Hubble Space Telescope spots star cluster glittering in a nearby galaxy (photo)

This small cluster of stars packs quite a visual morsel. On Dec. 20, 2021, the team behind the Hubble Space Telescope published an image taken by the iconic observatory when it was looking towards the constellation Dorado in the southern sky.  Astronomers refer to this stellar gathering as NGC 1755. The open star cluster “resembles … Read more

Airborne DNA from plants could reveal invasive species, impact of climate change | Science

Inventorying the plants in a tract of woods or fields or searching for invasive species can take days of hot, hard work slogging through thorny brush and tick-infested grass. Now, researchers have shown that simply capturing and analyzing the DNA plants release into the air can work as well as putting boots on the ground—and … Read more

China’s Tianhe space station module dodged SpaceX Starlink satellites twice this year

China moved its Tianhe space station module twice this year to avoid SpaceX Starlink internet satellites, and the nation apparently isn’t too happy about it. Chinese officials filed a note with the United Nations (UN) earlier this month explaining that Starlink spacecraft had two “close encounters” with Tianhe this year, both of them occurring when … Read more

How to Stop Doomscrolling News and Social Media

Reading through their social media feeds, Americans are likely to encounter anguished accounts of political turmoil, the coronavirus pandemic and continued fallout from cyberattacks, among other less than cheerful topics. And yet many can’t stop scrolling even more, perhaps hoping to distract themselves from thinking too hard about any one of these ongoing problems. The … Read more

Telescope deals: Top picks from Celestron, Sky-Watcher and others

There are a good number of year-end telescope deals available, if you’re trying to pick up a cheap model. If you’re looking to gift a new telescope to a budding astronomer, you’re in luck, as plenty of the best telescopes for beginners and best telescopes for kids are currently discounted. Below, you’ll find a mix … Read more

15 Conservation Issues to Watch in 2022

From Ensia (find the original story here); reprinted with permission. November 29, 2021—It’s no secret that the diversity of life around us is plummeting fast. In 2020 alone, scientists declared more than 100 species to be extinct. And that’s bad news not only for the creatures themselves, but for those of us (that would be all of us) who … Read more

Hear the largest moon in the solar system sing in new squeaky Juno video

The magnetosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede sounds like a dial-up modem in a newly released audio clip from NASA. This month the team behind the space agency’s Juno mission published new data from the spacecraft, which has been pirouetting around Jupiter and its many moons since July 2016. One of the most fascinating new troves … Read more