Astronomers believe they have found a rare, massive flare erupting from a highly magnetic dead star, or magnetar, bright enough to illuminate the entire galaxy. If true, the discovery would represent the first sighting of gamma rays from a “recently deceased” neutron star that exploded outside the Milky Way. The flare was first detected by… Read More »
LONDON — A California-based startup wants to launch a constellation of orbiting mirrors that would beam sunlight onto solar power plants to boost renewable electricity production after dark. A prototype of a light-reflecting satellite could go into orbit next year. Ben Nowack, founder and CEO of Reflect Orbital, introduced the company’s plans at the International… Read More »
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Ancient DNA reveals more secrets about the Avars, a fearsome people who founded a mysterious empire that ruled much of Central and Eastern Europe for 250 years from the mid-sixth century. Known mainly from accounts… Read More »
Earth’s “half moon” was likely ejected away from the actual moon relatively recently in the solar system’s history, according to a new study. Kamo’oalewa, a near-Earth object (NEO) 131 to 328 feet wide (40 to 100 meters), was recovered from an asteroid impact between 1 million and 10 million years ago; According to the study,… Read More »
Nearly 40% of people in the United States live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and the country is facing a decline in clean air as the effects of climate change intensify, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. The organization’s report, its 25th annual analysis of the country’s “State… Read More »
Five new European astronauts and the first astronaut from the Australian Space Agency are now ready to “jump” into their first flight missions after completing basic training. On Monday, April 22, the European Space Agency (ESA) held a graduation ceremony for “Hoppers”, the nickname of the new astronauts selected in 2022. Sophie, who performed at… Read More »
COLORADO SPRINGS — Extremely busy looking to the future. This is a short and sweet review from Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab. In the pantheon of private space groups, Rocket Lab is a huge success, and Beck wants to keep it that way. Founded in 2006 Rocket LabThe quest to pioneer affordable… Read More »
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Flybys of Io, one of Jupiter’s moons and the most volcanically active world in our solar system, revealed a lava lake on the moon’s alien surface and a towering feature called “Steeple Mountain.” NASA’s Juno… Read More »
When the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced late Sunday that it had made public new data from its investigation of an avian flu outbreak in cattle, scientists eagerly searched a well-known platform used globally to share the genetic sequences of viruses. The desks were not there. As of Tuesday morning, they are still gone. Researchers… Read More »
Over the past century, researchers’ understanding of genetics has undergone a profound transformation. Genes, the regions of DNA largely responsible for our physical characteristics, were considered immutable under the original model of genetics pioneered by biologist Gregor Mendel in 1865. That is, genes were thought to be largely unaffected by a person’s environment. The emergence… Read More »