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The smallest galaxies in our universe bring more about dark matter to light

A team of researchers has investigated the strength of dark matter scattered across the smallest galaxies in the universe using stellar kinematics. They discovered that the strength of dark matter is quite small, suggesting that dark matter does not easily scatter together.

February 16, 2021 Read more

Comet or asteroid: What killed the dinosaurs and where did it come from?

New theory explains possible origin of the Armageddon-causing object.

February 15, 2021 Read more

Mars: Perseverance rover set for nail-biting landing - here's the rocket science

Following 'seven minutes of terror' after it reaches Mars' upper atmosphere, NASA's Perseverance rover is expected to land on the surface of the red planet at 20:55 GMT on February 18. This is incredibly hard to do, with only about 40% of missions succeeding.

February 15, 2021 Read more

Hubble uncovers concentration of small black holes

Astronomers found something they weren't expecting at the heart of the globular cluster NGC 6397: a concentration of smaller black holes lurking there instead of one massive black hole.

February 12, 2021 Read more

A new way of forming planets

Astrophysicists suggest a new explanation for the abundance in intermediate-mass exoplanets - a long-standing puzzle in astronomy.

February 11, 2021 Read more

Ceramic chips inside meteorites hint at wild days of the early solar system

A new analysis of ceramic chips embedded in meteorites suggests the formation of our solar system was not as quiet and orderly as we once thought.

February 11, 2021 Read more

Astronomers confirm orbit of most distant object ever observed in our solar system

Astronomers have confirmed a planetoid that is almost four times farther from the Sun than Pluto, making it the most distant object observed in our solar system. The planetoid, which has been nicknamed 'Farfarout', was first detected in 2018, and the team has now collected enough observations to pin down its orbit.

February 11, 2021 Read more

A new way to look for life-sustaining planets

New capabilities developed by an international team of astronomers make it possible to directly image planets that could potentially harbor life within the habitable zone of a neighboring star system.

February 10, 2021 Read more

Astronomers offer possible explanation for elusive dark-matter-free galaxies

A study has found that some dwarf galaxies may today appear to be dark-matter free even though they formed as galaxies dominated by dark matter in the past.

February 9, 2021 Read more

Study of supergiant star Betelgeuse unveils the cause of its pulsations

Betelgeuse is normally one of the brightest, most recognizable stars of the winter sky, marking the left shoulder of the constellation Orion. But lately, it has been behaving strangely: an unprecedentedly large drop in its brightness has been observed in early 2020, which has prompted speculation that Betelgeuse may be about to explode.

February 8, 2021 Read more

Mathematicians developed new classes of stellar dynamics systems solutions

Scientists suggest a new method to obtain stationary solutions for a system of Vlasov-Poisson equations in a three-dimensional case.

February 5, 2021 Read more

True identity of mysterious gamma-ray source revealed

Astronomers have shown that a rapidly rotating neutron star is at the core of a celestial object now known as PSR J2039-5617.

February 3, 2021 Read more

An innovative and non-destructive strategy to analyse material from Mars

Researchers propose a method that can be used to characterize samples from the Mars Sample Return mission.

February 3, 2021 Read more

New research on carbon cracks open secrets deep inside exoplanets

Measuring carbon at the highest pressures ever achieved in a laboratory, researchers report first model of carbon structures that may make up planets outside the solar system.

February 2, 2021 Read more

Astronomers spot bizarre, never-before-seen activity from one of the strongest magnets in the Universe

Astronomers have just observed bizarre, never-seen-before behaviour from a 'radio-loud' magnetar - a rare type of neutron star and one of the strongest magnets in the Universe. Their new findings suggest magnetars have more complex magnetic fields than previously thought - which may challenge theories of how they are born and evolve over time.

February 2, 2021 Read more

Astronomers detect extended dark matter halo around ancient dwarf galaxy

Findings suggest the first galaxies in the universe were more massive than previously thought.

February 1, 2021 Read more

SpaceX vs NASA: who will get us to the Moon first? Here's how their latest rockets compare

To enable flights to the Moon and beyond, both NASA and SpaceX are developing new heavy lift rockets: SpaceX's Starship and NASA's Space Launch System. But how do they differ and which one is more powerful?

January 29, 2021 Read more

New concept for rocket thruster exploits the mechanism behind solar flares

A new type of rocket thruster that could take humankind to Mars and beyond has been proposed by a physicist. The device would apply magnetic fields to cause particles of plasma to shoot out the back of a rocket and propel the craft forward.

January 28, 2021 Read more