Dune patterns in California desert hold clues that help researchers map Mars’ shifting sands

Understanding the similarities and differences of the deserts on Earth and Mars will help space travelers survive future missions to the red planet.

Lauren Berger, Ph.D. Student in Geology, Texas A&M University • conversation
yesterday ~6 min

Are people at the South Pole upside down?

An astrophysicist who spent time doing research at the South Pole gets to the bottom of how things feel at the ends of the Earth.

Abigail Bishop, Ph.D. Student in Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
July 7, 2025 ~5 min


Astronomers have discovered another puzzling interstellar object − this third one is big, bright and fast

Over the next few days, astronomers will pull together evidence to determine whether the object is a comet.

Darryl Z. Seligman, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University • conversation
July 3, 2025 ~8 min

How can the James Webb Space Telescope see so far?

The James Webb Space Telescope has 2 powerful instruments that see light the human eye can’t.

Adi Foord, Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
June 30, 2025 ~9 min

The mystery of Mercury’s missing meteorites – and how we may have finally found some

Meteorites may be the only practical way to study Mercury’s surface directly.

Ben Rider-Stokes, Post Doctoral Researcher in Achondrite Meteorites, The Open University • conversation
June 25, 2025 ~7 min

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will help astronomers investigate dark matter, continuing the legacy of its pioneering namesake

Vera C. Rubin’s research into stars in galaxies led to the modern understanding of dark matter.

Samantha Thompson, Astronomy Curator, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
June 24, 2025 ~9 min

How do atoms form? A physicist explains where the atoms that make up everything around come from

Almost everything on Earth is made up of atoms, but where do these fundamental building blocks come from?

Stephen L. Levy, Associate Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Astronomy, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
June 23, 2025 ~8 min

Astronomy has a major data problem – simulating realistic images of the sky can help train algorithms

To make a truly realistic fake picture of a galaxy, you can model exactly how light particles travel through the atmosphere and telescope to reach its sensor.

John Peterson, Assoc. Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University • conversation
June 23, 2025 ~9 min


Shining light on scientific superstar

Vera Rubin, whose dark-matter discoveries changed astronomy and physics, gets her due with namesake observatory, commemorative quarter

Harvard Gazette • harvard
June 20, 2025 ~6 min

Is Mars really red? A physicist explains the planet’s reddish hue and why it looks different to some telescopes

Mars isn’t a bright, fire-engine red, but the iron oxide in its rocks makes it appear redder than other planets, especially from afar.

David Joffe, Associate Professor of Physics, Kennesaw State University • conversation
June 16, 2025 ~7 min

/

134