Space

SKA-VLBI Promises to Revolutionize Mapping of the Milky Way Through Cosmic Masers Featured image: Artist’s conception of the SKA-Low station array in Western Australia, with a diagram overlay showing maser sources tracing spiral arms across the Milky Way. [Credit: SKA Observatory / CSIRO] A new study published on arXiv outlines how the Square Kilometre Array’s […]

The Radio Sky Is Brighter Than Astronomers Thought, SKA Prototype Reveals Featured image: An SKALA4.1 log-periodic dipole antenna at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Western Australia. [Credit: CSIRO / SKA Observatory] Astronomers have been underestimating the brightness of the low-frequency radio sky by a significant margin, according to new measurements using a prototype antenna for […]

Rocket Lab Acquires Iridium in Landmark $8 Billion Deal Featured image: Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck and Iridium CEO Matt Desch at the joint announcement. [Credit: Rocket Lab / Iridium] Rocket Lab has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Iridium Communications for approximately $8 billion, in what analysts are calling the most significant consolidation in […]

JWST Spots Ancient Galaxy Cluster at Cosmic Noon That Challenges Cosmology Featured image: JWST NIRCam image of XLSSC 122 showing gravitationally lensed arcs around the brightest cluster galaxy. [Credit: Finner et al. / NASA / ESA / CSA] The James Webb Space Telescope has peered into one of the universe’s oldest known galaxy clusters at […]

Quantum Computing Threatens to Become a National Security Crisis in Orbit Featured image: Conceptual illustration of quantum-secure satellite communication links. [Credit: ESA / IQM] The race to field the first cryptographically relevant quantum computer is converging with the rapid expansion of satellite constellations in low Earth orbit, creating what security experts describe as a looming […]

Light Pollution Is Costing US Dark-Sky Parks Up to $66 Million in Lost Value Featured image: The Milky Way arches over a star-filled sky at Natural Bridges National Monument, a designated dark-sky park. [Credit: NPS / Dan Duriscoe] Every year, millions of people travel to remote protected areas in search of truly dark skies, places […]

The Black Holes That Burp Years After They Eat Featured image: [Artist’s concept of a tidal disruption event showing a star being spaghettified and a delayed outflow; credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss] When a star strays too close to a supermassive black hole, the result is violent: tidal forces shred the star into a stream of gas in […]

Amateur Astronomer Discovers Pencil-Thin Gas Trail Crossing the Veil Supernova Remnant Featured image: [Deep H-alpha image of the Eastern Veil Nebula (NGC 6992) showing the narrow trail-like feature; credit: D. Martinez-Delgado et al.] A narrow, perfectly collimated trail of glowing gas cutting across the Veil Supernova Remnant has been discovered in deep amateur astronomical images, […]

China Establishes National VLEO Industry Alliance as Satellites Prove Sustained Low-Orbit Operations Featured image: [Artist’s concept of a satellite operating in very low Earth orbit with atmospheric glow visible; credit: CASIC / China Space News] China has formalized its push into very low Earth orbit with the establishment of a national industry alliance, bringing together […]

Europa’s Ice Shell Secrets Revealed by 13-Year Ground Radar Study Featured image: [Composite of Jupiter’s moon Europa with radar data overlays; credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/NSF/GBO] For 13 years, scientists bounced radar signals off Jupiter’s icy moon Europa using two of Earth’s most powerful radio facilities. The result is the most detailed ground-based radar portrait of the moon […]