For billions of years, scientists have been aware that Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, has been gradually shrinking. The cooling down of its interior has caused the rock and metal of the planet to contract, resulting in a reduction in volume. However, the extent to which Mercury is still undergoing this process remains
Space
Determining the mass of the Milky Way is no simple task. It can be likened to a single cell in your body trying to calculate your total mass- a daunting challenge to say the least. However, a recent study has managed to calculate an accurate mass for our galaxy, and the results are surprising. By
In a groundbreaking endeavor to capture the first-ever image of a black hole, scientists embarked on an ambitious mission of uniting data from observatories across the planet. This massive collaborative effort resulted in a mesmerizing image that quickly made its way onto the pages of every major newspaper in 2019. Known as Messier 87, the
Earlier this year, the astronomical community experienced disappointment when the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealed that TRAPPIST-1b, an exoplanet 40 light-years away from Earth, has no detectable atmosphere to shield it from the intense radiation of its host star. Although this finding was not entirely surprising, as the goal was to study a smaller,
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the early Universe. With its advanced capabilities, JWST aims to observe the epoch when the first galaxies were formed. Through deep observations, astronomers using the telescope have already made exciting discoveries about the formation, evolution, and composition of these ancient galaxies. In
New research utilizing data from the James Webb Space Telescope has shed light on the presence of carbon dioxide on Jupiter’s moon, Europa. This discovery provides a valuable clue in the ongoing search for potential life beyond Earth, as Europa is believed to harbor a vast ocean beneath its icy shell. By analyzing the distribution
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has captivated scientists and enthusiasts alike for decades. One intriguing concept that has emerged from scientific speculation is the idea of Dyson Spheres – massive structures that harness the energy of a star. Traditional SETI approaches have focused on detecting Dyson Spheres based on their waste heat signatures. However,
The Universe is an ever-changing and mysterious place, filled with celestial phenomena that continue to baffle scientists and astronomers. One such phenomenon is the explosion of massive stars known as supernovae. While these stellar explosions have been extensively studied and understood to a certain degree, there exists a category of supernovae that defy conventional knowledge
Recent research analyzing lunar craters suggests that the long-term retention of ancient reservoirs of water ice on the Moon may not be feasible. Physicist Norbert Schörghofer of the Planetary Science Institute and astrophysicist Raluca Rufu of the Southwest Research Institute have concluded that most of the craters containing permanent pockets of shadow, which have been
A recent groundbreaking image from NASA has unveiled the hidden secrets of the Moon’s dark side. Through a unique blend of photographs taken by two different cameras, a previously unexplored crater on the lunar south pole called Shackleton Crater has been brought to light. This ancient pockmark, nestled within the mountainous region, has remained hidden
The Universe, an infinite expanse of wonder, holds many secrets just waiting to be unraveled by curious minds. Among its mysteries lie dark energy and dark matter, two elusive forces that dominate the cosmos. A recent measurement has confirmed that dark energy constitutes around 69 percent of the Universe, leaving the remaining 31 percent to
The presence of ice on the Moon has been a topic of interest for scientists, but its origin still remains uncertain. Recent research suggests that electrons, originating from both Earth and the Sun, are playing a significant role in the formation of frozen water on the lunar surface. These electrons reach the Moon as it