James Webb Space Telescope is nearly halfway through its mirror alignment stages

Stars are getting sharper in the James Webb Space Telescope‘s field of view. The team recently completed the third of seven planned steps to align the 18 hexagonal segments of Webb’s mirror, marking nearly the halfway point in a complex, weeks-long process. The second and third stages were respectively called segment alignment and image stacking, … Read more

New Quantum Gravity Sensor Can Look Under Earth’s Surface in Unprecedented Detail

Scientists would be able to discover much more about what lies underground if our planet could be sliced open and viewed as a cross-section – but as that’s not really possible, they have to rely on a variety of other methods instead.   One new approach has just been proven in the field: A recently … Read more

Doctors Prescribing Opioids in Good Faith Should Not Be Prosecuted

On March 1 the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could have an enormous impact on American medicine. The case, which involves combined appeals from two doctors, Xiulu Ruan and Shakeel Kahn, is intended to resolve an important question that has had a chilling effect on both pain and addiction care. If … Read more

Major James Webb Space Telescope project will map half a million early galaxies

It’s been nearly 350 years since Sir Issac Newton wrote, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” but the sentiment certainly holds true today. Newton’s wisdom is exemplified by a grand project called the Cosmic Evolution Survey, or COSMOS. COSMOS builds on the legacy of the Hubble Space … Read more

Herzog doc ‘Last Exit: Space’ examines our future off Earth (exclusive trailer sneak peek)

“From time immemorial, we humans have looked up at the night sky, marveling at billions of tiny specks. Settling on distant planets was once the domain of poets and dreamers, but with every leap in technology we come closer to realizing their dreams.” Those words, spoken by famed German director Werner Herzog, kick off the … Read more

How Hong Kong ‘Sees’ Invisible Tailpipe Emissions, and Pulls Polluters Off the Road

Christopher Intagliata: Air pollution causes millions of premature deaths around the world every year, according to an estimate by the World Health Organization. And one of the most significant drivers of air pollution in cities is exhaust that comes out of tailpipes from cars, trucks and buses.  In an effort to tame its air pollution, … Read more

‘Weird signal’ hails from the Milky Way. What’s causing it?

All About Space (Image credit: Future) This article is brought to you by All About Space. All About Space magazine takes you on an awe-inspiring journey through our solar system and beyond, from the amazing technology and spacecraft that enables humanity to venture into orbit, to the complexities of space science. For 13 years, astronomers believed themselves … Read more

Should we be looking for intelligence on a planetary scale?

For more than sixty years, humanity has been searching the cosmos for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. While our efforts have been limited, and the results less than encouraging, that may be about to change. With thousands of exoplanets discoveries in the last two decades alone and next-generation telescopes becoming available, major breakthroughs are expected to … Read more

How far is the moon from Earth?

It’s the brightest object in our night sky, but how far is the moon from Earth? The moon‘s distance from Earth affects the strength of ocean tides and the appearance of solar eclipses in our skies. The average distance between the blue planet and its only natural satellite is about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers), according … Read more

These Vaccines May Be Ready to Take On New COVID Variants

Pfizer aims to have an Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine ready by March. Assuming it gains approval, it will mark the first revision of its messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine Comirnaty since the initial Emergency Use Authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Dec. 11, 2020. The variant-specific booster will also test the responsiveness of … Read more