Liz Kruesi

1 week ago | sciencenews.org | Ken Croswell |Liz Kruesi

For the first time, astronomers have confirmed the existence of a lone black hole — one with no star orbiting it. It’s “the only one so far,” says Kailash Sahu, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. In 2022, Sahu and his colleagues discovered the dark object coursing through the constellation Sagittarius. A second team disputed the claim, saying the body might instead be a neutron star.

1 month ago | snexplores.org | Stephen Ornes |Liz Kruesi |Maria Temming |Lisa Grossman

More than 20 years ago, a spaceship from Earth reached Saturn, the ringed giant. Called Cassini, its voyage took seven long years. For the next 13 years, it circled the planet, taking pictures and collecting data. Those images showed details of the planet’s many moons. Cassini even discovered seven new ones. On Christmas Day 2004, Cassini sent a smaller ship — called a probe — to explore Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. This craft parachuted through Titan’s hazy atmosphere.

2 months ago | snexplores.org | Kathryn Hulick |Payal Dhar |Liz Kruesi

Free educator resources are available for this article. Register to access: Client key* E-mail Address* Already Registered? Enter your e-mail address above. A robot whirs along a library shelf. Instead of books, this shelf holds napkin-sized squares of flat, clear glass.

Nov 6, 2024 | snexplores.org | Liz Kruesi |Maria Temming |Lisa Grossman

The moon is Earth’s longtime companion. A bright full moon can light a path through the dark of night. It’s long been important for navigation and marking the passage of time. Many civilizations and cultures have used lunar calendars. The dates of some holidays are even set based on the moon’s cycle. Visible from everywhere on Earth, the moon has inspired countless bedtime stories, poems, paintings and other forms of art.

Oct 30, 2024 | snexplores.org | Avery Hurt |Liz Kruesi |Lisa Grossman |Stephen Ornes

Free educator resources are available for this article. Register to access: Client key* E-mail Address* Already Registered? Enter your e-mail address above. In 2015, U.S. Navy pilots were flying training missions off the U.S. East Coast when they spied something highly unusual.