NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has observed a planet outside our solar system that looks as black as fresh asphalt because it eats light rather than reflecting it… Read more “Exoplanet WASP 12-B Is So Hot It Eats Light”
Hurricane Irma Crackles with Lightning (Video)
Hurricane Irma looks like a gigantic electrified beast in an amazing new video captured by an Earth-observing satellite. The video, which is composed of imagery taken by… Read more “Hurricane Irma Crackles with Lightning (Video)”
Accretion-powered pulsar reveals unique timing glitch
The discovery of the largest timing irregularity yet observed in a pulsar is the first confirmation that pulsars in binary systems exhibit the strange phenomenon known as… Read more “Accretion-powered pulsar reveals unique timing glitch”
The Mystery of High-Energy Cosmic Rays
Hold out your hand for 10 seconds. A dozen electrons and muons just zipped unfelt through your palm. The ghostly particles are what scientists call “secondary cosmic… Read more “The Mystery of High-Energy Cosmic Rays”
LIGO: Journey of a G-Wave
LIGO scientist David Reitze takes us on a 1.3 billion year journey that begins with the violent merger of two black holes in the distant universe. The… Read more “LIGO: Journey of a G-Wave”
The Coolest Places You’re Not Allowed to Visit
Our spectacular planet has so many wonders to explore. However, there are some places that are just too dangerous, too protected, or maybe too special to visit—even… Read more “The Coolest Places You’re Not Allowed to Visit”
Aussie astronomer captures rare footage of ‘upside down’ lightning sprites (VIDEO)
An amateur Australian astronomer has recorded rare flashes of space lightning in the skies above New South Wales. David Finlay, 44, from Kiama in Australia’s south western… Read more “Aussie astronomer captures rare footage of ‘upside down’ lightning sprites (VIDEO)”
20 Facts About the Big Bang
Modern cosmology has its roots in the 1920s when physicists were starting to get to grips with relativity theory. Calculation of solutions to relativity was producing some… Read more “20 Facts About the Big Bang”
How the north ended up on top of the map
A cartographic history of what’s up. McArthur’s Universal Corrective Map of the World.Flickr A world map drawn by the Moroccan cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi for King Roger of… Read more “How the north ended up on top of the map”
Mapping the Empires of History
The kingdoms and empires that once ruled across vast lands have by no means been forgotten – the power of the Roman Empire is still a symbol… Read more “Mapping the Empires of History”
These 7 Cities Are Total Time Warps
But in a good way. If you want to go back in time, you could binge-watch Mad Men. Or read Wolf Hall. Or start talking exclusively in Old English. Or you… Read more “These 7 Cities Are Total Time Warps”
First Object Teleported from Earth to Orbit
Researchers in China have teleported a photon from the ground to a satellite orbiting more than 500 kilometers above. Last year, a Long March 2D rocket took… Read more “First Object Teleported from Earth to Orbit”
