Author(s): Mark Buchanan

A researcher describes a pathway to unprecedented precision for measurements of the distance to the Moon using a continuous rather than a pulsed laser.

[Physics 18, 124] Published Fri Jun 27, 2025

Author(s): Marric Stephens

The efficiency of a quantum cryptography scheme can be improved by replacing conventional attenuated lasers with single-photon quantum-dot sources.

[Physics 18, 126] Published Fri Jun 27, 2025

Author(s): Bob Henderson

One hundred years after Heisenberg’s legendary retreat on Helgoland, physicists return to the island to celebrate the achievements of quantum mechanics and to debate its future.

[Physics 18, 125] Published Thu Jun 26, 2025

Author(s): Anne-Florence Bitbol

A biophysical model sheds light on how the subtle interplay of fluid dynamics and bacterial growth controls the fluctuating population of microbes in the human gut.

[Physics 18, 121] Published Wed Jun 25, 2025

Author(s): Marric Stephens

A theoretical model of a surface-wave instability matches observations of a muddy debris flow in an Alpine valley.

[Physics 18, s81] Published Tue Jun 24, 2025

Author(s): Robert-Jan Slager

Contrary to conventional wisdom, so-called order parameters that distinguish symmetry-governed phases of matter can have topological structure.

[Physics 18, 118] Published Mon Jun 23, 2025

Author(s): Matteo Rini

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has released its first images—a small preview of a decadal survey that will observe an unprecedented number of stars and galaxies, helping researchers tackle the biggest mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology.

[Physics 18, 122] Published Mon Jun 23, 2025

Author(s): Michael Schirber

In bringing attention to climate change, this year’s Show Your Stripes Day includes new stripe patterns depicting temperature changes in the ocean and atmosphere, as well as in future-climate scenarios.

[Physics 18, 119] Published Fri Jun 20, 2025

Author(s): Philip Ball

A concept based on an exotic effect in periodic structures may be useful for developing future photonic devices.

[Physics 18, 120] Published Fri Jun 20, 2025

Author(s): Ryan Wilkinson

An atom’s quantum state can be determined quickly and accurately thanks to a strategy for making the atom brighter.

[Physics 18, s77] Published Fri Jun 20, 2025

Author(s): Charles Day

A fine-grained database of Twitter posts gathered during the 2017 French presidential election validates a popular network model of opinion dynamics.

[Physics 18, s76] Published Tue Jun 17, 2025

Author(s): Michael Schirber

A study of cellular motion demonstrates a method for isolating individual cellular behavior from environmentally induced random motion.

[Physics 18, s84] Published Tue Jun 17, 2025

Author(s): Chris Rogers

Researchers have demonstrated the slowing and subsequent reacceleration of a muon beam, increasing the potential of muon beams as a research tool.

[Physics 18, 114] Published Mon Jun 16, 2025

Author(s): Michael Schirber

The memory of a story appears to have a tree-like structure, with abstract summaries branching out into more specific details.

[Physics 18, 117] Published Fri Jun 13, 2025

Author(s): Ryan Wilkinson

Two studies elucidate key mechanisms limiting the efficiency and stability of organic light-emitting diodes.

[Physics 18, s74] Published Thu Jun 12, 2025

Vikas Chander from New Delhi, India The 10.4-meter Gran Telescopio Canarias lies beneath the stars and Venus atop Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma in the Canary Islands. The imager used a Sony mirrorless camera and 85mm lens at f/4 to take two hundred 30-second exposures at ISO 100. Above the clouds

The post Above the clouds appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Perhaps 100 billion galaxies exist in the universe at this time, although the cosmos could be infinite and the number even larger. Of the huge number of galaxies, several thousand are bright enough to be viewed nicely with a small or medium-sized backyard telescope. And of course the orientations of galaxies in space are allContinue reading "Deep-Sky Dreams: Edge-on galaxy NGC 5907"

The post Deep-Sky Dreams: Edge-on galaxy NGC 5907 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Mission Highlights: Axiom 4 Delayed The launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) has been postponed for a second time. This delay stems from a pressure leak in the Russian Zvezda service module aboard the International Space Station (ISS), following previous weather-related issues and a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket. As of JuneContinue reading "Axiom 4 launch delayed again as Starlink and Blue Origin missions prepare for liftoff"

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The White House’s proposed 2026 NASA budget calls for a dramatic 24 percent cut to funding, reducing NASA’s budget from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. If enacted, this would mark the agency’s smallest budget since 1961, when adjusted for inflation. The most severe reductions target NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), which faces a 47 percentContinue reading "This graphic shows what’s at stake in the proposed 2026 NASA budget"

The post This graphic shows what’s at stake in the proposed 2026 NASA budget appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

When the Sun becomes a red giant, will the outer planets and moons become more temperate and conducive to Earth-like life? Terrence A. MurrayCincinnati, Ohio When the Sun runs out of hydrogen fuel and expands into a red giant, it will eventually encompass the innermost planets of the solar system, out to about Earth’s orbit.Continue reading "When the Sun becomes a red giant, will the outer planets and moons become more temperate?"

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In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher invites you to head out on the evening of June 16 to observe a close passage of the star Regulus by Mars. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion and sits at the bottom of that figure’s “backward question mark,” which is the Lion’s head,Continue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: Mars passes the star Regulus"

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On June 16, 1963, 26-year-old Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made history by becoming the first woman to travel into space. A former factory seamstress, Tereshkova was an accomplished amateur parachutist with over 100 jumps — a vital skill, since Vostok cosmonauts ejected before landing. Selected from over 400 applicants in 1962, she underwent months ofContinue reading "June 16, 1963: Valentina Tereshkova is the first woman in space"

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Mars will pass 0.8° north of Regulus at midnight EDT, and both are visible for several hours after sunset for evening observers to enjoy.  In the post-sunset sky, look west to find the two standing close together, with Mars just to the upper right of Regulus. Both star and planet are the same magnitude (1.4)Continue reading "The Sky Today on Monday, June 16: Mars and Regulus shine together"

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On June 15, 763 BCE, a near-total solar eclipse occurred over northern Assyria and was recorded by observers in Nineveh, the capital city. This event is preserved in the Eponym Canon, a list of historical events made by the Assyrians on clay tablets, following a specialized calendar system. The text notes: “Insurrection in the CityContinue reading "June 15, 763 BCE: Assyrians record a solar eclipse"

The post June 15, 763 BCE: Assyrians record a solar eclipse appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The teams operating the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — NASA’s two most in-demand observatories and among its most scientifically productive missions — are preparing to reduce operations due to funding shortfalls, officials said last week at the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Anchorage, Alaska. The comments came atContinue reading "James Webb, Hubble space telescopes face reduction in operations over funding shortfalls"

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Two hours after sunset, the sky is dark and the constellation Canes Venatici is high in the west, nestled beneath the curve of Ursa Major’s long tail, which also creates the handle of the Big Dipper asterism.  Located in northern Canes Venatici is M51, famously known as the Whirlpool Galaxy. It’s easy to find justContinue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, June 15: View the Whirlpool and its companion"

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, June 15: View the Whirlpool and its companion appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

On June 14, 1949, a rhesus monkey named Albert II was launched into space aboard a V-2 rocket from White Sands, New Mexico. Prior to Albert II, animals including fruit flies, mice, and another monkey (Albert I) had been launched in rocket and balloon flights as part of American space biology research, but Albert II’sContinue reading "June 14, 1949: The first mammal in space"

The post June 14, 1949: The first mammal in space appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The Moon doesn’t rise until late tonight, leaving a dark window after sunset to explore the sky. Back in Leo in the west this evening, you might try your luck with Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, also known as Schwassmann-Wachmann 1. Now around 13th magnitude, the comet is sliding through southwestern Leo. Today, Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is roughly 2°Continue reading "The Sky Today on Saturday, June 14: Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 sits at Leo’s feet"

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The sky is filled with great planetary nebulae for backyard observers. Their small size and relatively high surface brightnesses make them easy to observe in most telescopes — and decent targets on less than perfect nights. The constellation Cygnus is filled with bright planetaries, lying as it does smack dab on the center of theContinue reading "Deep-Sky Dreams: NGC 7008"

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At one point, Sally Ride was arguably the most famous woman in the world. She flew two missions for NASA, including the one that made her the first American woman in space. She gave hundreds of interviews, and has appeared in countless books, on commemorative stamps, even on Sesame Street. She has a Barbie dollContinue reading "New documentary ‘Sally’ tells the full life story of America’s first female astronaut"

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Greg Meyer from Phoenix, Arizona Star trails encircle the landscape of northern Arizona in this 360° image that uses a stereographic projection. In the “foreground” of the scene lies the photographer’s Starpoint Australis portable tent observatory. The photographer captured the star trails with an Insta360 X4 camera, stacking around five hundred 30-second images taken atContinue reading "A world in motion"

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This is my open letter to all aurora chasers. After returning home from a successful trip to the 2024 Okie-Tex Star Party in early October, I received alerts from SpaceWeather.com indicating increased activity on the Sun. Predictions called for a severe geomagnetic storm, with a chance of auroral activity as far south as Alabama. IContinue reading "How I learned to love the Northern Lights"

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Every 11 years, activity on the Sun peaks. More sunspots, prominences, flares, and other phenomena are seen on our star’s face, plus, there’s an uptick in visible aurorae here on Earth. This time period is called the solar cycle, and we’re in the middle of the peak of the current one, solar cycle 25. TheseContinue reading "Michael’s Miscellany: Take a Look at the Sun"

The post Michael’s Miscellany: Take a Look at the Sun appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Pioneer 10 holds the titles for many “firsts”: It was NASA’s first mission to the outer planets, the first spacecraft to fly beyond Mars, the first to traverse the asteroid belt, and the first to fly past Jupiter. It was also the first spacecraft placed on a trajectory to escape the solar system into interstellarContinue reading "June 13, 1983: Pioneer 10 leaves solar system"

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Mercury now shines at magnitude –0.8 in the evening sky, lingering above the horizon some 80 minutes after the Sun disappears. Tonight, the solar system’s smallest planet stands just 20′ from the 3rd-magnitude star Mebsuta (Epsilon [ε] Geminorum), near the middle of the constellation Gemini.  You can catch the pairing with binoculars or a smallContinue reading "The Sky Today on Friday, June 13: Mercury meets Mebsuta"

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Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, June 13Mercury is making its way through Gemini, passing close to the star Mebsuta (Epsilon [ε] Geminorum) this evening. Visible for more than an hour after sunset, the magnitude –0.8 planet shines brightly in the west. Through binoculars or a telescope, you’ll beContinue reading "The Sky This Week from June 13 to 20: The Red Planet visits Regulus"

The post The Sky This Week from June 13 to 20: The Red Planet visits Regulus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Sometimes even scientists get lucky. Yale University astronomer Imad Pasha was scanning some ground-based images when he stumbled across a galaxy boasting several rings. Because the object’s name, LEDA 1313424, doesn’t roll off the tongue, his team nicknamed it the Bullseye. This Hubble image reveals why it’s an apt moniker: The galaxy boasts nine rings,Continue reading "Hubble spots a cosmic bullseye"

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Francisco Javier Pérez Olvera, taken from Mixquiahuala, Hidalgo, Mexico This wide-field view captures a broad swath of the star-forming Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, spanning the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) to the Orion Nebula (M42). The imager used a 54mm f/4.5 astrograph and dual-band Hα/OIII filter with a one-shot color camera to take 16 hours 40Continue reading "From the Flame to Orion"

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On June 12, 2021, Nova Herculis 2021 (V1674 Herculis) erupted, and was discovered by amateur astronomer Seiji Ueda of Japan. The white dwarf quickly became visible to the naked eye, surging to 10,000 times brighter than it originally had been. Its speed was unprecedented: V1674 Herculis faded from that peak brightness in just over oneContinue reading "June 12, 2021: Seiji Ueda discovers Nova Herculis 2021"

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Author(s): Rachel Berkowitz

A model that includes propagating voids predicts the extent of plasma turbulence in a tokamak.

[Physics 18, s79] Published Wed Jun 11, 2025

Saturn’s two-faced moon Iapetus reaches its greatest western elongation today. At western elongation, the moon’s lighter hemisphere is turned toward Earth, making it brightest and easiest to view through a telescope.  First, locate Saturn above the eastern horizon around 4 A.M. local daylight time, roughly 90 minutes before sunrise. At this time, the planet shouldContinue reading "The Sky Today on Thursday, June 12: Iapetus at its best"

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Andrei Pleskatsevich, taken from Minsk, Belarus The reflection nebula IC 63 lies near the star Navi (Gamma [γ] Cassiopeiae). Through a telescope, the object often appears to be concealed by the star’s glare, inspiring its common nickname, the Ghost of Cassiopeia. This imager took 5 hours of exposure with a 3-inch scope.

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