The Milky Way Galaxy, seen edge-on. (Credit: NASA)
Although it’s relatively nearby, the far side of the Milky
Way is one of the hardest parts of the observable universe to see. That means there
are still outstanding questions in astronomy as to what our galactic home
really looks like.
But a new study charting over 1,100 new stars on the Milky
Way’s distant side provides astronomers fresh insight into its architecture, allowing
us to better understand the shape of the galaxy we ...read more
A sampling of some of the scores of artifacts produced by First Americans at the Cooper's Ferry site in western Idaho. Dotted lines along some of the tools indicate patterns of wear. (Credit: Davis et al 2019)
Stone tools, charcoal and other artifacts from Cooper's Ferry, Idaho, are the latest evidence that the First Americans arrived more than 16,000 years ago — well before an overland route existed. It's looking more and more likely the first people arrived via a Pacific Coast route. ...read more
A new study into the genetics of same-sex attraction reveals how complex it is. (Credit: EpicStockMedia/Shutterstock)
In the largest study of its kind yet, researchers find no single gene influences whether a person engages in same-sex sexual behavior. Instead, like height, variations in many genes throughout the human genome contribute to sexual preference, researchers report Thursday in the journal Science. The work reiterates that there is a biological component to having a same- ...read more
An artist's illustration shows Earth from orbit. (Credit: Dima Zel/Shutterstock)
Our planet is getting warmer today, that's a fact. But, this isn't the hottest time in our planet's history — far from it, in fact. At various points, millions or billions of years ago, Earth was much more toasty than it is now.
One of the most notable hot flashes came 56 million years ago, during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM. It was a relatively brief period of rapid, abnormal warming. ...read more
This composite image of the cloud-covered planet Venus uses data from the Japanese probe Akatsuki. (Credit: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
Something mysterious
swirls amidst the clouds of Venus.
The planet’s hot, harsh
atmosphere is thick with carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Atmospheric gases
circulate amid cloud layers according to patterns that scientists don’t fully
understand. And Venusian clouds also contain strange, dark ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine