Faraway star trio surrounded by 3 rings of dust and gas Three unusual rings of planet-forming gas and dust have been detected circling a trio of stars in the Orion constellation, about 1,300 light-years away, according to studies in Science and Astrophysical Journal Letters that have differing views on how the configuration came to be […]
Telescope captures image of exoplanets orbiting star The Very Large Telescope in Chile has captured a direct image of a pair of exoplanets orbiting a star that’s similar to our own sun. “Even though astronomers have indirectly detected thousands of planets in our galaxy, only a tiny fraction of these exoplanets have been directly imaged,” […]
Deep-sea fish stay hidden thanks to ultrablack skin At least 16 species of deep-sea fish have been discovered so far with ultrablack colouring that helps them stay hidden in dark water. The ultrablack color reflects less than 0.5% of light and pigment cells are packed tightly together with little or no gaps. ScienceAlert Campfire-like flares […]
Braiding strengthens the case for anyons’ existence Physicists created a device to observe the braiding of particles known as anyons, quasiparticles thought to occur in just two dimensions. “[T]o see [anyons] in reality takes it to another level,” says theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek, who was not involved in the study but was the originator of […]
Visible light through a soap bubble branches out Physicists have observed branching flow for the first time in visible light created with a laser through a soap bubble. Variations in the thickness of the soap membrane produce different color patterns and deflect the light in such a way to cause the flow of light to […]
New class of neutrinos observed A class of neutrinos generated from the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen process, far less common than the proton-proton chain, was discovered during the Borexino experiment. “With this outcome, Borexino has completely unraveled the two processes powering the sun,” says researcher Gioacchino Ranucci. Science News Getting energy from black hole possible […]
Green glow detected in Mars atmosphere for first time A green glow similar to the one around Earth, caused by sunlight and oxygen mixing in the upper atmosphere, has been detected for the first time around Mars. The orientation of the MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument was manipulated to look across the Martian atmosphere rather than […]
Dust may boost planets’ likelihood of habitability Faraway planets are more likely to be habitable if airborne dust is present to help keep temperatures moderate by cooling a planet’s hot side and warming its dark side. “Airborne dust is something that might keep planets habitable, but also obscures our ability to find signs of life […]
Urban foxes in UK becoming more doglike Urban red foxes in the UK appear to be evolving to better adapt to urban life, with a shorter, more powerful snout and a smaller brain than their country cousins. They’re also becoming less afraid of humans, and “adapting to life around humans actually primes some animals for […]
Stronger cyclones could intensify global warming The growing intensity of tropical cyclones in the Pacific may be feeding global warming by speeding up some ocean eddies, suppressing others and carrying more heat via the Kuroshio Current. “The collision of these two giant monsters — tropical cyclones and mesoscale eddies — will probably lead to dramatic […]