Groundbreaking laser can help detect signs of life on other planets
The laser-sourced analyzer is significantly smaller and more resource-efficient than its predecessors—all without compromising its abilities
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The Brighter Side of News features good news, compassionate news and inspirational news from around the world
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Joseph Shavit
- Jan 18
Scientists can finally explain how rocky planets form
A new theory for how rocky planets form could explain the origin of so-called "super-Earths"—a class of Earth-like exoplanets.
Joseph Shavit
- Jan 5
Does the universe have an end – or does it go on forever?
Above the atmosphere is space. It’s called that because it has far fewer molecules, with lots of empty space between them.
Joseph Shavit
- Jan 4
Harvard and Cambridge scientists solve the mystery of cosmic inflation
Astrophysicists say that there is a clear, unambiguous signal in the cosmos which could eliminate inflation as a possibility.
Joseph Shavit
- Dec 23, 2022
Alien planet found spiraling to its doom into an aging star
For the first time, astronomers have spotted an exoplanet whose orbit is decaying around an evolved, or older, host star.
Joseph Shavit
- Dec 23, 2022
Scientists make major discovery in the search for life on other planets
An Earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf star discovery could cause a major shift in the search for life on other planets.
Joseph Shavit
- Dec 18, 2022
Light from outside our galaxy 3x brighter than expected, study finds
New measurements show that the light emitted by stars outside our galaxy is two to three times brighter than the light from known galaxies.
Joseph Shavit
- Dec 13, 2022
Dark matter is made up of dark photons, study finds
Dark matter could be made up of ultralight dark photons that heated up our universe: this is a new scenario proposed in a recent study.
Joseph Shavit
- Dec 12, 2022
Amazing interactive map lets you scroll through the universe
A new map of the universe displays for the first time the span of the entire known cosmos with pinpoint accuracy and sweeping beauty.
Joseph Shavit
- Dec 4, 2022
Harvard and Cambridge astrophysicists solve the mystery of cosmic inflation
Astrophysicists say that there is a clear, unambiguous signal in the cosmos which could eliminate inflation as a possibility.
Joseph Shavit
- Nov 29, 2022
Scientists discover what is hidden inside the heart of a black hole
The black hole’s gravity, which exists in three dimensions, mathematically connects to the particles dancing above it, which exist in 2D.
Joseph Shavit
- Nov 22, 2022
Astrophysicists make major discovery in the search for life on other planets
An Earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf — the most common type of star in the universe — appears to have no atmosphere at all.
Joseph Shavit
- Nov 12, 2022
The earth-sun distance found to dramatically alter seasons
An unrecognized effect boosts or diminishes the Pacific cold tongue, likely impacting El Niño/La Niña events and North American weather
Joseph Shavit
- Nov 7, 2022
How big is the universe? Does outer space have an end?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel to outer space – and then keep going? What would you find?
Joseph Shavit
- Nov 7, 2022
Astronomers have identified the oldest star in our galaxy
Provides insight into the formation and evolution of asteroids, icy moons and Earth-like rocky planets in the early history of the universe.
Joseph Shavit
- Nov 5, 2022
Harvard astrophysicists solve the mystery of cosmic inflation
The signal – known as the cosmic graviton background (CGB) – can be detected, although it will be a massive technical challenge.
Joseph Shavit
- Oct 22, 2022
Scientists make major discovery in the search for life on other planets
An Earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf — the most common type of star in the universe — appears to have no atmosphere at all.
Joseph Shavit
- Oct 12, 2022
Astronomers at MIT find a 'cataclysmic' pair of stars with the shortest orbit yet
Two stars in a binary system 3,000 light years from Earth are orbiting each other so closely that one of the stars has burnt out.
Joseph Shavit
- Oct 7, 2022
How big is the universe? Is it infinite or does it end?
Right above you is the sky – or as scientists would call it, the atmosphere. It extends about 20 miles (32 kilometers) above the Earth.
Joseph Shavit
- Oct 2, 2022
Our universe could be the mirror image of an antimatter universe extending backwards in time
Standard cosmological models tell us that the universe – space, time and mass/energy – exploded into existence some 14 billion years ago.
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