About a year after launching into orbit around the Sun, the James Webb Space Telescope began imaging an abundance of little red dots, which scientists called, um, “little red dots.” I know—not only is the name highly unimaginative, it also conveys a false impression of insignificance. In reality, these little red dots almost “broke” modern […]
Mysterious Radio Bursts Traced to the Edge of an Ancient, Dying Galaxy
In February 2024, scientists on Earth detected a powerful radio blast from outer space. Seeking to discover where it had come from, they traced the brief flash of energy back to its extraterrestrial source—and discovered something unexpected. Scientists led by Northwestern University and McGill University have traced a fast radio burst (FRB) to the edges […]
How to Watch the Rare Planet Parade Twinkle Across the Night Sky
Stargazers are in for a treat as six planets will appear to align together in the night skies, decorating our views of the cosmos for the rest of January and into February. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will all be visible side by side, forming a line across the sky, while Mercury will […]
The Sun Does Something Weird Right Before It Unleashes Solar Flares
Intense solar flares—sudden bursts of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun—can shoot out hazardous levels of energy strong enough to reach Earth’s atmosphere. Predicting solar flares, however, isn’t as simple as forecasting a sunny day. A team of researchers co-led by heliophysicist Emily Mason of Predictive Sciences Inc. has identified a type of solar activity within […]
Subaru Telescope’s Insect-Like Compound Eye to Debut in February
The Subaru Telescope in Hawai‘i is adding a new instrument to its arsenal, one that will observe the cosmos through a compound eye. The compound eye will allow Subaru to observe about 2,400 objects in space, offering an extremely wide field of view and permitting simultaneous spectroscopic observation of the thousands of objects. Subaru’s new […]