Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 26, 2025
Scientists have developed a new technique to chart the star spots of distant suns using data from NASA's TESS and Kepler missions. The method, called StarryStarryProcess, builds on long-standing models of stellar spottiness and enhances how astronomers interpret transit light curves produced when planets cross their host stars. Lead researcher Sabina Sagynbayeva of Stony Brook University e

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 26, 2025
Researchers led by Northwestern University and the Weizmann Institute of Science have identified a rare type of supernova that exposes the hidden inner layers of a massive star, revealing where heavy elements such as silicon and sulfur are produced. The discovery centers on SN2021yfj, a stellar explosion detected in September 2021 by the Zwicky Transient Facility. Unlike most observed supe

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The Aurora Australis, photographed over Concordia station in July 2025, during the ongoing solar activity maximum, the peak of the Sun's 11-year cycle. 

This dazzling light show appears when charged particles from the Sun are guided by Earth’s magnetic field towards the polar regions, where they collide with gases in the upper atmosphere and create shimmering waves of colour dancing across the sky. 

Concordia station, perched high on Antarctica’s Dome C plateau, is one of the most remote research outposts on Earth. On 4 May this year, the Sun set below the horizon and only returned on 10 August. During this

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details in the core of the Butterfly Nebula, NGC 6302. From the dense, dusty torus that surrounds the star hidden at the centre of the nebula to its outflowing jets, the Webb observations reveal many new discoveries that paint a never-before-seen portrait of a dynamic and structured planetary nebula.

South Padre Island, United States (AFP) Aug 27, 2025
SpaceX's Starship megarocket roared into the skies Tuesday on its tenth test flight, turning in a strong performance after a series of fiery failures had begun to cast doubt on its future. Towering 403 feet (123 meters), Starship is the most powerful launch vehicle ever built and key to founder Elon Musk's vision of carrying humanity to Mars, as well as NASA's plans to return astronauts

Firefly Aerospace said its most recent Alpha launch four months ago was lost because of structural failure linked to higher-than-normal heating during the vehicle’s ascent.

XTAR’s new CEO Patrick Rayermann says two new satellites funded by Spain’s Hisdesat will give the company more tools to compete for DoD and allied government contracts