Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in solar physics by providing the first direct evidence of small-scale torsional Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona – elusive magnetic waves that scientists have been searching for since the 1940s. Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in solar physics by providing the first direct evidence of small-scale torsional Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona – elusive magnetic waves that scientists have been searching for since the 1940s. The discovery, published today in Nature Astronomy, was…

Using a global network of telescopes, astronomers have detected the lowest-mass dark object yet found in the universe. Finding more such objects and understanding their nature could rule out some theories about the nature of dark matter, the mystery substance that makes up about a quarter of the universe. The work is described in two papers published Oct. 9 in Nature Astronomy and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.  Because the object does not emit any light or other radiation, it was…

Scientists digging through data collected by the Cassini spacecraft have found new complex organic molecules spewing from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. This is a clear sign that complex chemical reactions are taking place within its underground ocean. Some of these reactions could be part of chains that lead to even more complex, potentially biologically relevant molecules. Published today in Nature Astronomy, this discovery further strengthens the case for a dedicated European Space Agency (ESA) mission to orbit and land on Enceladus….

European astronomers have produced the most accurate three-dimensional map to date of star-forming regions within our Milky Way galaxy, using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space telescope. The new map offers an unprecedented look at the dense, cloudy regions where new stars are born, shedding light on the young, hot stars that sculpt these cosmic nurseries. Mapping Star Formation Hidden Behind Dust Studying star-forming regions is challenging because thick clouds of gas and dust obscure them from view,…