Space, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 30, 2023

The best photos of the Oct. 14 'ring of fire' eclipse over North America

On Saturday (Oct. 14), 2023, a rare annular solar eclipse was visible throughout almost all of North, Central and South America, with lucky viewers in nine states getting treated to a spectacular ring of fire when the moon blocked all but the blazing outline of the sun. If you couldn't...

Sep 30, 2023

Scientists detect fastest-ever fast radio bursts, lasting just 10 millionths of a second

Astronomers just found the fastest known radio pulses from outside our galaxy hiding in 30 minutes' worth of radio telescope data. The findings, published Oct. 19 in the journal Nature Astronomy, could help researchers uncover where these mysterious blips come from. Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extremely short, high-energy pulses...

Aug 31, 2023

Space photo of the week: James Webb sees the Whirlpool Galaxy in a new light

What it is: The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as M51 and NGC 5194), a classic grand design spiral galaxy that measures 77,000 light-years from one side to the other. Where it is: 27 million light-years from the solar system in the constellation Canes Venatici, just below Ursa Major. Why it's...

Aug 31, 2023

Astronomers discover new class of cosmic explosion brighter than 100 billion suns

Astronomers have discovered a mysterious new type of cosmic explosion that outshines nearly every supernova ever detected. Within 10 days, the peculiar blast grew brighter than 100 billion suns, then faded away to nearly nothing a few weeks later — a destructive event both briefer and more spectacular than a...

Aug 31, 2023

Science news this week: Burping black holes and radioactive wild boars

This week in science news we’ve seen black holes burping up stars, radioactive Bavarian wild boars and a rather ingenious use for spent coffee grounds. So, what about those burping black holes? Astronomers have discovered that much like humans — who are prone to a little gaseous emission after a...

Aug 31, 2023

Science news this week: A giant gator and a wobbly asteroid

This week in science news we ponder why an asteroid is behaving in an unusual way, get to grips with a giant gator, and discover the mysterious bamboo that flowers only once a century. In size at the very least, the biggest news story this week was that of the...

May 31, 2023

25 gorgeous nebula photos that capture the beauty of the universe

Nebulas, which are both hubs of star birth and products of stars' demise, explode and transform with light and color as the stellar life cycle unfolds within them. These giant clouds of dust and gas that fill the space between stars have long captivated onlookers with their ethereal beauty. Here's...

May 31, 2023

The Apollo moon landing was real, but NASA's quarantine procedure was not

In a small desert town, dozens of unsuspecting people suddenly drop dead from a mysterious plague. The infectious agent has come from outer space; it has no known cure, and the U.S. government must scramble to contain it before it destroys the world. This is the plot of The Andromeda...

May 31, 2023

Could Earth be inside a black hole?

To Earthlings gazing into space, our solar system appears to be surrounded by billions of stars in the Milky Way. But if we look even further out, would it be possible to find evidence that we were in something even more fantastic, like a black hole? Black holes are places...

May 31, 2023

2 planets will align with the 'Earth-shining' moon on the summer solstice. Here's how to watch.

The summer solstice on June 21 may be an important annual observance on Earth, but aside from the sun being its highest in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere, it's not typically a stargazing event. That changes in 2023 with the appearance in the solstice's evening twilight of Venus, Mars...

May 31, 2023

Get started with astronomy with this fantastic telescope bundle deal

Getting started with astronomy? This Amazon deal is perfect for you. Stargazing isn't an easy hobby to take up, partially because many of the best telescopes are so expensive. Thankfully, though, there are still plenty of the best telescope deals - and we've found a great one. Hexeum may not...

Apr 30, 2023

Scientists discover 62 new moons around Saturn, raising total to 145 — the most in the solar system

Jupiter's brief but glorious reign as the planet with the most moons in our solar system came crashing down this week as scientists confirmed the discovery of 62 new moons orbiting Saturn — bringing the ringed planet's total to a whopping 145 moons. That's a decisive leap ahead of Jupiter's...

Apr 30, 2023

Mysterious, ultra low-frequency noises detected in Earth's atmosphere — and scientists can't explain them

Solar-powered balloons launched into the Earth's stratosphere have recorded a series of mysterious rumblings, and scientists can't pinpoint their origins. The noises, detected by specialized instruments at 70,000 feet above the Earth's surface, are known as infrasound because they are so low-pitched they are inaudible to human ears. Picked out...

Apr 30, 2023

Science news this week: The spark of life in space and 1.7 billion T. rexes

It's been a busy week in science news when it comes to animals, where we discovered why a tiny jumping spider is such a bad actor, revised our best estimates for how many T. rexes once roamed Earth, and found out how Australian authorities are doing to save koalas from...

Apr 30, 2023

New 'quasi-moon' discovered near Earth has been traveling alongside our planet since 100 BC

Scientists recently discovered an asteroid that tags along with Earth during its yearly journey around the sun. Dubbed 2023 FW13, the space rock is considered a quasi-moon or quasi-satellite, meaning it orbits the sun in a similar time frame as Earth does, but is only slightly influenced by our planet’s...