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August 19, 2026, 02:16 PM - 9 min read
Scientists have shown that existing measurements of dark energy are robust. Rather than debating whether cosmic acceleration exists, the astrophysical community can return to the exciting task of figuring out what dark energy actually is and how to best measure it.
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August 12, 2026, 02:29 PM - 7 min read
Solar sails and light sails are stepping stones from the present to the future, and from exploring our own solar system to exploring distant stars. Perhaps exoplanet LHS 1140b will be visited by a light sail at some point in our future.
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August 11, 2026, 01:00 PM - 6 min read
Throughout the solar system, solar eclipses are possible and, from some planets, frequent. From Earth, the occasional alignment of size, distance and time allows for total solar eclipses that make the Moon look as if it was made to fit perfectly over the Sun.
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July 30, 2026, 01:16 PM - 7 min read
By mapping the universe in unprecedented detail, the Roman telescope will provide a powerful test of our current understanding of cosmology – and potentially point the way to new physics.
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July 16, 2026, 01:58 PM - 9 min read
Peering into the distant past, the telescope has been revealing incredible new details of the early universe, galaxies, potentially habitable exoplanets and even familiar objects in our solar system.
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July 14, 2026, 12:48 PM - 8 min read
The 1979 United Nations Moon Agreement states that no one can claim sovereignty over the Moon, and must use its resources responsibly – which sounds promising. Unfortunately, almost none of the countries involved with Artemis, including the US and UK, have signed it. Scientists live in hope that this doesn’t all turn into a big land grab.
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July 6, 2026, 01:59 PM - 6 min read
In short, no. There is no way to artificially produce the massive densities. The densest everyday material is many millions of times less dense than what is needed to produce a tiny black hole.
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July 3, 2026, 04:48 PM - 7 min read
Most craters from the early Earth have vanished. At North Pole Dome, one survived. Its rocks preserve the trace of a space impact from 3.024 billion years ago – a rare page from the violent youth of our planet, with the date still written in the stone.
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June 17, 2026, 12:54 PM - 6 min read
Comets, though typically found in the outer solar system, can also cause meteors, and even meteor showers. A few comets take long, elliptical paths through the inner solar system every year.
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June 7, 2026, 12:57 PM - 6 min read
A star caught cannibalising its companion has finally revealed the origin of one of astronomy’s most puzzling repeating signals.
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May 28, 2026, 12:40 PM - 9 min read
Given the scale of interstellar distances, it’s inevitable that any alien voyage to Earth would span many years and possibly several centuries. But as the time spent in transit increases, so does the risk of catastrophic accidents or system malfunctions that could jeopardise the mission.
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May 19, 2026, 01:01 PM - 7 min read
A surge in rocket launches is filling orbit with satellites built from tougher, more heat-resistant materials—and when they fall back to Earth, they aren't always burning up the way we expect.
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