Press enter or click to view image in full sizeIn the search for life in the Universe, the ultimate goal is to find an inhabited planet beyond Earth. How will we know when we’ve made it?Out there in the Universe,...
Press enter or click to view image in full sizeWe can imagine a very large number of possible outcomes that could have resulted from the conditions our Universe was born with. The fact that all 10⁹⁰ particles contained within our...
Press enter or click to view image in full sizeJILA’s three-dimensional (3-D) quantum gas atomic clock consists of a grid of light formed by three pairs of laser beams. A stack of two tables is used to configure optical components...
Press enter or click to view image in full sizeHumanity has long dreamed of establishing a robust and continuous presence on another world, such as the Moon or Mars. One of the keys to such a successful colony would be...
Press enter or click to view image in full sizeThe planned Habitable Worlds Observatory, shown with one possible final architecture, will be NASA’s largest, most powerful space telescope ever built. Designed to fly in the 2030s, it will have capabilities...
Press enter or click to view image in full sizeWhen multiple black holes appear in the same vicinity as one another, they will interact with their environment via dynamical friction. As the matter gets either swallowed or expelled, the black...
Press enter or click to view image in full sizePerhaps the most famous depiction of the ‘Creation of Adam,’ from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Although this might be a fascinating metaphorical story, we have ample evidence that indicates...
Zoom image will be displayedThis visualization of the Laniakea supercluster, which represents a collection of more than 100,000 estimated galaxies spanning a volume of over 100 million light-years, shows the distribution of dark matter (shadowy purple) and individual galaxies (bright...
Zoom image will be displayedOne of the remarkable technological developments in recent years has been that of a “learning machine,” or artificial intelligence. Although its capabilities are profound and impressive, it’s powered largely by college-level math and a large set...
Zoom image will be displayedWhat do planets outside our solar system, or exoplanets, look like? A variety of possibilities are shown in this illustration. Scientists discovered the first exoplanets in the 1990s. As of 2024, the tally stands at over...
