Humans aren’t the only species that navigate by starlight. Animals from birds to dung beetles may do it, too — and might become disoriented as our city lights drown out the heavens.
Tag: Stars and Galaxies
Will the Next Space-Weather Season Be Stormy or Fair?
As another 11-year cycle of solar activity begins, scientists debate how violent our stellar friend is likely to be.
The Most Intimate Portrait Yet of a Black Hole
Two years of analyzing the polarized light from a galaxy’s giant black hole has given scientists a glimpse at how quasars might arise.
At the Edge of Time, a Litter of Galactic Puppies
The discovery of a black hole surrounded by protogalaxies provides astronomers with a rare glimpse of the web of matter permeating the cosmos.
This Star Looked Like It Would Explode. Maybe It Just Sneezed
The mysterious dimming of the red supergiant Betelgeuse is the result of a stellar exhalation, astronomers say.
Two Black Holes Colliding Not Enough? Make It Three
Astronomers claim to have seen a flash from the merger of two black holes within the maelstrom of a third, far bigger one.
The Interstellar Comet Has Arrived in Time for the Holidays
This weekend an ice cube from beyond our solar system will make its closest approach to the sun, trailing mystery and dust.
After SpaceX Starlink Launch, a Fear of Satellites That Outnumber All Visible Stars
Images of the Starlink constellation in orbit have rattled astronomers around the world.
Darkness Visible, Finally: Astronomers Capture First Ever Image of a Black Hole
Astronomers at last have captured a picture of one of the most secretive entities in the cosmos.
Trilobites: It’s Cold Outside, but Earth Is at Its Closest Approach to the Sun
Our planet’s elliptical orbit doesn’t affect winter or summer temperatures. But some astronomers wonder whether it’s a factor in why life survives.