Category Astronomy/Space

Protostars ‘sneeze’ and produce rings of gas and magnetic flux as they grow

Star light, star bright, baby stars blow rings alight
An artist’s rendering of the molecular cloud core of MC 27 based on observations from the ALMA telescope. The protostar and the disk surrounding it are shown in the lower right, with warm gas extending outward in a ring-like structure, with magnetic field lines penetrating the interior of the ring. Credit:The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2026). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae47ec

Researchers have uncovered new insights into the early development of baby stars...

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High nickel concentrations in Martian bedrock point to potential biosignatures

High nickel concentrations in Martian bedrock point to potential biosignatures
In Beaver Falls, Ni was detected in both the primary mudstone and within cross-cutting Ca-sulfate veins. Credit: Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70081-3

In 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover found surprising levels of Nickel in the Martian bedrock of an ancient river channel, called Neretva Vallis, which flowed into the Jezero crater. A new study, published in Nature Communications, has taken a closer look at the data collected from the region and researchers are seeing what could be remnants of ancient Martian life.

Nickel as a biosignature
Although nickel is not typically thought of as a major component of human life, it is important in many microbial metabolism functions...

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NASA probe data suggests a more complex sun’s magnetic engine

NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft in front of the orange Sun
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is the first spacecraft to fly through the corona, the Sun’s upper atmosphere, and offers a unique perspective on solar processes. Using Parker Solar Probe data, SwRI-led research has revealed a complex system of magnetic forces and kinetic energy associated with protons and heavy ions accelerated by magnetic reconnection. Courtesy of NASA

A Southwest Research Institute-led study found that protons and heavy ions react differently to solar magnetic reconnection events, revealing a more complex magnetic engine powering the solar wind. Magnetic reconnection converts magnetic energy into explosive kinetic energy, powering solar events and causing space weather that impacts Earth...

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Monster black holes are silencing star formation across the universe

Giant black holes may be secretly controlling how entire clusters of galaxies grow. A blazing supermassive black hole can influence far more than its own galaxy. Scientists found that quasars emit radiation strong enough to shut down star formation in nearby galaxies millions of light-years away. This could explain why some galaxies near early quasars appear faint or missing. The finding suggests galaxies grow and evolve together, not in isolation.

Powerful radiation from active supermassive black holes, which are believed to sit at the center of most galaxies, can do more than shape their own surroundings. A new study led by Yongda Zhu at the University of Arizona suggests these black holes can also slow the formation of stars in galaxies located millions of light-years away.

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