Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Astronomers have mapped the architecture of the exoplanetary system TOI-3884 by capturing rare planet transits that crossed over dark starspots. Using MuSCAT3 and MuSCAT4 instruments on Las Cumbres Observatory's 2-meter telescopes, the team observed three transits in early 2024 and detected strong spot-crossing signals. The multicolor data revealed spot temperatures roughly 200 K cooler than the

University Park PA (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Tiny red objects spotted by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are offering scientists new insights into the origins of galaxies in the universe - and may represent an entirely new class of celestial object: a black hole swallowing massive amounts of matter and spitting out light. Using the first datasets released by the telescope in 2022, an international team of scientists includin

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Keeping your HVAC system healthy is one of the best ways to protect comfort, indoor air quality, and your energy bills. This seasonal 10-point checklist walks homeowners through the high-impact actions to take before heating and cooling seasons; and explains exactly why each item matters so you know which tasks you can do yourself and when to call a pro.

Chicago IL (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Dark energy - the term used to describe whatever is causing the universe to expand at an increasing rate - is one of the universe's greatest mysteries. The widely accepted theory at the present moment suggests that dark energy is constant, with the energy of empty space driving cosmic acceleration. However, last year, findings from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instr

Paris, France (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Scientists face a daunting task when trying to describe the cosmic web, the immense 3D structure of galaxies, clusters, superclusters, filaments, and voids that spans the Universe. Models like the Effective Field Theory of Large-Scale Structure (EFTofLSS) combine theory and astronomical data to make statistical predictions, but they require enormous computing power. To meet the challenge p

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
New research presented at the EPSC - DPS2025 Joint Meeting in Helsinki indicates that the nearest technological civilization in the Milky Way could be about 33,000 light years from Earth, and that such a society would need to have survived at least 280,000 years - potentially millions - to coexist with us in time. Dr Manuel Scherf and Professor Helmut Lammer of the Austrian Academy of Scie

Washington DC (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Scientists using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are focusing on TRAPPIST-1 e, one of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a nearby red dwarf star. Early results suggest the planet likely lost its original hydrogen-helium atmosphere, but possibilities remain for a secondary atmosphere that could sustain liquid water under the right conditions. TRAPPIST-1 e lies in its star's habitable zone

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
In a study published in Physical Review Letters, the LIGO - Virgo - KAGRA Collaboration reported its clearest gravitational wave signal yet from a black hole merger, offering the most precise confirmation to date of Stephen Hawking's area theorem. The signal, designated GW250114, was recorded in early 2025 during LIGO's latest observing run, using detectors nearly four times as sensitive as thos

Pasadena CA (JPL) Sep 17, 2025
An unusual cosmic object is helping scientists better understand the chemistry hidden deep in Jupiter and Saturn's atmospheres - and potentially those of exoplanets. Why has silicon, one of the most common elements in the universe, gone largely undetected in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, and gas planets like them orbiting other stars? A new study using observations from NASA's James Webb S

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Planetary scientists report progress in predicting when the Martian night sky will glow with green aurora, building on new visible-light images captured by NASA's Perseverance rover. The rover first recorded a ground-level aurora in 2024. Now, at the Europlanet Science Congress - Division of Planetary Science meeting in Helsinki, Dr Elise Wright Knutsen of the University of Oslo has shared