When it comes to brightness, it’s hard to outshine the sun. But in new NASA images, the moon sparkles brighter thanks to a telescope that can detect high-energy radiation. NASA’s Fermi space telescope allows us to see high-energy radiation called gamma rays, which make the moon appear to have an intense glow because of its…… MORE
Microplastics are some of the Earth’s tiniest and most insidious enemies. These tiny bits of plastic are found in countless consumer products including cosmetics, tires, cigarettes and toothpaste, and when they collect in bodies of water and other natural areas, they can pose serious environmental hazards and health risks. In fact, a new study reveals…… MORE
The explosions of stars are some of the most stunning and powerful phenomena seen in the universe. But a recently observed supernova clashes with the models for the death of massive stars. In November 2016, the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite spotted something intriguing. Astronomers used follow-up observations over the past three years in an…… MORE
Scientists have been anticipating the James Webb Space Telescope for years, and it’s set to launch in 2021. This large infrared telescope will be the premier observatory of the next decade, according to NASA. While TESS, the planet-hunting satellite, has had a very busy first year seeking exoplanets — those outside our solar system —…… MORE
Earth faced unprecedented heat in July, its hottest month on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July’s temperature across land and ocean surfaces worldwide was 1.71 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average of 60.4. It was the highest for July since records began in 1880, besting the record set in 2016 by…… MORE
A 30-year-old woman is recovering after falling more than 5,000 feet from a plane. The woman, whose name was not released, was skydiving Saturday near Trois-Rivières, Quebec, when her main and backup parachutes failed to open. She plummeted into a wooded area, and she is in the hospital with several fractures, including broken vertebrae, CNN…… MORE
The retrial of a teenage rape victim will resume on Thursday in El Salvador, in a case that has drawn global attention to the country’s strict anti-abortion laws. Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez, now 21, will return to the Ciudad Delgado courtroom, after being accused of inducing an abortion and convicted of aggravated murder when she was…… MORE
In his search for examples of a more equitable society, Bernie Sanders has long looked north … to Northern Europe, that is. The “Nordic model” consists of strong welfare states funded by relatively high levels of taxation, which enable governments to provide high-quality education and health care for all. Sanders, an independent US senator from…… MORE
City officials in Paris shut down the streets surrounding the Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday to begin decontaminating the area for high levels of lead. The Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire on April 15, destroying the structure’s spires and parts of the roof. Tons of lead from the structure melted from the fire, and the…… MORE
Astronomers never know exactly to expect when they point a telescope in a specific direction — and sometimes what they see is completely unexpected. In this case, astronomers were using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to observe the supermassive black hole at the…… MORE
