Using pulsars as ultra-precise gravitational probes to ‘weigh’ neighboring galaxies

Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, have identified a promising new method for measuring the mass of galaxies orbiting the Milky Way by using pulsars, some of the universe’s most precise natural clocks, to detect tiny gravitational effects across our galaxy.

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BWC shows arrest of Ore. man whose kidnapping attempt was thwarted by 85-year-old bystander

The man is accused of stalking a woman and tasing her before physically attacking her; when the bystander confronted the suspect, the woman was able to run to her car

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Earth’s outer core beneath Pacific reversed direction in 2010, satellite data reveal

The liquid iron in Earth’s outer core doesn’t always behave as expected. When it changed direction in an unexplained way, ESA satellites provided data on the direction of flow, helping scientists gain better insight into the dynamics at the center of our planet.

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Astronomers discover a super-Earth orbiting a nearby red dwarf

Astronomers from Italy and Brazil have investigated a nearby red dwarf star known as Ross 318 and have discovered an exoplanet orbiting this star, which is at least six times more massive than Earth. The discovery is reported in a research paper published May 11 on the arXiv preprint server.

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Hubble captures galaxy cluster MACS J1141.6-1905

Look closely at this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and you’ll see galaxies of various shapes and sizes clustered together toward the center-left of the image. A few foreground stars shine brightly and are easily distinguished by the spikes that appear to extend outward from each star. These spikes, called diffraction spikes, are the result of how point sources of light (such as stars) bend, or diffract, around the supports for Hubble’s secondary mirror.

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Superconducting vortices moonlight as controllable qubits, turning a disruption into a resource

Vortices in superconductors have so far been considered a disruption, as they can impair the superconducting properties. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have proved in experiments that magnetic vortices can be used as controllable quantum systems in certain materials. This means that a previously unwanted phenomenon is becoming a potential resource in quantum technologies, opening up new avenues for the development of quantum computers, highly sensitive sensor systems, and innovative approaches in materials research. These results are published in Nature.

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Why the intrinsic quantum effects of axion dark matter are completely undetectable

Dark matter is an elusive form of matter that almost never emits, absorbs or reflects light, while only weakly interacting with regular matter. These properties make it very difficult to detect using conventional experimental techniques and instruments.

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Countdown glitch delays world’s biggest rocket as SpaceX targets Friday retry

Elon Musk’s SpaceX postponed the highly anticipated launch of its upgraded Starship megarocket, calling off Thursday’s test after multiple countdown stops-and-starts.

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NASA’s AWE instrument completes mission to study Earth’s effect on space weather

On May 21, ground controllers powered down NASA’s AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment) instrument, bringing the data collection phase of the mission to a successful and scheduled end, surpassing its planned two-year mission.

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Gaze into the Crystal Ball Nebula and see the light emitted by a dying star 1,500 years ago

The 8.1-meter Gemini North telescope, located on the summit of Maunakea in Hawai’i, has captured NGC 1514, nicknamed the Crystal Ball Nebula, in awe-inspiring detail. This nebula, with its mesmerizing glow of gas, harbors hints of a past stellar death, and its asymmetrical shell is now being shaped by the pair of binary stars that lie at its center.

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A new light-based sensor could help make ultrasensitive disease testing more portable

When we think about highly sensitive medical testing, we often imagine a hospital laboratory filled with large instruments, trained technicians, and carefully controlled conditions. This is especially true for optical biosensing, where scientists try to detect extremely small changes caused by biomolecules binding to a sensor surface.

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‘Throw me your kid’: Mother drops baby into Mich. officer’s arms in house fire rescue

After a Kalamazoo officer caught the baby, fire crews were able to use ladders to rescue the mother

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Extreme Lunar conditions need an extreme test rig

When people eventually head to the moon for long-term exploration and habitation, they’ll need equipment and spacesuits made of well-tested materials. That’s where NASA’s Lunar Environment Test Rig (LESTR) comes in handy. It simulates extreme cold lunar night conditions right here on Earth in a NASA Glenn lab, testing lunar-bound materials in temperatures ranging from 40 K to 125 K (-233 C to -148 C) in a vacuum.

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Musk’s SpaceX bonus comes with unique condition: Colonize Mars

SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO filing included some out-of-this-world details, including a provision that founder Elon Musk’s massive bonus only kicks in if one million humans settle on Mars.

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Astronomers de-fog exoplanet atmospheres with new cloud-detecting method

Sand clouds form every morning but clear up by nightfall on WASP-94A b, a well-studied gas giant in a constellation located nearly 700 light years away from Earth. Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), research published in the journal Science is among the first to detect cloud cycles on a Hot Jupiter exoplanet.

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