Cavendish-like: A schematic diagram of the proposed experiment on gravitational interaction between two torsion balances. Two torsion pendula are placed with their equilibrium orientations (dashed lines) in parallel and allowed to interact through gravity. An electromagnetic shield is placed between the two pendula to suppress electromagnetic interactions. The rotational degrees of freedom of each pendulum…

Astronomers help find most distant galaxy using James Webb Space Telescope May 30, 2024 Editors’ notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X’s editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content’s credibility: fact-checked preprint trusted source proofread by Peter Edmonds, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics This infrared image from…

<a href="https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/30-05-24-Dyson_Swarm_Superstructure.png" data-fancybox data-src="https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/30-05-24-Dyson_Swarm_Superstructure.png" data-caption="Mistaken identity Have astronomers found evidence of Dyson swarms, or are their findings due to distant, dusty quasars? (Courtesy: CC BY 2.0/Kevin Gill)”> Mistaken identity Have astronomers found evidence of Dyson swarms, or are their findings due to distant, dusty quasars? (Courtesy: CC BY 2.0/Kevin Gill) Seven candidate Dyson spheres found…

After two decades of work, the camera at the heart of the future Vera C. Rubin Observatory arrived at its home last week. It’s now perched on the summit of the Cerro Pachón mountain in Chile.  This camera is the final major part of the Rubin Observatory’s Simonyi Survey Telescope, upon which it will be…

What are the greatest astronomy discoveries that occurred in your lifetime? There’s a vivid memory I have, of sitting around Patrick Moore’s dining room table and discussing the idea for what later became BBC Sky at Night Magazine. One of the people present – who shall remain nameless – wondered if there would be enough…

After surveying 661 employees affiliated with astronomy and geophysics professions, the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) has stressed an “urgent” need to address bullying and harassment across the fields.  In short, 44% of respondents reported suffering in the workplace during the two years preceding the survey, and 65% of those respondents said reported concerns were either…

Astronomers have found evidence of volcanic lava flows on the surface of Venus, suggesting the planet may still be volcanically active. The discovery of volcanic lava flow in two different regions of Venus is published in Nature Astronomy. It supports previous evidence that Venus is still geologically active, and also suggests that volcanic activity may…

Astronomy has a bright future.  The universe is being revealed in exquisite detail with the current generation of large optical telescopes, reaching back close to the big bang. There’s hope that the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy will be solved. Thousands of exoplanets have been discovered, and astronomers may be closing in on…

Six of the planets in our solar system — Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — are about to align on June 3 in what some media outlets are dubbing a “planetary parade.”  But, despite a flurry of breathless coverage promising otherwise, you won’t be able to see most of them as they rise…

If one were to mention the name, “Mr. Eclipse,” most amateur and professional astronomers would immediately recognize it as the nom de plume for Fred Espenak, a retired emeritus American astrophysicist who worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center. But he is far better known for his work on eclipse predictions.  The first total solar eclipse Espenak saw was…