Waterworn chaos on Mars stretches the length of Italy

by quasarn01 | May 13, 2026 | Astronomy

This month, ESA’s Mars Express takes us to Shalbatana Vallis: a fascinating Martian valley surrounded by signs of water, lava, craters and chaos. Shalbatana Vallis is an impressive channel near Mars’s equator. This image, taken by Mars Express’s High...

Astronomers directly detect how turbulence between stars distorts light

by quasarn01 | May 13, 2026 | Astronomy

Astronomers led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) have made the first direct detection of turbulence distorting light in the interstellar medium. The findings will help scientists achieve clearer imaging of the supermassive black hole at...

TESS reveals fullest night-sky map yet, with nearly 6,000 exoplanet worlds

by quasarn01 | May 13, 2026 | Astronomy

NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) has released its most complete view of the starry sky to date, filling in gaps from previous observations. Nearly 6,000 colored dots scattered across the image show the locations of either confirmed or...

Dual spacecraft capture both hemispheres of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS at once

by quasarn01 | May 13, 2026 | Astronomy

The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instruments aboard ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft and NASA’s Europa Clipper made unique observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in late 2025. SwRI leads the UVS...

Recreating dying stars reveals hydrogen’s key role in cosmic dust formation

by quasarn01 | May 13, 2026 | Astronomy

Silicon carbide (SiC) dust is one of the most important ingredients in cosmic dust, the tiny particles floating throughout the cosmos that eventually give rise to new planets and stars. This compound of silicon and carbon is forged in the atmospheres of dying stars,...