astronomer
Fastest comet ever recorded spewed 70 Olympic pools' worth of water daily
Science Space Deep Space Fastest comet ever recorded spewed 70 Olympic pools' worth of water daily More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. A new study of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS led by the University of Michigan shows that its water has a remarkably high content of deuterium. This form of hydrogen is comparatively less abundant in our solar system, enabling researchers to glean new insights about other planetary processes at work in our galaxy. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Astronomers knew 3I/ATLAS wasn't a local comet not long after first spotting it in July 2025 .
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The 45 planets most likely to host alien life, according to astronomers
'Project Hail Mary' may be fiction, but this list could still come in handy. An artist's impression of a theoretical planet orbiting a redder star, which could cause microbes and plants on the planet's surface to reflect very different colors from Earth's green forests. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Life on Earth is a precious thing, especially given what astronomers know about the visible universe. Although researchers have so far identified over 6,000 exoplanets beyond our solar system, only a handful of them be suitable for human visitors.
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For the first time, astronomers witnessed the birth of a 'magnetar'
Science Space Deep Space Black Holes For the first time, astronomers witnessed the birth of a'magnetar' These fast spinning, magnetic neutron stars may power some of the brightest supernovae in the cosmos. Artist's conception of a magnetar surrounded by an accretion disk that is wobbling, or precessing, because of the effects of general relativity. Some models of magnetars suggest that high-speed jets of charged particles emanate from the magnetar along its rotation axis. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In December 2024, astronomers watched a star around 25 times the mass of our sun die in a blaze of glory.
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A meteor soared across Europe--and possibly hit a house
No one was injured at the home in Germany, but the ESA is investigating. The bright object traveled over at least five countries. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. The European Space Agency (ESA) is investigating a bright fireball that lit up the early evening sky across at least five countries on March 8th. At around 5:55 p.m. local time, residents across Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands spotted a glowing object soaring across the sky for an estimated six seconds before disintegrating into multiple fragments.
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3I/ATLAS comet is bursting with alcohol, surprising astronomers
An artist's impression of 3I/ATLAS is shown as it passes near the Sun, illuminating one side of the comet. On the side of the comet closer to the sun, the methanol gas is shown in blue, with icy dust grains still present in the gas. On the dark side of the comet, the hydrogen cyanide is shown in orange. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. The comet 3I/ATLAS is well on its way back into deep space, but the famous cosmic visitor continues to fascinate astronomers.
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Comet 3I/ATLAS is leaving the solar system with a dramatic light show
The interstellar space rock shows off the illuminating effects of its brush with the sun. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. After months of unprecedented observations, astronomers are bidding goodbye to the beloved comet 3I/ATLAS . First spotted in July 2025, the frigid, dusty space rock is only the third known interstellar object to pass through the solar system, offering researchers the rare opportunity to examine a visitor from deep space. Among other discoveries, scientists have since confirmed that the interstellar comet is the fastest ever recorded as well as covered in ice volcanoes --and definitely not extraterrestrial tourists .
Astronomers Are Closing In on the Kuiper Belt's Secrets
Astronomers Are Closing In on the Kuiper Belt's Secrets As next-generation telescopes map this outer frontier, astronomers are bracing for discoveries that could reveal hidden planets, strange structures, and clues to the solar system's chaotic youth. Out beyond the orbit of Neptune lies an expansive ring of ancient relics, dynamical enigmas, and possibly a hidden planet--or two. The Kuiper Belt, a region of frozen debris about 30 to 50 times farther from the sun than the Earth is--and perhaps farther, though nobody knows--has been shrouded in mystery since it first came into view in the 1990s. Over the past 30 years, astronomers have cataloged about 4,000 Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs), including a smattering of dwarf worlds, icy comets, and leftover planet parts. But that number is expected to increase tenfold in the coming years as observations from more advanced telescopes pour in.
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Musk's SpaceX applies to launch 1m satellites into orbit
Elon Musk - the boss of SpaceX as well as Tesla and X - is the world's richest person Elon Musk's SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites into Earth's orbit to power artificial intelligence (AI). The application claims "orbital data centres" are the most cost and energy-efficient way to meet the growing demand for AI computing power. Traditionally, such centres are large warehouses full of powerful computers which process and store data. Musk's aerospace firm claims processing needs due to the expanding use of AI are already outpacing "terrestrial capabilities". It would increase the number of SpaceX satellites in orbit drastically.
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Gaze into the Milky Way's black hole with NASA's 'back catalog' of X-ray data
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory has gathered over 1.3 million detections in 27 years. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory is considered one of the agency's greatest achievements, but it's not necessarily as recognizable as siblings like the James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes . However, since 1999, the powerful spacecraft has peered deep into the cosmos to provide astronomers with never-before-seen glimpses of the Milky Way galaxy . As the observatory nears its 27th anniversary, NASA is highlighting its Chandra Source Catalog (CSC), an absolutely massive archive of visualization data collected over the years.
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James Webb Space Telescope solves a comet crystal mystery
A'cosmic highway' may explain the journeys of some space silicates. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Some of the solar system's most distant comets can be very confusing. Many contain crystalline silicates that only form after exposure to high heat, which doesn't make a lot of sense to astronomers. These comets spend most of their time inside the extremely cold Oort cloud and Kuiper Belt, at temperatures averaging -450 degrees Fahrenheit.
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