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☆ Astronomers say we may live at the center of a cosmic void 2 billion light-years wide that defies the laws of cosmology
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But the kicker is that this giant void shouldn't exist in the first place. For example, some people have correctly argued that such a void shouldn't exist in the standard model, which is true. Cosmologists have a value, called the Hubble constant, which they use to help describe how fast the universe's expansion is accelerating. The Hubble constant should be the same value wherever you look, whether it's close by or very far away. NASA/JPL-CaltechAstronomers can't agree on what's causing this discrepancy in the Hubble constant, and the contention has become known as the Hubble tension.

Persons: —, we're, Claire Lamman, Indranil, Andrews, Hubble, Brian Keating, Keating, Banik Organizations: Service, Business, Harvard, Smithsonian Center, Astrophysics, Indranil Banik, University of St, Banik, Royal Astronomical Society, KBC, Hubble, NASA, JPL, Caltech, ESA, Palomar, Sky, UC San Diego, Sky Survey

☆ Photos show what it's like to fall into a black hole
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A NASA video reveals in stunning detail what falling into a black hole would look like. AdvertisementNASA recently released a series of trippy videos showing what it would look like if you plunged into a black hole. But not just any black hole — a supermassive black hole with 4.3 million times the mass of our sun. That's about the size of the giant black hole that lurks at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Black holes are extreme cosmic environments where gravity, time, and light act differently from what we're used to on Earth.

Persons: — Organizations: NASA, Service, Business

☆ The largest map of the cosmos hints that dark energy is changing. It could prove Einstein wrong and upend a pillar of modern physics.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

New data from the largest 3-D map of our universe suggests we may be wrong about dark energy. One of the driving forces behind that evolution is also one of our age's biggest mysteries in physics: dark energy. Einstein abandoned the idea as his "greatest blunder" in the 1930s, as astrophysicist Ethan Siegal explains, but a constant dark energy would have vindicated him. "If true, it would be the first real clue we have gotten about the nature of dark energy in 25 years," Adam Riess, a Nobel laureate for his co-discovery of dark energy, told Quanta Magazine. "The idea that dark energy is varying is very natural," Paul Steinhardt, a Princeton University cosmologist, told the magazine.

Persons: —, we're, Michael Levi, Levi, DESI, Marenfeld, Claire Lamman, Albert Einstein's, Einstein, Ethan Siegal, Albert Einstein, Ernst Haas, Adam Riess, Paul Steinhardt, Princeton University cosmologist, Riess, Vera C, Travis Lange, Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell, NASA's Nancy Grace, Arnaud de Mattia, Mattia Organizations: Service, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, American Physical Society, Princeton University, NASA, Rubin, Accelerator, Atomic Energy Commission Locations: Arizona, Princeton , New Jersey

NASA awarded Blue Origin $172 million to develop a space station for both astronauts and tourists. The space station, called Orbital Reef, will need to be able to support human life. AdvertisementThe International Space Station won't be around forever, and NASA is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into its potential replacements. One promising candidate is Orbital Reef — a joint venture between Jeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin and Sierra Space. "Think spacious modules with large windows to view Earth, our blue origin, while experiencing the thrill of weightlessness in complete comfort," Blue Origin states on its website.

Persons: —, Jeff Bezos's, Angela Hart, Chris Hadfield, Matthias Maurer, Blue, Thomas Pesquet, Hart, Artemis, George Scott, NASA's, NASA It's, Biden, there's Organizations: NASA, Service, Origin, NASA's, ISS, Space Station, Space, International, ESA, Artemis, Soyuz, Shepard

☆ NASA space photo shows odd-looking sky holes near Florida
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A NASA satellite snapped a photo of giant ring-shaped clouds over the Gulf of Mexico. You can see this phenomenon, called cavum clouds, from the ground and in space. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementEarlier this year, NASA's Terra satellite was zipping over the Gulf of Mexico when one of its instruments snapped a photo of some odd-looking clouds. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: NASA, Service, Business Locations: of Mexico

☆ Scientists say hurricanes are growing so powerful that we need to add a Category 6. Here's what that would look like.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The researchers recommend adding a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which currently ranks powerful tropical storms based on wind speed starting at Category 1 (74 to 95 mph) up to Category 5 (157 mph or higher). The "or higher" for Category 5 storms is where scientists take issue. Category 6 would refer to hurricanes with sustained wind speeds of at least 192 mph — about the speed that NASCAR drivers go. Jan Pleiter/Getty ImagesA strong hurricane with 192 mph winds — which would qualify as a Category 6 — isn't unheard of. In fact, since 2013, five storms have reached or surpassed that, including Hurricane Patricia, Typhoon Haiyan, and Typhoon Meranti, the researchers reported.

Persons: Samantha Lee, Saffir –, Michael Wehner, James Kossin, Jan Pleiter, Patricia, Typhoon Haiyan, Meranti, Wehner, Haiyan, Haiya, NOEL CELIS, there's Organizations: Service, Simpson, Business, Saffir, National Academy of Sciences, NASCAR, Typhoon Locations: New York, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Philippines, Samar

☆ A Colorado pastor accused of pocketing $1.3 million in cryptocurrency scam says the Lord encouraged him to use funds for a home remodel
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Regalado also said the Lord told him to use investor funds to remodel his home. Related stories"It was last October '21 that the Lord brought this cryptocurrency to me," Regalado told his congregation over video broadcast, per court documents. AdvertisementRegalado addressed why he valued the coins at 10 times the amount: The Lord told him to. I really believe you're going to see a miracle in very short order," Regalado told investors in a video call, per the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims the Regalados told investors they were sowing this money into charitable causes.

Persons: Eli Regalado, Regalado, —, Kaitlyn Regalado, Tung Chan, Chan, God, Kaitlyn, Grace, Regalados, INDXcoin, …, David Goldberg Organizations: Service, Court, Colorado Securities, Colorado Department of Regulatory, IRS, Business, Wealth, Wealth Exchange, Rover Locations: Colorado, Denver, INDXcoin

☆ Japan has landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time, but the mission didn't go exactly according to plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Japan successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time in the nation's history. AdvertisementOn Friday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced that its SLIM spacecraft had successfully landed on the moon. But the spacecraft isn't generating solar power. But many of these instruments may go unused if the spacecraft can't generate solar energy to power them. Even though the mission didn't go exactly according to plan, Kuninaka said that JAXA considers it a success since the spacecraft successfully touched down on the moon.

Persons: —, James Stuby, Smart Lander, SLIM aren't, Hitoshi Kuninaka, there's, Kuninaka Organizations: Service, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, SLIM, Japan, JAXA, NASA Locations: Japan, China, India

☆ Natalia Grace's adoptive parents accused her of being an adult. She says a DNA test confirmed her real age — here's what the results actually mean.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Palmer Haasch | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In "Natalia Speaks," the second season of the documentary series currently available to stream on Max, Natalia Grace tells her side of the story. TruDiagnostic's assessment indicated that Natalia's biological age was close to 22. In theory, the older your biological age, the more likely you are to develop age-related diseases such as cancer or dementia. AdvertisementSome longevity researchers believe there are ways to "reverse" our biological age. For example, Steve Horvath, who invented a way to measure biological age, says he reversed his biological age by 4 years by eating less sugar and more vegetables, quitting smoking, and exercising more.

Persons: —, Natalia, Max, Natalia Grace, Michael, Kristine Barnett, Kristine, Antwon, Halland Chen, Timothy Gossweiler, Gossweiler, Katherine Barnett, Clouse, Steve Horvath, David Sinclair, Sinclair, it's Organizations: Service, Business, National Institute, Aging, Research Locations: Indiana, Canada, Harvard

The US's first lunar lander in decades has met its doom. After launching on Monday, Peregrine Mission One started leaking fuel, Astrobotic said. Peregrine Mission One, a lunar lander built by Astrobotic, started leaking fuel hours after it launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Monday. The helium may have put the oxidizer tank under too much pressure, causing it to rupture and create the fuel leak, Astrobotic added. Peregrine Mission One is a nearly 2,900-pound uncrewed lander that carries 20 payloads from seven countries and 16 companies.

Persons: Peregrine, Astrobotic, — Organizations: Peregrine Mission, Service, Grumman, DHL MoonBox, DHL, Peregrine, United Launch Alliance Vulcan Locations: Cape Canaveral, Florida, Hungary, Seychelles

☆ The first US moon lander in more than 50 years launched with human remains on board, paving the way for space burials
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewA US spacecraft carrying human remains launched on Monday in a bid to become the first private mission to land on the moon. "Unfortunately, it appears the failure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant," the company that built the lunar lander, Astrobotic, said in an update Monday afternoon. AstroboticSeveral capsules on board the lander are part of a memorial service offered by private companies Celestis and Elysium Space. The screenwriter was also part of the first human "space burial" in 1992 when his ashes were put aboard NASA's spacecraft Columbia. Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One is the first of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)-backed missions to launch.

Persons: —, Peregrine, John Thornton, Celestis, Gene Roddenberry, Majel Barrett, George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, John F, Kennedy, — Arthur C Clarke, Stanley Kubrick, Gene Roddenberry's, Thornton, Mr, Peregrine isn't, Astrobotic, landers, Artemis Organizations: Service, Business, Astrobiotic, United Launch Alliance, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Peregrine, NASA, United Launch Alliance Vulcan, New York Times, Navajo Nation, The New York Times, Houston, Payload Locations: Cape, Florida, Navajo, Stickiness, Russia, India, China

☆ Jeff Bezos says he and Elon Musk are 'very like-minded' despite not knowing each other
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewJeff Bezos and Elon Musk haven't always seen eye to eye. But in an interview with Lex Fridman, Bezos said he and Musk are "very like-minded." AdvertisementBezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 and Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. SOPA Images/Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesDespite their similarities, Bezos and Musk are far from friends. "I don't really know Elon very well," Bezos told Fridman.

Persons: —, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk haven't, Lex Fridman, Bezos, Musk, I'm, Fridman, Joe Raedle, They've, Elon Organizations: Service, Elon, Business, SpaceX, NASA, The New York Times, Mount

☆ Space photos show Japan's ground splitting open and mass destruction after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-03 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementSatellite images show mass destruction to Japan's west coast and inner cities after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the country on Monday. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesMasuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of the town of Suzu, near the quake's epicenter, said 90% of houses might have been destroyed, Reuters reported. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies. AdvertisementA road destroyed by the earthquake and another giant fissure shown in a satellite image. The event is being compared to Japan's 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

Persons: —, Agency's Organizations: Service, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, NHK, Rescue, Reuters, Suzu, Technologies, BBC, Japan Aerospace, — Locations: Japan, Ukai, Wajima, Kanazawa ., Suzu, Suzu City, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Afghanistan

☆ The Quadrantids are the first meteor shower of 2024. Here's where to look and the best time to see it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-03 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The first meteor shower of the year is here. NASA says the Quadrantids are considered some of the best meteor showers that appear each year. When the two meet, the debris should rain down toward Earth at 90,000 mph, producing a meteor shower called the Quadrantids. NASA said the Quadrantids are one of the most spectacular annual meteor showers. harpazo_hope/Getty ImagesThe Quadrantids can produce bright fireballs and are one of, if not the, strongest meteor showers of the year, according to the American Meteor Society.

Persons: —, Space.com, Tuttle, didn't Organizations: NASA, Service, American Meteor Society, AMS Locations: North America, Lowell

☆ Watch video of SpaceX's Starship nailing a high-risk 'hot staging' maneuver just minutes before it exploded
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

SpaceX's mega-rocket is a two-stage system, consisting of a first-stage Super Heavy booster and a second stage, Starship. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)So SpaceX turned to hot staging — where the upper stage (Starship) fires its engines while still connected to the booster. It's one of the most efficient ways to do stage separation," Musk said during a program update in October, per Aviation Week. At the crucial moment, the stages separately beautifully, with Super Heavy tumbling downward and Starship climbing away from it. The Super Heavy booster explodes as it tumbles downward after separation, in a screengrab from SpaceX's livestream on X. SpaceXStarship, however, kept trucking toward space — until something happened.

Persons: —, Elon Musk's, Eric Gay, Musk, John Insprucker Organizations: Service, SpaceX, Starship, Aviation, Super Locations: SpaceX's

☆ Scientists finally solved the centuries-long mystery of where a starfish's head is
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Maiya Focht | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Researchers mapped starfish genes to solve the mystery, and it wasn't what they expected. Turns out, starfish genes suggest it contains multiple heads, one at the center and in each limb. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a game of pin the tail on the donkey, scientists have finally pinpointed the head on a starfish. Turns out starfish, aka sea stars, don't just have one head sitting at the center of their bodies. On the other hand, sea stars with five limbs, lack bilateral symmetry and instead have what's called five-fold radial symmetry.

Persons: —, Laurent Formery, Peter Guttman, Formery, Jeff Thompson, he's Organizations: Service, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, Getty, Stanford, University of Southampton Locations: Nature

☆ NYC exterminators' new weapon has eliminated nearly 100% of rats from over 100 burrows — and they already have their next targets mapped out
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New York City officials have found a new effective way to kill rats. The strategy involves pumping carbon monoxide directly into the rat burrows that are found in sidewalk tree beds. Deodato uses the carbon monoxide method to suffocate the rats, with the help of a machine called BurrowRX, which costs about $3,000. Gothamist reported Menin has since set aside $30,000 to fund the carbon monoxide technique. In addition to the carbon monoxide method, the city has also tried spring traps, poisons, and rat birth control.

Persons: —, Councilmember Julie Menin, Menin, Ibrahim Asmal, exterminator Matt Deodato, Matt, Deodato, Gothamist, Eric Adams Organizations: Service, New York Daily, Urban Pest Management Locations: York City, New York, East, York

☆ The real science behind the mysterious 'Devil Comet' that's larger than Mount Everest and erupting for reasons scientists don't fully understand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It is larger than typical comets and has been dubbed the "Devil Comet" for appearing to have horns. We know it's rare," a researcher told Insider. We know it's rare," Kareta told Insider. When this happens, "the comet brightens really rapidly and then sort of fades back to the brightness it had before," he said. "And in Pons-Brooks, these are really, really bright — really, really large outbursts.

Persons: Pons, Brooks, —, Teddy Kareta, Kareta, it's Organizations: Service, Everest, Lowell Locations: —, Flagstaff , Arizona, Pons

☆ Humans have launched so much to space that it's actually polluting Earth's atmosphere, a new study found
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Scientists have discovered evidence of various pollutant metals in Earth's stratosphere. They traced the metals back to rockets and satellites launched into space. The stratosphere contains the protective ozone layer. A team of researchers has found pollutant metals in Earth's stratosphere — the second layer of our atmosphere — and traced them back to rockets and satellites. When anything enters Earth's atmosphere, it's typically in a fiery blaze.

Persons: —, Dan Cziczo, Cziczo Organizations: Service, Purdue University, National Academy of Sciences

☆ How to watch the Orionid meteor shower — without the moon in the sky, you can catch the perfect view
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Maiya Focht | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Orionid meteor shower will peak early Saturday morning, raining down 10-20 meteors per hour. The moon sets before midnight on Friday, leaving a dark sky perfect for spotting shooting stars. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you stay up late, are patient, and can handle putting your phone away for a while, you just might catch a view of the Orionid meteor shower this weekend. AdvertisementAdvertisementFind some dark skies for the best showHeadlands International Dark Sky Park, shown here, is an IDA certified spot in Michigan. "Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower," per NASA.

Persons: —, you'll, Diana Robinson Organizations: Service, Northern, IDA, NASA, Orion, Planetary Society, NSSDC's Locations: Southern, Michigan

☆ Scientists found a massive lithium deposit inside an ancient US volcano that could be a game-changer for American clean energy but spell disaster for Native Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lithium independence would be a game-changer for clean energy but Native Americans are already suffering for it. In August, researchers reported that the illite in the southern portion of McDermitt Caldera, called Thacker Pass, contains about 1.8% lithium, on average. And McDermitt Caldera could be that resource. AdvertisementAdvertisementMcKinney is part of the Indigenous group called People of Red Mountain that has opposed lithium mining at Thacker Pass. "The world needs to know that this lithium mining, and this fast-tracking of lithium mining, is a continuation of racism on Paiute and Shoshone people," McKinney told NPR.

Persons: Caldera, Thacker, McDermitt, Jalopnik, There's, Gary McKinney, Al Jazeera, McKinney Organizations: Service, McDermitt Caldera, Chemistry, Nevada -, US, KU Leuven University, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Guardian, Shoshone -, NPR, MSCI Sustainability Institute Locations: Wall, Silicon, McDermitt, Nevada, Nevada - Oregon, Tervuren, Belgium, Thacker, Red, Americas, Al

☆ India's moon lander detected movement near the lunar south pole. It could be the first signs of a moonquake in nearly 50 years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

India's moon lander detected an "event" on the lunar surface that could be evidence of a moonquake. The last time a moonquake was detected was in the 1970s, during NASA's Apollo missions. Now, the many instruments on board the lander and its adorable Pragyan moon rover are helping scientists understand the moon's south pole region better than ever before. And Vikram has detected rumblings underfoot that could be evidence of a moonquake, Live Science reported. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: India becomes the first country to land on the moon's south poleILSA is designed to pick up vibrations on the lunar surface generated by natural quakes, impacts, and artificial events.

Persons: Pragyan, Vikram, ILSA, NASA's Organizations: Service, Vikram, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO Locations: Wall, Silicon, India

☆ NASA discovered a new crater on the moon as wide as a 3-story building, and it's probably Russia's Luna-25 gravesite
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The crater was likely caused by Russia's Luna-25 lander crashing into the moon last month, NASA said. Had Luna-25 not crashed, it would've been the first craft to explore the lunar south pole region. It could be the crash site of Russia's Luna-25 moon lander, NASA said in a statement Thursday. "During its descent" on August 19, "Luna 25 experienced an anomaly that caused it to impact the surface of the Moon," NASA said in the statement. The country had previously tried to land a craft near the lunar south pole, but it failed the first time.

Persons: Russia's Luna, would've, Luna, Robert Braun Organizations: NASA, Service, Reconnaissance, Luna, Goddard Space Flight, Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Locations: Wall, Silicon, India, Russia

☆ A weirdly wobbly 'muon' particle might revolutionize physics by revealing a 5th force of nature or another dimension
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A subatomic particle called the muon is wobbling far more than leading physics models can explain. Its unusual behavior could be evidence of a fifth force of nature or a new dimension. And the reason could be evidence of a new, fifth force of nature. But there are still cosmic wonders we don't understand — mysteries that the discovery of a fifth force of nature may help solve. One possible explanation is that the muons' behavior is dictated by a fifth force of nature.

Persons: Aylin Woodward, Einstein, Rosen, Brendan Casey, Graziano Venanzoni Organizations: Service, Fermi, Accelerator Laboratory, Fermilab, Brookhaven National Lab Locations: Wall, Silicon

The Perseid meteor shower lights up the sky this weekend. Dark sky parks and IDA-certified locations are the best places to view this show and many others. From Alaska to Wyoming, here's a list of some of the darkest skies in each of the 50 US states. These are often officially zoned "dark sky parks", which have clear views of the night sky when the weather permits. Only the clearest of night skies, unimpeded by light pollution, are allowed the honorable IDA-certified title.

Persons: We've Organizations: IDA, Service, Sky Association Locations: Alaska, Wyoming, Wall, Silicon, Utah, Michigan

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