What’s it like inside a massive galaxy cluster? Scientists used 196 lasers to find out.

An Earthbound experiment is replicating the extreme heat found in galaxy clusters located in deep space using nearly 200 lasers. The hope is the experiment series will reveal more about the conditions within giant groups of galaxies. Here, hydrogen gas can burn at roughly the same temperatures as it does the center of our sun, … Read more

Massive eruption on dead star pushes particles to cosmic speed limit

A burned-out stellar core produced a shockwave that pushed particles to their theoretical speed limit, scientists have reported. Astronomers used a gamma-ray observatory in Namibia called the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) to show how an eruption creates a shock wave that accelerates material around it super-fast speeds. The research focused on RS Ophiuchi, a … Read more

Possible massive ‘kilonova’ explosion creates an epic afterglow

Astronomers may have spotted the afterglow from an epic cosmic event known as a “kilonova.” Kilonovas occur after the collision of two hyper-dense neutron stars, which are the remnants of stars that have died in supernova explosions. Astronomers think they have spotted an afterglow in X-rays from the event, which is dubbed GW170817. The discovery … Read more

James Webb Space Telescope plans probe of massive star radiation

The James Webb Space Telescope will zero in on a portion of the famous Orion Nebula, the closest region of mass star-formation to Earth, to learn more about how massive young stars shape their environments. The Orion Nebula, some 1,350 light-years away from Earth, is known as a stellar nursery. Dense clouds of gas and dust … Read more

Massive solar telescope starts science observations

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) is starting its first operational science work as it embarks on a mission to better understand our sun. DKIST is a nearly $300 million science observatory perched atop the 10,062-foot (3,067 meters) Mount Haleakalā in Maui, Hawaii. One of its main functions will be to study the corona, the … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Will conflict with Russia trigger a massive cyberwar?

Russia, Ukraine and many of the latter’s Western allies have the ability to launch cyberattacks on other nations, and both sides seem ready for digital skirmishes Technology | Analysis 23 February 2022 By Chris Stokel-Walker The flag of Ukraine made from stylised computer code Gwengoat/Getty Images Tensions continue to rise between Russia and the West, … Read more

Astronomers discover massive radio galaxy 100 times larger than the Milky Way

Astronomers have discovered the largest radio galaxy ever, stretching at least 16 million light-years through space, new research shows.  The galaxy — named Alcyoneus after the son of Ouranos, the Greek primordial god of the sky — was discovered about 3 billion light-years from Earth by a “stroke of luck,” according to a statement from … Read more

Massive ‘Killer’ Croc Discovered With The Remains of a Dinosaur in Its Stomach

About 95 million years ago in what is now Australia, a massive crocodile relative clamped down with its powerful jaws on the small body of a dinosaur and gulped nearly all of it down in one mighty swallow.   The crocodilian died soon after, and as it fossilized, so did the partly-digested and near-complete dinosaur … Read more

Elon Musk shows off massive Starship, the world’s tallest rocket, ahead of SpaceX update

Image 1 of 4 SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled this view of the company’s Starship SN20 prototype attached to its Super Heavy booster near Boca Chica village in South Texas on Feb. 10, 2022 ahead of a project update. (Image credit: Elon Musk/SpaceX) Image 2 of 4 SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled this view of … Read more