At first glance, it looks like something from an alien autopsy. A strange organ cut from a xenomorph’s thorax, under the flickering lights of an operating room in a top secret government facility, with venous tendrils dangling down to the floor, dripping viscous slime. (X-Com anyone?) But no, it’s just our Solar System. This strangely …

Continue reading "This is What the Solar System Really Looks Like"

The post This is What the Solar System Really Looks Like appeared first on Universe Today.

Is it possible that the aliens are not hiding, but sleeping and waiting for the Universe to get better?

The post Beyond the Fermi Paradox V: What is the Aestivation Hypothesis? appeared first on Universe Today.

It's August and that means the Perseid meteors are inbound, starting this weekend this shower is a sure-fire bet, though 2020 sees the spectacle go down under somewhat challenging circumstances.

The post Meteors of August: Our Guide to the 2020 Perseids appeared first on Universe Today.

Twinkling stars might make for spectacular viewing on a hot summer's night, but they are an absolute nightmare to astronomers. That twinkling is caused by disturbances in the Earth's atmosphere, and can wreak havoc on brightness readings, a key tool for astronomers everywhere.  Those readings are used for everything from understanding galaxy formation to the …

Continue reading "Antarctica Is the Best Place On Earth for a Telescope, Is Also the Hardest Place to Put a Telescope"

The post Antarctica Is the Best Place On Earth for a Telescope, Is Also the Hardest Place to Put a Telescope appeared first on Universe Today.

Astronomers have found another strange exoplanet in a distant solar system. This one’s an oddball because its size is intermediate between Earth and Neptune, yet it’s 50% more massive than Neptune. Astronomers have found what they call “puff planets” in other Solar Systems. Those are planets that are a few times more massive than Earth, …

Continue reading "A Strange Planet has been Found that’s Smaller than Neptune But 50% More Massive"

The post A Strange Planet has been Found that’s Smaller than Neptune But 50% More Massive appeared first on Universe Today.

Orbiters are giving us a chance to study the surface of Mars closely, and some of the features that pop to prominence are dry river channels. There are over 10,000 of them. But a new study suggests that glaciers on ancient Mars are responsible for many of them. According to the study, those glaciers and …

Continue reading "Martian Features Were Carved by Glaciers, not Flowing Rivers"

The post Martian Features Were Carved by Glaciers, not Flowing Rivers appeared first on Universe Today.

Since it launched in 2010, the Solar Dynamics Observatory has helped scientists understand how the Sun’s magnetic field is generated and structured, and what causes solar flares. One of the main goals of the mission was to be able to create forecasts for predicting activity on the Sun.    Using mission data from the past …

Continue reading "New Solar Model Successfully Predicted Seven of the Sun’s Last Nine Big Flares"

The post New Solar Model Successfully Predicted Seven of the Sun’s Last Nine Big Flares appeared first on Universe Today.

Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley just returned from the ISS, completing the first crewed mission from US soil in almost a decade.

The post NASA Astronauts are Back on Earth After a Successful Crew Dragon Splashdown appeared first on Universe Today.