Observational Studies
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Chinese Astronomers Use Insight-HXMT to Decode X-ray Outburst of Binary Star System
In a recent study published on July 24 via arXiv, astronomers from Wuhan University have detailed the powerful X-ray outburst of the Be/X-ray binary system RX J0440.9+4431. Using China’s Insight-HXMT satellite, the team tracked the event from its eruption in December 2022 through March 2023.
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Chinese Submersible Discovers Deepest-Ever Creatures 10 Km Undersea In Marina Trench
A Chinese submersible has discovered thousands of worms and molluscs nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) below sea level in the Mariana Trench, the deepest colony of creatures ever observed, a study revealed on Wednesday.
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NASA and ISRO Prepare to Launch NISAR Earth-Mapping Satellite
NASA and India’s ISRO are set to launch NISAR, a first-of-its-kind Earth-observing satellite equipped with advanced dual-band radar. Scheduled to lift off no earlier than late July 2025 from Sriharikota, India, NISAR will map nearly all of Earth’s land and ice every 12 days, capturing surface changes with centimeter-level precision. Its L-band ...
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Watch: Killer Whales Recorded Sharing Food With Humans
Scientists found 34 instances where the killer whales approached a human with a range of food items.
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New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
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Scientists Trace Universe’s Missing Ordinary Matter Using FRBs and X-rays
New astronomical breakthroughs have identified where the universe’s “missing” ordinary matter resides. Using 70 FRBs, including one from 9 billion light-years away, scientists discovered that 76% of ordinary matter exists between galaxies. A separate X-ray study observed an enormous hot gas filament connecting galaxy clusters.
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Astronomers Discover 3I/ATLAS, Largest Interstellar Comet Yet Detected
Astronomers have discovered 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar comet to pass through our solar system. Detected by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, it’s racing inward at 150,000 mph and will swing closest to the Sun in October. Estimated to be 10–20 kilometers across, it is likely the largest interstellar object observed so far. Signs of comet...
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Very Massive Stars Blow Away Outer Layers in Powerful Winds Before Black Hole Collapse
Massive stars may lose much more mass than expected before collapsing into black holes. A new study reveals that their powerful stellar winds strip outer layers early, reshaping theories of star evolution, black hole formation, and gravitational wave events. This research challenges previous models and helps explain observed features of stars like ...
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'Writing Is Thinking': Do Students Who Use ChatGPT Learn Less?
When Jocelyn Leitzinger had her university students write about times in their lives they had witnessed discrimination, she noticed that a woman named Sally was the victim in many of the stories. Around half of her 180 students used ChatGPT for it.
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This Turkish City Was Ruled By Women In Matriarchal Society 9,000 Years Ago, Study Finds
The female-centred approach in Catalhoyuk is in sharp contrast to patterns observed in later European cities.
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Two Spacecraft Recreate Artificial Solar Eclipses to Observe the Sun’s Superhot Corona
Twin satellites in ESA’s Proba-3 mission have successfully recreated artificial solar eclipses from space to examine the sun’s million-degree corona. The breakthrough will allow continuous observations of the sun’s outer atmosphere, offering rare insights that natural eclipses on Earth can’t provide. The mission marks a major step in solar ...
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Soviet Venus Probe Kosmos-482 Re-enters Earth’s Atmosphere After 52 Years, Location Unclear
A failed Soviet Venus probe from 1972 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in May, yet tracking its final descent baffled experts. Despite decades of observation, differing models and unpredictable atmospheric conditions prevented precise predictions. Scientists now see Kosmos-482 as a case study in the enduring challenges of satellite reentry and the n...
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Google's AI Chatbot Panics When Playing Video Game Meant For Children
During the two playthroughs, the Gemini team at DeepMind observed an interesting phenomenon they describe as 'Agent Panic'.
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JWST Reveals Pluto’s Haze Cools Atmosphere, Paints Charon’s Poles Red
Pluto's thin haze of organic particles, confirmed by JWST’s mid-infrared observations, plays a crucial role in both cooling its mesosphere and launching methane into space. This methane escapes Pluto’s gravity, landing on Charon’s poles where radiation transforms it into reddish tholins. The study highlights how Pluto’s haze shapes not only...
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New Study Sets Stronger Mass Limit on Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter
A groundbreaking study has set a new lower bound on the mass of ultralight bosonic dark matter particles—2.2 × 10⁻²¹ eV. Using stellar motion data from the dwarf galaxy Leo II and advanced computational models, the team ruled out lighter masses that cannot form observed structures. This challenges the popular fuzzy dark matter theory and pav...
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Chinese Astronomers Use Insight-HXMT to Decode X-ray Outburst of Binary Star System
In a recent study published on July 24 via arXiv, astronomers from Wuhan University have detailed the powerful X-ray outburst of the Be/X-ray binary system RX J0440.9+4431. Using China’s Insight-HXMT satellite, the team tracked the event from its eruption in December 2022 through March 2023.
-
Chinese Submersible Discovers Deepest-Ever Creatures 10 Km Undersea In Marina Trench
A Chinese submersible has discovered thousands of worms and molluscs nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) below sea level in the Mariana Trench, the deepest colony of creatures ever observed, a study revealed on Wednesday.
-
NASA and ISRO Prepare to Launch NISAR Earth-Mapping Satellite
NASA and India’s ISRO are set to launch NISAR, a first-of-its-kind Earth-observing satellite equipped with advanced dual-band radar. Scheduled to lift off no earlier than late July 2025 from Sriharikota, India, NISAR will map nearly all of Earth’s land and ice every 12 days, capturing surface changes with centimeter-level precision. Its L-band ...
-
Watch: Killer Whales Recorded Sharing Food With Humans
Scientists found 34 instances where the killer whales approached a human with a range of food items.
-
New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
-
Scientists Trace Universe’s Missing Ordinary Matter Using FRBs and X-rays
New astronomical breakthroughs have identified where the universe’s “missing” ordinary matter resides. Using 70 FRBs, including one from 9 billion light-years away, scientists discovered that 76% of ordinary matter exists between galaxies. A separate X-ray study observed an enormous hot gas filament connecting galaxy clusters.
-
Astronomers Discover 3I/ATLAS, Largest Interstellar Comet Yet Detected
Astronomers have discovered 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar comet to pass through our solar system. Detected by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, it’s racing inward at 150,000 mph and will swing closest to the Sun in October. Estimated to be 10–20 kilometers across, it is likely the largest interstellar object observed so far. Signs of comet...
-
Very Massive Stars Blow Away Outer Layers in Powerful Winds Before Black Hole Collapse
Massive stars may lose much more mass than expected before collapsing into black holes. A new study reveals that their powerful stellar winds strip outer layers early, reshaping theories of star evolution, black hole formation, and gravitational wave events. This research challenges previous models and helps explain observed features of stars like ...
-
'Writing Is Thinking': Do Students Who Use ChatGPT Learn Less?
When Jocelyn Leitzinger had her university students write about times in their lives they had witnessed discrimination, she noticed that a woman named Sally was the victim in many of the stories. Around half of her 180 students used ChatGPT for it.
-
This Turkish City Was Ruled By Women In Matriarchal Society 9,000 Years Ago, Study Finds
The female-centred approach in Catalhoyuk is in sharp contrast to patterns observed in later European cities.
-
Two Spacecraft Recreate Artificial Solar Eclipses to Observe the Sun’s Superhot Corona
Twin satellites in ESA’s Proba-3 mission have successfully recreated artificial solar eclipses from space to examine the sun’s million-degree corona. The breakthrough will allow continuous observations of the sun’s outer atmosphere, offering rare insights that natural eclipses on Earth can’t provide. The mission marks a major step in solar ...
-
Soviet Venus Probe Kosmos-482 Re-enters Earth’s Atmosphere After 52 Years, Location Unclear
A failed Soviet Venus probe from 1972 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in May, yet tracking its final descent baffled experts. Despite decades of observation, differing models and unpredictable atmospheric conditions prevented precise predictions. Scientists now see Kosmos-482 as a case study in the enduring challenges of satellite reentry and the n...
-
Google's AI Chatbot Panics When Playing Video Game Meant For Children
During the two playthroughs, the Gemini team at DeepMind observed an interesting phenomenon they describe as 'Agent Panic'.
-
JWST Reveals Pluto’s Haze Cools Atmosphere, Paints Charon’s Poles Red
Pluto's thin haze of organic particles, confirmed by JWST’s mid-infrared observations, plays a crucial role in both cooling its mesosphere and launching methane into space. This methane escapes Pluto’s gravity, landing on Charon’s poles where radiation transforms it into reddish tholins. The study highlights how Pluto’s haze shapes not only...
-
New Study Sets Stronger Mass Limit on Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter
A groundbreaking study has set a new lower bound on the mass of ultralight bosonic dark matter particles—2.2 × 10⁻²¹ eV. Using stellar motion data from the dwarf galaxy Leo II and advanced computational models, the team ruled out lighter masses that cannot form observed structures. This challenges the popular fuzzy dark matter theory and pav...
