nice to do it with Legos. But perhaps a better bet would be connecting everything with strings. Not literal strings, of course — but tiny loops or snippetsContinue reading "String theory is not dead yet"

The post String theory is not dead yet appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

This Black Friday star projector deal sees $40 off the Pococo Galaxy star projector: we tested it and we love it.

© Amazon

When Michael Lopez-Alegria commanded the first privately funded crewed mission to visit the International Space Station, he traded his NASA "blues" for a "Deep Space" and "Mesosphere" flight suit.

© Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Author(s): Sachin Rawat

A new recipe for making hydrogels delivers a material that is both flexible and semiconducting—desired properties for interfaces in implantable medical devices.

[Physics 17, 167] Published Fri Nov 22, 2024

"The Space Gal" has become the 100th woman to fly into space. Emily Calandrelli lifted off as one of the six passengers aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital rocket today (Nov. 22).

© Blue Origin

The solid rocket boosters are coming together.

© NASA/Ben Smegelsky

I've built hundreds of Lego sets and Tales of the Space Age is one of my favorites — and it's a bargain on Amazon this Black Friday.

© Lego/Space

Astronomers have stumbled upon a pair of massive black holes in a distant galaxy that are triggering unusual bursts of light that may be caused by the black hole duo disrupting a massive gas cloud — a phenomenon researchers say is the first of its kind to be detected.

© NASA/Aurore Simonnet (Sonoma State University

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is well-known for discovering young, bright galaxies in the very early universe. How such regions, bursting with stars, formed so quickly and survived is enticing researchers to rethink cosmic evolution.    A recent study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters uses JWST data to probeContinue reading "JWST spots more light than expected in the early universe"

The post JWST spots more light than expected in the early universe appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Lunar Outpost has picked SpaceX's Starship vehicle to launch its new moon rover and land the wheeled vehicle on the moon.

© Lunar Outpost/SpaceX

In this Lego Star Wars Black Friday deal, grab Lego Chewbacca for just $145, a saving of 27% that's not to be sniffed at.

© Lego/Space

The asteroid 2024 PT5 will leave Earth on Nov. 25 after visiting, but new analysis shows this temporary "second moon" may come from our original moon and, thus, from Earth itself.

© Robert Lea (created with Canva)

It's not quite my favorite board game on the Citadel, but it's damn good.

© Ian Stokes / Future

Are monoculars suitable for astronomy? The simple answer is yes, but with a few limitations that you should be aware of before investing.

© Matt Morris

Friday, November 22Last Quarter Moon occurs at 8:28 P.M. EST, leaving most of the evening dark for deep-sky observing.  About two hours after sunset, you’ll find the Great Square of Pegasus high in the southeastern sky. The Winged Horse is home to a fabulous globular cluster, M15, which just barely hits naked-eye magnitude at 6.2.Continue reading "The Sky This Week from November 22 to 29: Venus lingers long after sunset"

The post The Sky This Week from November 22 to 29: Venus lingers long after sunset appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The FAA plans to approve SpaceX's request to increase the maximum number of annual Starship launches from its South Texas site from five to 25.

© SpaceX

In 1986, Voyager 2 flew by the ice giant Uranus. It was humanity’s first close-up view of the outer planet, and it remains the closest any spacecraft has ever come. On this trip, the spacecraft found 10 previously undiscovered moons, two rings, and a truly bizarre magnetic field that has baffled scientists ever since. MostContinue reading "Uranus may not have a weird magnetic field after all"

The post Uranus may not have a weird magnetic field after all appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Drought conditions expanded to record-breaking levels across the US during the month of October as temperatures also climbed to record highs.

© Apu Gomes/Getty Images

NASA and SpaceX released a new set of illustrations showing off how Starship might look as it lands astronauts on the moon during the Artemis 3 mission.

© SpaceX

Canada will soon roll a rover onto the moon, and you can help name the pioneering machine.

© Canadian Space Agency

Three ultramassive galaxies found by the James Webb Space Telescope have astronomers reconsidering how galaxies grew so quickly in the first billion years after the Big Bang.

© NASA/CSA/ESA, M. Xiao & P. A. Oesch (University of Geneva), G. Brammer (Niels Bohr Institute), Dawn JWST Archive

NASA is planning to assign SpaceX and Blue Origin 'demonstration missions' for their Artemis Program lunar landers, with eyes to put a habitat on the moon by 2033.

© SpaceX/Blue Origin

There is a surprising link between what goes on near the black hole and the shape of the entire galaxy that surrounds it.

© ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al. (Submillimetre); NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al. (X-ray)

These Black Friday VIVE VR headset deals will save you virtually hundreds of deals on top models from HTC.

© Future/Walmart

NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Sen cameras captured stunning views of SpaceX's Starship megarocket launch from the International Space Station.

© NASA / Don Pettit

The James Webb Space Telescope has identified the first-ever "Einstein zig-zag," a distant quasar lensed six times by two precisely aligned galaxies that could help tackle a cosmological crisis.

© Dux et al . 2024

Blue Origin's next space tourism mission is launching Nov. 22, with 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli. Watch live on Space.com.

© Blue Origin

The SubOrbital Express-4 mission, which will launch from northern Sweden between Nov. 22 and Dec. 3, will help scientists take the next step in various realms of research.

© ESA/ESRANGE/Lars Thulin

Author(s): Charles Day

A new analysis of B-meson decays strongly hints that they harbor physics beyond the standard model.

[Physics 17, s142] Published Thu Nov 21, 2024

Author(s): Ryan Wilkinson

By manipulating and detecting nuclear spins in a tiny floating diamond, scientists have reported a record-long spin coherence time for a levitated system.

[Physics 17, s143] Published Thu Nov 21, 2024

'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 5 episode 6 introduces new arrival Ensign Olly — a junior officer with a history of leaving trails of destruction in her wake.

© Paramount+

NASA is seeking the public's help creating emergency response plans for future missions to the moon.

© NASA

When comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) was first discovered in late September, it was almost immediately identified as a member of the Kreutz family of Sun-grazing comets. But it was highly unusual for a Kreutz comet — virtually all of these are only discovered in their last hours or days of existence, as they plunge towardContinue reading "How Comet ATLAS fizzled out"

The post How Comet ATLAS fizzled out appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Astronomers have captured the first zoomed-in image of a star beyond the Milky Way. The historic image reveals a dying behemoth star wrapped in a death shroud of gas about to explode.

© ESO/K. Ohnaka et al.

SpaceX's Starship megarocket performed well on its sixth test flight, which occurred on Tuesday (Nov. 19). So, what's next for the giant reusable vehicle?

© SpaceX

SpaceX launched 24 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this morning (Nov. 21).

© SpaceX

با استفاده از مطالعه‌ی جمعیت ستاره‌ای^۱ کهکشان‌ها می‌توان آن‌ها را به دو دسته‌ی کلی ستاره‌زا^۲ و غیرستاره‌زا یا خاموش^۳ طبقه‌بندی کرد. دسته‌ی اول شامل کهکشان‌هایی است که جوان و در حال ستاره‌زایی هستند و دسته‌ی دوم کهکشان‌هایی را شامل می‌شود که ستاره‌زایی در آن‌ها متوقف شده است و جمعیت ستاره‌ای پیرتری دارند. یکی از اهداف اصلی تلسکوپ فضایی جیمز وب^۴، پاسخ به یکی از چالش‌برانگیزترین سوالات در مطالعه‌ی ساختار و تحول کهکشان‌ها است: چگونگی شکل‌گیری سریع جرم کهکشان‌ها در یک بازه‌ی زمانی بسیار کوتاه، پایان یافتن ستاره‌زایی آن‌ها و قرار گرفتن آن‌ها در دسته‌ی خاموش یا غیرستاره‌زا.

بر اساس تئوری‌های موجود در زمینه‌ی تحول کهکشان‌ها پیش‌بینی می‌شود که برای مصرف تمام گاز مورد نیاز برای ستاره‌زایی به زمانی از مرتبه‌ی میلیارد سال نیاز است (هر چند عواملی مانند بادهای‌ ستاره‌ای^۵، بازخورد هسته‌ی فعال کهکشانی^۶، ادغام‌^۷ و برهم‌کنش با دیگر کهکشان‌ها می‌توانند این فرآیند را تسریع کنند). در نتیجه انتظار می‌رود با نگاه کردن به فواصل دورتر (نگاه به گذشته در زمان) شاهد تعداد کم‌تری از کهکشان‌های خاموش باشیم.

نویسندگان این مقاله با استفاده از داده‌های به دست آمده از طیف‌سنج فروسرخ نزدیک تلسکوپ فضایی جیمز وب (NIRSpec) حضور یک کهکشان خاموش به نام GS-9209 با جرم ستاره‌ای نزدیک به ۳۸ میلیون برابر جرم خورشید در انتقال به سرخ‌ ۴/۶۵۸، تنها ۱/۲۵ میلیارد سال بعد از انفجار بزرگ^۸ را گزارش می‌کنند. بر اساس مطالعات انجام شده توسط این گروه به نظر می‌رسد تمام جرم ستاره‌ای این کهکشان تنها در یک بازه‌ی زمانی ۲۰۰ میلیون ساله، قبل از به پایان رسیدن فعالیت ستاره‌زایی در انتقال به سرخ ۶/۵ معادل با زمانی که عمر کیهان تنها ۸۰۰ میلیون سال بوده‌است، تشکیل شده باشد.

در این مقاله، نویسندگان خطوط جذبی طیف کهکشان GS-9209 را مطالعه کرده‌اند. بررسی خطوط جذبی طیف‌ کهکشان‌ها، یکی از روش‌های مطالعه‌ی تاریخچه‌ی خاموشی کهکشان‌های ستاره‌زا است. تصویر۱ طیف کهکشان GS-9209 را که توسط تلسکوپ فضایی جیمز وب رصد شده‌است، نشان می‌دهد. این طیف در بازه‌ی طول موجی۵/۱ -۱/۷میکرومتر قرار دارد که شامل تعداد زیادی خطوط جذبی بالمر^۹ (خط جذبی حاصل از گذار الکترون از تراز۲ به ترازهای بالاتر) است. طیف به دست آمده از این کهکشان خاموش با حضور این خطوط جذبی بالمر شباهت بسیار زیادی به طیف ستارگان نوع A داشته که با استفاده از آن‌ها می‌توان تحولات ستاره‌زایی را در طول زمانی از مرتبه‌ی حدود ۱۰۰ میلیون سال بررسی کرد. به بیان ساده‌تر، این ستارگان اطلاعات مربوط به تغییرات ستاره‌زایی در طی ۱۰۰ میلیون سال اخیر را در بر دارند. حضور این جمعیت ستاره‌ای یادآور کهکشان‌های پساستاره‌زا^۱۰ در انتقال به سرخ‌های پایین‌تر و نشان‌دهنده‌ی پایان ستاره‌زایی در یک بازه‌ی کوتاه، در حدود طول عمر ستارگان نوع A بر روی رشته‌ی اصلی است. نویسندگان این مقاله برای تعیین عمق هر کدام از این خطوط جذبی پهنای-هم‌عرض^۱۱ این خطوط را گزارش می‌کنند (پهنای-هم‌عرض معیاری است که شدت یک خط جذبی را توصیف می‌کند). مطالعه‌ی پهنای-هم‌عرض خطوط مشاهده شده‌ی جذبی سری بالمر و پهن‌شدگی نسبی خط نشری نیتروژن-۲ نسبت به خط نشری پهن شده‌‌ی هیدروژن-آلفا (حاصل از گذار الکترون برانگیخته از تراز ۳ به ۲) به ترتیب نمایان‌گر غالب بودن جمعیت‌ ستاره‌ای در پیوستار و حضور هسته‌ی فعال کهکشانی است.

 

The Curiosity shows sulfur stones, with no explanation of how they occurred on the Martian surface.

© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

A final trailer for Prime Video's "Secret Level" animated anthology

© Prime Video

Take the high ground with this stunning, and very expensive, replica lightsaber.

© Ian Stokes

Liftoff occurred at 7:22 a.m. EST. (1222 GMT).

© Roscosmos TV / NASA TV

Scientists may have cracked one of the biggest mysteries in space science, determining that supermassive black holes bent the laws of physics to grow to their huge sizes.

© Emanuela Tortosa

While it did not recreate the historic Super Heavy booster catch it pulled off last time, SpaceX continued to push the envelope during the sixth test flight of its Starship spacecraft. The largest and most powerful rocket ever built lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase launchpad in Texas on Tuesday evening, Super Heavy’s 33 Raptor engines creating aContinue reading "SpaceX Starship Flight 6: No booster catch, but still pushing the envelope"

The post SpaceX Starship Flight 6: No booster catch, but still pushing the envelope appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

"The Wizard of Oz" and space exploration are two topics that by all rights should have nothing in common. But as it turns out, if you follow the Yellow Brick Road long enough you reach the moon.

© Warner Bros./Sony/Apple TV+/collectSPACE.com

Hurry, stocks are low! 25% off this versatile Sony camera that is also perfect for astrophotography, there's not a lot we don't love about this early Black Friday deal.

© Kimberley Lane

Pluto and other large bodies in the Kuiper Belt are surprisingly rich in rock rather than ice. It may be because the early solar system consisted of much more carbon than previously thought, a new study suggests.

© StockGood via Getty Images

Could Mars have once hosted life? NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered a tantalizing clue, but scientists remain divided on what it truly means for the search for extraterrestrial life.

© NASA

A Russian cargo ship docked to the International Space Station fired its thrusters on Tuesday (Nov. 19) to ensure that the orbiting complex dodged a piece of space debris.

© NASA

The strength of dark energy in our universe is not optimized for forming stars, which means other universes might have a greater likelihood of producing life.

© Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

Not so far from Earth, an infant planet is just getting its start at life. And by peeking beneath the thick cocoon of material surrounding it, astronomers could be getting a rare chance to watch a world for which our solar system has no equivalent settle into its early life. The planet closely orbits theContinue reading "This young, shrouded super-Neptune could help teach us how such planets form"

The post This young, shrouded super-Neptune could help teach us how such planets form appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

NASA's TESS exoplanet-hunting spacecraft found the youngest transiting world yet, and the exoplanet's star has a wonky planetary disk.

© NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt, K. Miller (Caltech/IPAC)

Author(s): Carlos Mejuto-Zaera

A new framework that embeds electrons in a surrounding bath captures nonlocal correlation effects that are relevant to metals, semiconductors, and correlated insulators.

[Physics 17, 164] Published Wed Nov 20, 2024

Author(s): Ryan Wilkinson

Contrary to conventional wisdom, a lattice of engineered nanoparticles called meta-atoms can have a chiral optical response even when each meta-atom is not chiral.

[Physics 17, s135] Published Wed Nov 20, 2024

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has sent home the highest resolution views of the sun's surface to date, providing fresh views of our well-studied star.

© ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/PHI Team

Giant filaments crisscross the universe, connecting galaxy clusters like superhighways between cities. But due to their complex shapes, they are stubbornly difficult to measure.

© ESA/ Springel et al., Virgo Consortium

In October, The Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing may shed its space business to focus on commercial aircraft and defense systems. This could be due in part to this summer’s test flight of its Starliner crew transport to the International Space Station (ISS), which adversely reshaped public opinion of the beleaguered aerospace titan. ButContinue reading "The past, present, and future of Boeing in space"

The post The past, present, and future of Boeing in space appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

If you're looking for a Christmas gift for the Trekkie in your life, it's time to live comfortably and prosper with the Oddballs Star Trek range

© Future/Oddballs

The moon and Mars will share a close approach tonight (Nov. 20) during a conjunction as the two visit the Cancer constellation, the Crab.

© Chris Vaughan/Starry Night

An artificial banana floated in the microgravity environment of outer space. No longer needing its attached tethers, it just hung there in the bay of its spacecraft's otherwise empty cargo hold.

© SpaceX/collectSPACE.com

This super easy-to-use motorized telescope is currently available with a 20% saving off the regular price.

© Future

The first year of data from the 5,000 robotic eyes of DESI shows Einstein's theory of general relativity is the right recipe for gravity despite the challenges of dark energy and dark matter.

© DESI Collaboration/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek/R. Proctor

President-elect Donald Trump made the trip to South Texas today (Nov. 19) to watch the sixth test flight of SpaceX's giant Starship rocket.

© Brandon Bell/Getty Images

In new testimony, the head of the Pentagon's UFO office told the US senate that it "has not discovered any verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity or technology."

© AARO/DOD

SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket for the sixth time ever today (Nov. 19) but did not try to catch the vehicle's Super Heavy first stage back at the pad.

© SpaceX

Jeff Schilling from Houston, Texas The dark nebulae LDN 935/6 contrast with billowing clouds of bright emission from the North America Nebula (NGC 7000). For this close-up study of light and dark in motion, the imager took 13¼ hours of exposure in Hubble-palette filters.

The post The billowing cosmos appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

India's Chandrayaan 2 moon orbiter maneuvered in September to avoid a close approach with Korea's Danuri spacecraft, ISRO said.

© ISRO

SabersPro's streamlined take on Luke Skywalker's second lightsaber – built with the duellist in mind.

© Future

Earth's mightiest heroes are assembling again in 2026. Here's what we know about Avengers: Doomsday so far.

© Marvel Studios

The annual Geminid meteor shower returns to the night sky on Nov. 19 ahead of its peak in mid-December. Here's what you need to know.

© Alan Dyer/VW Pics/UIG via Getty Images

President-Elect Donald Trump confirmed he will attend SpaceX Starship's 6th flight test on Nov. 19. It comes as SpaceX founder Elon Musk takes a greater role in the forthcoming Trump administration.

© Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

"Starlinksatellites look like a miniature version of the monolith from '2001: A Space Odyssey.' "

© NASA/Don Pettit

The game is afoot! Astronomers may have found some of the universe’s missing matter, thanks to one team’s cosmic detective work. The case has been open for more than 20 years. In the 1990s and early 2000s, scientists sleuthed out the universe’s contents using observations from the cosmic microwave background radiation and Big Bang models.Continue reading "Scientists discover significant ‘missing matter’ in the gas between galaxy clusters"

The post Scientists discover significant ‘missing matter’ in the gas between galaxy clusters appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Rocket Lab is targeting mid-2025 for the debut of its partially reusable Neutron rocket, with commercial launches to start in 2026.

© Rocket Lab

On Saturday, Nov. 16, in Flagstaff, Arizona, the astronomy world changed a bit.  Lowell Observatory has long been a beacon of history in the cosmic universe. Here, Boston Brahmin Percival Lowell founded an institution to study the heavens from the far west in 1894. Here he famously studied Mars, an early obsession, believing it toContinue reading "Lowell Observatory celebrates a monumental renewal"

The post Lowell Observatory celebrates a monumental renewal appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Author(s): Charles Day

Low-frequency radio observations could allow researchers to distinguish among several dark matter models, thanks to dark matter’s influence on the early Universe.

[Physics 17, s132] Published Tue Nov 19, 2024

The long-duration photographs capture Earth in motion.

© NASA/Don Pettit

Five new portraits of galaxies located between 4 million to 30 million light-years from Earth could help astronomers unlock the secrets of cosmic evolution.

© INAF/VST-SMASH/C. Tortora et al. (2024)

To explain why dark matter particles haven't come up in any direct detection experiments, physicists have wondered if it may be a kind of particle known as an axion.

© NASA/Caltech-IPAC/Robert Hurt

SpaceX is launching Starship on its 6th test flight, with another Super Heavy booster catch back at the rocket's Starbase, Texas launch tower. Watch the action live on Space.com.

© Space.com / Josh Dinner

An exclusive interview with British director David Carson for "Star Trek Generations'" 30th anniversary.

© Paramount

Blue Origin is targeting Friday (Nov. 28) for its NS-28 tourism mission, which will take "Space Gal" Emily Calandrelli and five other people to suborbital space.

© Blue Origin

Walmart's Sony camera Black Friday deal price beats Adorama, Amazon and Best Buy by hundreds of dollars.

© Getty Images

ABL Space Systems, founded in 2017, will pivot from orbital launch sector to U.S. missile defense programs.

© ABL Space Systems