SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
At this point in time, one of the greatest mysteries in astronomy is where short, dramatic bursts of radio light seen across the universe, known as Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), are originating from. Although FRBs last for only a thousandth of a second, there are now hundreds of records of these enigmatic sources. However, from … Read more
The highlands of the southern hemisphere of the planet Mars are considered to be homogenous land whose origin dates back more than four billion years. A team of French and American planetary scientist led by Sylvain Bouley, (GEOPS – Université Paris-Saclay / CNRS), involving researchers from the University of Toulouse, the Paris Observatory, the University … Read more
Astronomers seeking to learn about the mechanisms that formed massive black holes in the early history of the Universe have gained important new clues with the discovery of 13 such black holes in dwarf galaxies less than a billion light-years from Earth. These dwarf galaxies, more than 100 times less massive than our own Milky … Read more
A team of astronomers has discovered a novel way to “weigh” supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies by measuring the distances between the galaxies that contain them. Mysterious, massive dark objects lurk at the centre of nearly all galaxies and can be observed with high enough sensitivity. Astronomers believe these to be black … Read more
Chinese researchers have improved the accuracy in detecting space junk in earth’s orbit, providing a more effective way to plot safe routes for spacecraft maneuvers. “The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to one!” exclaimed C-3PO as Han Solo directed the Millennium Falcon into an asteroid field in “Star Wars: The … Read more
Three OU astronomers today announce ground-breaking discoveries allowing scientists to understand planets outside our Solar System. Professor Carole Haswell, Dr Daniel Staab and Dr John Barnes discovered three, new, nearby planetary systems. Research led by Professor Haswell found the exoplanets – planets outside the Solar System – as part of the Dispersed Matter Planet Project … Read more
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have observed reservoirs of cool gas around some of the earliest galaxies in the Universe. These gas halos are the perfect food for supermassive black holes at the centre of these galaxies, which are now seen as they were over 12.5 billion years ago. This food storage might explain … Read more
ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has observed the central part of the Milky Way with spectacular resolution and uncovered new details about the history of star birth in our galaxy. Thanks to the new observations, astronomers have found evidence for a dramatic event in the life of the Milky Way: a burst of star formation … Read more
The most extensive survey of atmospheric chemical compositions of exoplanets to date has revealed trends that challenge current theories of planet formation and has implications for the search for water in the solar system and beyond. A team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, used atmospheric data from 19 exoplanets to obtain detailed … Read more
Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus is of great interest to scientists due to its subsurface ocean, making it a prime target for those searching for life elsewhere. New research led by Carnegie’s Doug Hemingway reveals the physics governing the fissures through which oceanwater erupts from the moon’s icy surface, giving its south pole an unusual “tiger … Read more