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Scientists carry out first space-based measurement of neutron lifetime
Scientists have found a way of measuring neutron lifetime from space for the first time - a discovery that could teach us more about the early universe.
June 12, 2020 Read more
New distance measurements bolster challenge to basic model of universe
A new set of precision distance measurements made with an international collection of radio telescopes have greatly increased the likelihood that theorists need to revise the 'standard model' that describes the fundamental nature of the Universe.
June 11, 2020 Read more
Astronomers discover how long-lived Peter Pan discs evolve
New research has revealed how long-lived Peter Pan discs form, which could provide new insights into how planets arise.
June 11, 2020 Read more
Confirming Einstein's most fortunate thought
Radio astronomers use a dance of three exotic stars to test the universality of free fall.
June 10, 2020 Read more
Black hole's heart still beating
The first confirmed heartbeat of a supermassive black hole is still going strong more than ten years after first being observed.
June 10, 2020 Read more
Presence of airborne dust could signify increased habitability of distant planets
Scientists have expanded our understanding of potentially habitable planets orbiting distant stars by including a critical climate component - the presence of airborne dust.
June 9, 2020 Read more
Shock waves created in the lab mimic supernova particle accelerators
In experiments, researchers found new details about how supernovas boost charged particles to nearly the speed of light.
June 9, 2020 Read more
Cosmic quasars embrace 1970s fashion trend
Astronomers have studied more than 300 quasars - spinning black holes that produce beams of plasma. The team has found that the shape of these so-called astrophysical jets changes from parabolic to conical at some distance from the black hole, reminiscent of the iconic flared jeans of the '70s.
June 8, 2020 Read more
Eclipse data illuminate mysteries of Sun's corona
Observations from total solar eclipses are used to measure the shape of the Sun's magnetic field.
June 8, 2020 Read more
International effort reveals 157 day cycle in unusual cosmic radio bursts
Astronomers have been studying an object known as a repeating Fast Radio Burst (FRB), which emits very short duration bright radio pulses.
June 8, 2020 Read more
Chance of finding young Earth-like planets higher than previously thought
Research has found that the chance of finding Earth-like planets in their early stages of formation is much higher than previously thought.
June 5, 2020 Read more
Hubble makes surprising find in the early universe
New results from the Hubble Space Telescope suggest the formation of the first stars and galaxies in the early Universe took place sooner than previously thought.
June 4, 2020 Read more
New test of dark energy and expansion from cosmic structures
A new paper has shown how large structures in the distribution of galaxies in the Universe provide the most precise tests of dark energy and cosmic expansion yet.
June 3, 2020 Read more
Black holes? They are like a hologram
According to new research, black holes could be like a hologram, where all the information is amassed in a two-dimensional surface able to reproduce a three-dimensional image.
June 3, 2020 Read more
Ultra-bright X-ray source awakens near a galaxy not so far away
A new ultra-bright source of X-rays has awakened in between our galactic neighbours the Magellanic Clouds, after a 26-year slumber. This is the second-closest such object known to date, with a brightness greater than a million Suns.
June 3, 2020 Read more
Discovery of long sought tiny explosions on the Sun
The mechanism responsible for heating the corona to two million degrees, especially for the quiet Sun, has remained an enduring mystery. Scientists have now found the first direct observational evidence in support of one of the proposed mechanisms for heating the quiet corona. They have discovered tiny flashes of radio light from all over the Sun, smoking guns for tiny magnetic explosions which convert the copious magnetic energy present in the quiet corona into heat.
June 2, 2020 Read more
Large simulation finds new origin of supermassive black holes
In this theory, the precursors of supermassive black holes grow by swallowing up not only interstellar gas, but also smaller stars as well. This helps to explain the large number of supermassive black holes observed today.
June 2, 2020 Read more
Class of stellar explosions found to be galactic producers of lithium
Scientists have combined theory with both observations and laboratory studies and determined that a class of stellar explosions, called classical novae, are responsible for most of the lithium in our galaxy and solar system.
June 2, 2020 Read more