Space

From astronomy and astrophysics to space travel and extraterrestrial discoveries, our space section provides captivating insights into the cosmos, expanding your knowledge of the final frontier.

NASA’s U-2 Spy Plane Discovers Gamma Rays in Most Lightning Storms

by Zainab Fatima
October 3, 2024

Thunderstorms are typically recognized for their fierce winds, heavy rain, and dazzling lightning, but another intriguing phenomenon often accompanies them: gamma radiation. However, thanks to… Read More »NASA’s U-2 Spy Plane Discovers Gamma Rays in Most Lightning Storms

NASA Unveils Sharpest Images of Earth’s Radiation Belt Yet

by Zainab Fatima
October 2, 2024

NASA has unveiled the clearest images yet of Earth’s magnetosphere radiation belt. Remarkably, the spacecraft responsible for this achievement wasn’t solely designed for exploring this… Read More »NASA Unveils Sharpest Images of Earth’s Radiation Belt Yet

A wide-field image showing Barnard's Star and its surroundings in the constellation Ophiuchus. This image was created from data from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, displaying the star's notable movement across the sky.

Astronomers Uncover New Exoplanet Near Sun’s Nearest Star

by Zainab Fatima
October 1, 2024

Astronomers have identified a tiny exoplanet circling Barnard’s star, the closest solitary star to our solar system. This newly found exoplanet, called Barnard b, has… Read More »Astronomers Uncover New Exoplanet Near Sun’s Nearest Star

China Unveils Unique Spacesuits for Moon Mission

by Zainab Fatima
October 1, 2024

As the United States prepares to send astronauts back to the moon, China is making significant strides of its own. The China Manned Space Agency… Read More »China Unveils Unique Spacesuits for Moon Mission

Polaris Dawn Crew Unveils Breathtaking Photos from Historic Mission

by Zainab Fatima
September 29, 2024

On September 12, 2024, astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn achieved a landmark milestone by conducting the first-ever commercial spacewalk. This groundbreaking event was broadcast live,… Read More »Polaris Dawn Crew Unveils Breathtaking Photos from Historic Mission

Hurricane Helene: A Stunning View from Space

by Zainab Fatima
September 27, 2024

Hurricane Helene is anticipated to strike Florida’s Big Bend Coast as a significant Category 3 storm on Thursday evening, September 26. Officials are cautioning residents… Read More »Hurricane Helene: A Stunning View from Space

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 4845, located over 65 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo (The Virgin). The galaxy’s orientation clearly reveals the galaxy’s striking spiral structure: a flat and dust-mottled disc surrounding a bright galactic bulge. NGC 4845’s glowing centre hosts a gigantic version of a black hole, known as a supermassive black hole. The presence of a black hole in a distant galaxy like NGC 4845 can be inferred from its effect on the galaxy’s innermost stars; these stars experience a strong gravitational pull from the black hole and whizz around the galaxy’s centre much faster than otherwise. From investigating the motion of these central stars, astronomers can estimate the mass of the central black hole — for NGC 4845 this is estimated to be hundreds of thousands times heavier than the Sun. This same technique was also used to discover the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way — Sagittarius A* — which hits some four million times the mass of the Sun (potw1340a). The galactic core of NGC 4845 is not just supermassive, but also super-hungry. In 2013 researchers were observing another galaxy when they noticed a violent flare at the centre of NGC 4845. The flare came from the central black hole tearing up and feeding off an object many times more massive than Jupiter. A brown dwarf or a large planet simply strayed too close and was devoured by the hungry core of NGC 4845.

Is Our Solar System at Risk from the Galactic Black Hole’s Expansion?

by Zainab Fatima
September 24, 2024September 24, 2024

Black holes are among the most enigmatic features of the cosmos, even as we continue to unravel their mysteries. Although theorized mathematically for many years,… Read More »Is Our Solar System at Risk from the Galactic Black Hole’s Expansion?

ISS Astronauts Use Everyday Items for Experiments

by Zainab Fatima
September 19, 2024

Astronauts conduct a plethora of incredible experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They utilize a specially designed X-ray telescope to investigate distant deceased stars,… Read More »ISS Astronauts Use Everyday Items for Experiments

What’s the Most Distant Human-Made Object from Earth?

by Zainab Fatima
September 18, 2024

Throughout the years, humanity has embarked on an incredible journey into space, launching a wide array of objects. Many of these have remained in orbit… Read More »What’s the Most Distant Human-Made Object from Earth?

Boeing Starliner Will Return “Empty” on September 6

by Rebecca Fraser
August 30, 2024August 30, 2024

Astronauts will return to Earth on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in 2025.