A global network of small, Wi-Fi-enabled telescopes has enabled hobby astronomers to contribute to astronomical research, discovering hundreds of asteroids, comets, and exoplanets. The network, led by the French company Unistellar, has expanded its reach through partnerships with nonprofits and universities, making it accessible to communities worldwide. This collaborative effort has transformed the way people…
insights on The Soothsayer
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have observed the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, Sgr A*, to be constantly flickering with superbright flares. The observations, which lasted for hours at a time over the course of a year, revealed a “constant bubbling” in the disk’s light that changed every…
A team of scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has made a groundbreaking discovery about the supermassive black hole M87*. By analyzing observations from 2017 and 2018, the researchers found that the black hole’s rotational axis points away from Earth and that turbulence within the accretion disc plays a significant role in changing its…
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding the role of mechanical forces in the development of an entire organism from a single cell. By studying the behavior of fruit fly epithelial tissue, the team has identified a power law that explains why the tissue stretches as…
Astronomers have created the first weather map of the exoplanet WASP-127b, revealing brutal conditions with winds reaching speeds of up to 33,000 km/hr. The map was created by analyzing light transmitted through the planet’s atmosphere during a transit event. The study provides valuable insights into the planet’s atmosphere and wind patterns, which will aid in…
Unlocking the Secrets of Static Electricity: A Breakthrough in Understanding Contact Electrification
Physicists in Austria have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding static electricity, also known as contact electrification or triboelectrification. Led by Juan Carlos Sobarzo and Scott Waitukaitis, the team found that the static electricity acquired by identical material samples can evolve differently over time, based on each sample’s history of contact with other samples. This…
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the Earth’s inner core, revealing that it is changing shape. This finding, published in Nature Geoscience, has sparked new questions about the potential effects on the planet’s magnetic field, day length, and more. Researchers analyzed seismic waves from earthquakes to determine that the inner core has been deforming…
A recent solar storm has triggered the formation of two new, persistent bands of radiation around Earth, encircling the planet in a zone previously thought to be empty. These temporary radiation belts, which could last for months or even years, pose a threat to satellites and astronauts, and may require engineers to rethink their designs…
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology and Princeton University have discovered that bacterial cells in polymer solutions, such as mucus, form long cable-like structures that buckle and twist on each other, creating a “living gel.” This finding could lead to new treatments for bacterial infections in patients with cystic fibrosis and help scientists understand…
A massive impact 3.8 billion years ago created two gargantuan canyons on the moon’s surface, carving out a dramatic landscape. Researchers have now analyzed the physics behind their formation, revealing a swift and explosive event that sent rocks plunging into the lunar surface. This discovery opens up new opportunities for scientists to study the moon’s…