Space & Earth Science

1. NASA telescopes tune into a black hole prelude and fugue

   NASA has released three new pieces of cosmic sound that are associated with the densest and darkest members of our universe: black holes. These scientific productions are sonifications—or translations into sound—of data collected by NASA telescopes in space, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope, and Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).

2. Hubble pinpoints roaming massive black hole

   Like a scene out of a sci-fi movie, astronomers using NASA telescopes have found "Space Jaws." Lurking 600 million light-years away, within the inky black depths between stars, there is an invisible monster gulping down any wayward star that plummets toward it. The sneaky black hole betrayed its presence in a newly identified tidal disruption event (TDE) where a hapless star was ripped apart and swallowed in a spectacular burst of radiation.

3. Webb visualization reveals 3D structure of Cosmic Cliffs

   In July 2022, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope made its public debut with a series of breathtaking images. Among them was an ethereal landscape nicknamed the Cosmic Cliffs. This glittering realm of star birth is the subject of a new 3D visualization derived from the Webb data. The visualization, created by NASA's Universe of Learning and titled "Exploring the Cosmic Cliffs in 3D," breathes new life into an iconic Webb image.

4. Proba-3 achieves precise formation flying

   For the first time, two spacecraft in orbit were aligned in formation with millimeter precision and maintained their relative position for several hours without any control from the ground.