Gas Giants: Facts About the Outer Planets

A gas giant is a large planet composed mostly of gases, such as hydrogen and helium, with a relatively small rocky core. The gas giants of our solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.  These four large planets reside in the outer part of the solar system past the orbits of Mars and the … Read more

For scientists, relief and joy abound as James Webb Space Telescope completes monthlong journey

NASA can breathe a $10 billion sigh of relief. The agency’s James Webb Space Telescope arrived safely at its ultimate destination Monday (Jan. 24), in great health and carrying even more fuel than expected after several deep-space engine burns. Webb’s arrival at the Earth-sun Lagrange Point 2 (L2), roughly one million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from … Read more

Watch the James Webb Space Telescope last days on Earth in under 3 minutes in this time-lapse video

It’s been a month since the James Webb Space Telescope launched to space and you can revisit its last days on Earth in a stunning new time-lapse video. On Dec. 25, the James Webb Space Telescope lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana aboard an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket. In the month since its … Read more

Tonga undersea volcano eruption released up to 18 megatons of energy

Scientists are starting to take the measure of the monster volcanic eruption that rocked the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga earlier this month. The undersea volcano had been burbling since late December 2021, shaking the seas near Tonga with a series of outbursts. Things kicked into higher gear this month, with powerful blasts on Jan. … Read more

Powerful, nearby black holes could help to explain universe’s origins

The Haro 11 galaxy. Like Tololo 0440-381, this nearby galaxy gives off a type of radiation that scientists think resembles the characteristics of the earliest stars in the universe. Haro 11 is about 300 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor.  (Image credit: ESA/Hubble/ESO and NASA) Nearby galaxies and their black holes could hold the … Read more

JWST: The James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at its final destination

By Leah Crane An artist’s impression of the James Webb Space Telescope ESA/ATG medialab One month after its launch, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has arrived at its new home. On 24 January, the spacecraft fired its thrusters for about five minutes to place it into its final orbit, and now it’s ready to … Read more

Landmark Poverty Experiment Shows Extra Money Changes Babies’ Brains

Putting cash in the hands of mothers can help shape the brains of their babies, according to a rigorous randomized study in the United States. Family income has been linked to child development numerous times in the past in observational studies, but this is the first time researchers have found direct experimental evidence of how … Read more

Mysterious Signal of Hidden Lakes on Mars May Not Be What We Thought

The likelihood of lakes of liquid water hidden under Mars‘ southern polar ice cap is receding before our very eyes. Last year, a paper found that temperatures were likely far too cold for water to remain unfrozen in the region. Now, a new study has found that the radar signal interpreted as liquid water was … Read more