Astronomy and space
Latest developments
Flattened halo of dark matter could explain high-energy ‘glow’ at Milky Way’s heart
Finding brings us a step closer to solving the mystery of dark matter, say astronomers
Cosmic dawn: the search for the primordial hydrogen signal
Sarah Wild talks to astronomers across the world who are on a hunt for a subtle hydrogen signal that could confirm or disprove our ideas on the universe’s evolut...
Latest news
Read article: China’s Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft return delayed by space debris impact
China’s Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft return delayed by space debris impact
Fears that the craft has been struck by a small piece of debris
Read article: NASA criticized over its management of $3.3bn Dragonfly mission to Titan
NASA criticized over its management of $3.3bn Dragonfly mission to Titan
Cost overruns and delays have hit the drone-like rotorcraft mission
Read article: Cosmic microwave background pioneer George Smoot dies aged 80
Cosmic microwave background pioneer George Smoot dies aged 80
Smoot and John Mather discovered tiny temperature fluctuations in the CMB
Read article: NASA launches IMAP mission to provide real-time space weather forecasts
NASA launches IMAP mission to provide real-time space weather forecasts
IMAP will also map the boundary of the heliosphere, a huge protective bubble in space created by the Sun
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Research headlines
New adaptive optics technology boosts the power of gravitational wave detectors
FROnt Surface Type Irradiator, or FROSTI, will allow future detectors to run at higher laser powers, reducing noise and expanding capabilities
Phase shift in optical cavities could detect low-frequency gravitational waves
Global network could pinpoint astronomical sources
Optical gyroscope detects Earth’s rotation with the highest precision yet
With further improvements, the instrument could enable direct tests of relativistic effects
Unconventional approach to dark energy problem gives observed neutrino masses
Cosmologically coupled black hole hypothesis also confirms that dark energy is evolving
LIGO could observe intermediate-mass black holes using artificial intelligence
Machine learning system reduces noise in interferometer mirrors
Reformulation of general relativity brings it closer to Newtonian physics
Calculations reveal inverse square law behaviour in binary black holes
Explore more in astronomy and space
Read article: ‘Science needs all perspectives – male, female and everything in-between’: Brazilian astronomer Thaisa Storchi Bergmann
‘Science needs all perspectives – male, female and everything in-between’: Brazilian astronomer Thaisa Storchi Bergmann
Meghie Rodrigues talks to Brazilian astronomer Thaisa Storchi Bergmann about curiosity, black holes and current challenges in research funding
Read article: Astronauts could soon benefit from dissolvable eye insert
Astronauts could soon benefit from dissolvable eye insert
A solution to microgravity-related vision problems is the topic of this week's podcast
Read article: The top five physics Nobel prizes of the 21st century revealed
The top five physics Nobel prizes of the 21st century revealed
Matin Durrani counts down the five most signifiicant physics Nobels since 2000
Read article: Ask me anything: Scott Bolton – ‘It’s exciting to be part of a team that’s seeing how nature works for the first time’
Ask me anything: Scott Bolton – ‘It’s exciting to be part of a team that’s seeing how nature works for the first time’
Planetary scientist Scott Bolton describes his working life at the helm of NASA’s Jupiter-exploring Juno mission
Read article: Imagining alien worlds: we explore the science and fiction of exoplanets
Imagining alien worlds: we explore the science and fiction of exoplanets
Keith Cooper chats about his new book in this podcast
Read article: Training for the stars: Rosemary Coogan on becoming an astronaut
Training for the stars: Rosemary Coogan on becoming an astronaut
Inside the training, science and imagination that inspire ESA’s new generation of astronauts
Read article: Andromeda image bags Royal Observatory Greenwich prize
Andromeda image bags Royal Observatory Greenwich prize
The image – The Andromeda Core – showcases the core of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) in exceptional detail
Read article: If you met an alien, what would you say to it?
If you met an alien, what would you say to it?
Hamish Johnston reviews Do Aliens Speak Physics? by Daniel Whiteson and Andy Warner
Read article: Celebrating 10 years of gravitational waves
Celebrating 10 years of gravitational waves
The Einstein Telescope could usher in a new age of gravitational-wave astronomy
Read article: Juno: the spacecraft that is revolutionizing our understanding of Jupiter
Juno: the spacecraft that is revolutionizing our understanding of Jupiter
PI Scott Bolton talks about the mission’s discoveries and endurance in this podcast
Read article: Big data helps Gaelic football club achieve promotion following 135-year wait
Big data helps Gaelic football club achieve promotion following 135-year wait
Astrophysics PhD student from County Armagh in Northern Ireland combined his passion for science with Gaelic football
Read article: Extremely stripped star reveals heavy elements as it explodes
Extremely stripped star reveals heavy elements as it explodes
Observation sheds light on the life and death of stars
Read article: Rainer Weiss: US gravitational-wave pioneer dies aged 92
Rainer Weiss: US gravitational-wave pioneer dies aged 92
Weiss was instrumental in the discovery of gravitational waves in 2015
Read article: Starlink satellite emissions interfere with radio astronomy
Starlink satellite emissions interfere with radio astronomy
Largest-ever survey shows new regulations on unintended transmissions are needed, say researchers at Australia’s Curtin University
Read article: Exoplanets suffering from a plague of dark matter could turn into black holes
Exoplanets suffering from a plague of dark matter could turn into black holes
Surveying exoplanets could provide a new way to hunt for superheavy dark-matter particles
Read article: Cosmic chemistry: Ewine van Dishoeck shares her zeal for astrochemistry
Cosmic chemistry: Ewine van Dishoeck shares her zeal for astrochemistry
Our podcast guest is a Kavli Prize in Astrophysics laureate
Read article: Laser-driven implosion could produce megatesla magnetic fields
Laser-driven implosion could produce megatesla magnetic fields
Simulations of improved technique generate fields as strong as those found near neutron stars
Read article: Big data, big wins: how solar astrophysics can be a ‘game-changer’ in sports analytics
Big data, big wins: how solar astrophysics can be a ‘game-changer’ in sports analytics
Joe McEntee explores the surprising links between solar physics and sports science
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