When astrophysicists observe the cosmos, they see different types of black holes. They range from gargantuan supermassive black holes with billions of solar masses to difficult-to-find intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) all the way down to smaller stellar-mass black holes. But there may be another class of these objects: primordial black holes (PBHs) that formed in … Continue reading "Roman Space Telescope Will Be Hunting For Primordial Black Holes" The post Roman Space Telescope Will Be Hunting For Primordial Black Holes appeared first on Universe Today.

Even though Venus and Earth are so-called sister planets, they’re as different as heaven and hell. Earth is a natural paradise where life has persevered under its azure skies despite multiple mass extinctions. On the other hand, Venus is a blistering planet with clouds of sulphuric acid and atmospheric pressure strong enough to squash a … Continue reading "What Deadly Venus Can Tell Us About Life on Other Worlds" The post What Deadly Venus Can Tell Us About Life on Other Worlds appeared first on Universe Today.

The Gum Nebula is an emission nebula almost 1400 light-years away. It’s home to an object known as “God’s Hand” among the faithful. The rest of us call it CG 4. Many objects in space take on fascinating, ethereal shapes straight out of someone’s psychedelic fantasy. CG4 is definitely ethereal and extraordinary, but it’s also … Continue reading "A Nebula that Extends its Hand into Space" The post A Nebula that Extends its Hand into Space appeared first on Universe Today.

Earth is naked without its protective barrier. The planet’s magnetic shield surrounds Earth and shelters it from the natural onslaught of cosmic rays. But sometimes, the shield weakens and wavers, allowing cosmic rays to strike the atmosphere, creating a shower of particles that scientists think could wreak havoc on the biosphere. This has happened many … Continue reading "41,000 Years Ago Earth’s Shield Went Down" The post 41,000 Years Ago Earth’s Shield Went Down appeared first on Universe Today.

No human being will ever encounter a black hole. But we can’t stop wondering what it would be like to fall into one of these massive, beguiling, physics-defying singularities. NASA created a simulation to help us imagine what it would be like. Jeremy Schnittman is an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and he … Continue reading "Fall Into a Black Hole With this New NASA Simulation" The post Fall Into a Black Hole With this New NASA Simulation appeared first on Universe Today.

The Sun is increasing its intensity on schedule, continuing its approach to solar maximum. In just over a 24-hour period on May 5 and May 6, 2024, the Sun released three X-class solar flares measuring at X1.3, X1.2, and X4.5. Solar flares can impact radio communications and electric power grids here on Earth, and they … Continue reading "Solar Max is Coming. The Sun Just Released Three X-Class Flares" The post Solar Max is Coming. The Sun Just Released Three X-Class Flares appeared first on Universe Today.

Does another undetected planet languish in our Solar System’s distant reaches? Does it follow a distant orbit around the Sun in the murky realm of comets and other icy objects? For some researchers, the answer is “almost certainly.” The case for Planet Nine (P9) goes back at least as far as 2016. In that year, … Continue reading "New Evidence for Our Solar System’s Ghost: Planet Nine" The post New Evidence for Our Solar System’s Ghost: Planet Nine appeared first on Universe Today.

It’s that time again. NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) has announced six concepts that will receive funding and proceed to the second phase of development. This is always an interesting look at the technologies and missions that could come to fruition in the future. The six chosen ones will each receive $600,000 in funding to … Continue reading "NASA Takes Six Advanced Tech Concepts to Phase II" The post NASA Takes Six Advanced Tech Concepts to Phase II appeared first on Universe Today.

On Friday, May 3rd, the sixth mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Chang’e-6) launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern China. Shortly after, China announced that the spacecraft separated successfully from its Long March 5 Y8 rocket. The mission, consisting of an orbiter and lander element, is now on its way to … Continue reading "China is Going Back to the Moon Again With Chang'e-6" The post China is Going Back to the Moon Again With Chang'e-6 appeared first on Universe Today.

Earth is the only life-supporting planet we know of, so it’s tempting to use it as a standard in the search for life elsewhere. But the modern Earth can’t serve as a basis for evaluating exoplanets and their potential to support life. Earth’s atmosphere has changed radically over its 4.5 billion years. A better way … Continue reading "What Can Early Earth Teach Us About the Search for Life?" The post What Can Early Earth Teach Us About the Search for Life? appeared first on Universe Today.