The innermost Earth-like planet in the famous TRAPPIST-1 system might be capable of supporting a thick atmosphere after all, according to new research. Since the system of seven tightly-packed, Earth-sized worlds was discovered in 2017, huddled in remarkable harmony just 40 light-years from Earth, astronomers have tried to determine whether any support atmosphere, which is … Read more
On Earth, you can look up at night and see the Moon shining bright from hundreds of thousands of miles away. But if you went to Venus, that wouldn’t be the case. Not every planet has a moon — so why do some planets have several moons, while others have none? I’m a physics instructor … Read more
Laser beams powered by the sun are one small step closer to becoming a reality after researchers received funding to develop the pioneering technology. These lasers could eventually help power lunar bases and missions to Mars, and contribute to sustainable energy solutions on Earth, scientists say. In June, the international team of researchers announced it … Read more
In 1974, Stephen Hawking put forward an intriguing idea: Using the principles of quantum physics, he predicted that even though nothing is supposed to escape a black hole’s event horizon, these cosmic beasts can actually emit particles. And by ejecting these particles, black holes will shrink over a very long time, eventually evaporate and possibly … Read more
NASA scientists have revealed the secrets of the most volcanic body in our solar system, according to new research. The discovery solves a 44-year-old mystery of why, and how, Jupiter’s violent moon, Io, became so volcanically active. Io is only slightly larger than our moon, with a diameter of 2,237 miles (3,600 kilometers), and has … Read more
One night about 60 years ago, physicist Enrico Fermi looked up into the sky and asked, “Where is everybody?” He was talking about aliens. Today, scientists know that there are millions, perhaps billions of planets in the universe that could sustain life. So, in the long history of everything, why hasn’t any of this life … Read more
On Earth, a compass can be a vital tool. Compasses have provided a constant point of reference for humans for over 800 years, enabling us to successfully navigate to the far reaches of the planet. But our species has started to journey farther, into the cold abyss of space. Is the compass still useful outside … Read more
An advanced alien civilization may want to cruise around the galaxy, and the best way to do that is by steering their binary star system, a researcher proposes in a new paper. Long-lived civilizations may have many motivations for wanting to move somewhere else in the galaxy. They may need to escape an impending supernova, … Read more
Earth’s total fresh water has plummeted to an alarming new low, and it could be a sign that climate change is pushing the world into a dangerous phase of global drying, according to a new study. Since 2015, our planet’s lakes, rivers and aquifers have lost 290 cubic miles (1,200 cubic km) of fresh water, … Read more
The first analysis of lava samples from the moon’s far side reveals that volcanoes were erupting there 2.8 billion years ago. The moon is tidally locked with Earth, meaning the same side always faces our planet. The far side is less explored than the near side. Only two landers, both from China, have made it … Read more
