Astronomy

Black Hole Merger(March 28, 2006)
New computer simulations do the best job ever of depicting what happens to spacetime when two black holes merge.

CMB Polarization Map(March 17, 2006)
The Inflation scenario of the big bang passes long-awaited test with new cosmic microwave background data.

Cosmic Ray Air Shower(February 6, 2006)
Incoming cosmic rays might create miniature black holes in the atmosphere

Crusty Quark Stars(January 3, 2006)
A new idea about quark star surfaces

Stargazing on Mars(December 15, 2005)
NASA's Mars rovers are now offering some striking views of the planet's night sky, including shooting stars, lunar eclipses, and possibly cosmic rays.

Optical Vortex(November 22, 2005)
A new device will help astronomers to observe extrasolar planets directly.

Color Superconductivity(November 1, 2005)
A new form of superconductivity might exist at the heart of highly compressed stars.

The Big Rip(August 27, 2003)
A new cosmological model predicts that all bound systems, whether atoms or galaxies, will eventually fly apart.

Longest-Lived Atomic State Measured(December 4, 2002)
By watching atoms in a distant planetary nebula, scientists have determined the lifetime of the longest-lived atomic state ever measured.

Using the Moon as a Cosmic Ray Detector (20 March, 2001)
Some high energy cosmic rays create detectable Cerenkov radiation when they graze the soil on the lunar surface.

A Jiggling Black Hole (20 December, 2000)
Numerical studies show that two colliding black holes will merge into one, oscillating body.

Planetesimal Experiment (September 14, 2000)
A new experiment tests how dust grains coalesced into planetesimals in the early solar system.

Cloud Falls into Milky Way (June 29, 2000)
New measurements suggest that most deuterium was produced in the aftermath of the big bang.

Global Image of Earth's Plasmasphere (June 2, 2000)
A new satellite records the first global pictures of the Earth's plasmasphere.

Halo Orbits (March 16, 2000)
A combination of gravitational and electromagnetic forces might make for novel "halo orbits" near a planet.

Competing Arrows of Time (December 17, 1999)
A new theory suggests that in some regions of space time might run backwards.

Io Sodium Jet (November 9, 1999)
New images recorded by the Galileo spacecraft map the fast spray of sodium atoms coming from Jupiter's moon Io.

Origin of M87 Jet Near a Black Hole (November 2, 1999)
Radio maps of the core of galaxy M87 show the place where a massive jet originates.

Mach Cones in Dusty Plasmas (November 1, 1999)
Shock waves in a dusty plasma

Gravity's Gravity (October 22, 1999)
A pendulum helps scientists to understand the gravity generated by the gravitational field itself.

Crab Nebula in X Rays (October 5, 1999)
See the Crab Nebula at four different wavelengths

Antiprotons at solar maximum (July 21, 1999)
Antiprotons will be more welcome within the inner solar system after Solar Maximum.

Cosmic rays and Earth's Climate (November 9, 1998)
Galactic cosmic rays might influence Earth's climate

Supernova 1987A (June 2, 1998)
Hubble Telescope image of Supernova 1987A.

The First Snapshot of an Extrasolar Planet? (June 2, 1998)
Hubble Telescope image of what may be the first snapshot of a planet outside our solar system.

The Strongest Gravitational Fields Ever Measured (April 27, 1998)
The satellite known as the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorerhas observed the most intense gravitational fields yet measured

Cosmic Infrared Background (January 12, 1998)
Images of the infrared glow from the early universe.

Measuring Blob Sizes in the Cosmic Microwave Background (October 22, 1997)
New measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) have detected smaller-scale variations in the CMB than previously possible.

Quark Stars (August 26, 1997)
Learn how neutron stars can transform into 'quark stars' containing exotic particles such as hyperons and strange quarks.

First Pictures Taken With Space-Based Radio Telescope (July 8, 1997)
The space-based telescope HALCA has helped to make some of the sharpest images of celestial objects at radio wavelengths.

Mars Pathfinder Images (July 8, 1997)
See an image of the Mars surface recorded by the Pathfinder in 1997.

A Mother Star and Her Children (June 12, 1997)
A Hubble Space Telescope instrument has recorded a stunning image of six baby stars surrounding their mother, a bright, massive star.

Did Cosmic Snowballs Create Earth's Water Supply? (May 30, 1997)
Images from NASA spacecraft suggest the idea that small water-filled comets enter the Earth by the thousands every day.

Gravitomagnetic Induction (November 14, 1996)
Rotating objects can create "gravitomagnetic fields" which warp space and time.

Is the Universe Birefringent? (April 15,1997)
Studying astronomical data, a research group has argued that light in the universe may behave slightly differently when travelling in different directions.