Astronomers have found that planet formation in the young Solar System started much earlier than previously thought. According to the research, the building blocks of planets started growing at the same time as their parent star. A study of some of the oldest stars in the Universe suggests planets like Jupiter and Saturn begin to […]
The ghostly remains of a giant star reveal a tapestry of colours and waves. After a massive star’s life ended in a powerful explosion some 11,000 years ago, the wispy structure of pink and orange clouds is all that remains. When the biggest stars reach the end of their lives, they often go out with […]
Scientists are analysing the data from two large meteorite impacts on Mars, with aim of understanding more about how the red planet formed. The space rocks crashed into the Martian surface at different times in the latter half of 2021, resulting in two large craters upwards of 130 metres in diameter. Nasa’s InSight lander – […]
University scientists have developed a system which could help astronomers find Earth-like planets – and it is powered by a laser similar to those sold in shops for a few pounds. Researchers at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University have produced a device powered by a green laser similar to laser pointers sold for less than £5. But […]
UK scientists believe they have identified the source of one of the rarest meteorites to ever fall on Earth. The Ivuna meteorite landed in Tanzania in December 1938 and was subsequently split into a number of samples – one of which is housed at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London. Based on an analysis […]
Scientists have for the first time pinpointed a large number of genes that are reliably associated with dyslexia. Dyslexia is known to run in families – partly because of genetic factors – but until now, little was known about the specific genes that relate to the risk of it developing. The team behind this latest […]
A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows at least 17 dust rings – resembling a fingerprint – created by a rare type of star and its companion, locked in a celestial dance. Sitting more than 5,000 light years from Earth, the duo is collectively known as Wolf-Rayet 140 (WR 140). Each […]
A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows at least 17 dust rings – resembling a fingerprint – created by a rare type of star and its companion, locked in a celestial dance. Sitting more than 5,000 light years from Earth, the duo is collectively known as Wolf-Rayet 140 (WR 140). Each […]
Modern humans and Neanderthals may have co-existed in France and northern Spain for between 1,400 and 2,900 years before Neanderthals disappeared, a new study suggests. Researchers say the findings add to their understanding of the existence of the two species of humans in this region. However, it is not yet known whether the two species […]
A spacecraft that ploughed into a small, harmless asteroid millions of miles away succeeded in shifting its orbit, Nasa said on Tuesday as it announced the results of its save-the-world test. The space agency attempted the first test of its kind two weeks ago to see if in the future a killer rock could be […]
