Space Science Series

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

Apr 18, 2024 06:22 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Apr 12, 2024 03:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Space Science Series

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

Apr 09, 2024 12:48 pm UTC| Science

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

Apr 09, 2024 12:47 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

Space Science Series

If life exists on Jupiter’s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it

Apr 08, 2024 06:12 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Europa is one of the largest of more than 90 moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. It is also one of the best places to look for alien life. Often termed an ocean world by scientists, observations to date strongly...

Space Science Series

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Apr 01, 2024 11:05 am UTC| Science

Stars like the Sun are remarkably constant. They vary in brightness by only 0.1% over years and decades, thanks to the fusion of hydrogen into helium that powers them. This process will keep the Sun shining steadily for...

An eclipse for everyone – how visually impaired students can ‘get a feel for’ eclipses

Mar 25, 2024 05:10 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Many people in the U.S. will have an opportunity to witness nearly four minutes of a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, as it moves from southern Texas to Maine. But in the U.S., over 7 million people are blind...