Better volcano eruption predictions on Earth—and Venus—thanks to Mauna Loa study

by quasarn01 | Apr 27, 2026 | Astronomy

When Mauna Loa erupted in 2022, the largest lava flow headed on a path headed directly toward Daniel K. Inouye State Highway 200, also known as Saddle Road, a critical route that carries many residents from their homes on one side to their jobs on the other. Go to...

Neural network speeds tuning of attosecond light pulses for physics experiments

by quasarn01 | Apr 27, 2026 | Latest in Physics

Researchers from Skoltech and the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics have developed an approach that helps optimize the parameters of a laser-plasma source of attosecond pulses—ultrashort flashes of light used in physics experiments. Instead of relying on...

Potential signs of life on distant planets sound exciting, but confirmation can take years

by quasarn01 | Apr 27, 2026 | Astronomy

Astronomers can use telescopes to find specific molecules in the atmospheres of neighboring planets, in nebulae—clouds of interstellar dust and gas—hundreds or thousands of light-years away, or in galaxies beyond the far reaches of the Milky Way. Go to...

Synchrotron safety monitoring sheds light on dark photons

by quasarn01 | Apr 27, 2026 | Latest in Physics

A scientist from Tokyo Metropolitan University has proposed using safety monitoring at synchrotron facilities to study the properties of dark photons, hypothetical particles proposed to explain dark matter. Calculations show that the X-ray source at these sites and a...

Two suns are better than one—planets thrive around binary stars

by quasarn01 | Apr 27, 2026 | Astronomy

Planets may actually form more easily around double stars than around single stars like our sun, according to new research from astrophysicists at the University of Lancashire. Binary stars are common in our galaxy, yet for a long time astronomers believed that the...