Webb captures stunning quasar-galaxy merger in distant universe

Map of the line emission from hydrogen (in red and blue) and oxygen (in green) in the PJ308-21 system, shown after masking the light from the central quasar (“QSO”). The different colors of the quasar’s host galaxy and companion galaxies in this map reveal the physical properties of the gas within it. Credit: Decarli/INAF/A&A 2024 … Read more

Study shows humpback whales were happier during pandemic break

A group of whales off the east coast of Australia. Photo: Jake Linsky. Research led by the University of Queensland has found that migrating humpback whales off the east coast of Australia became less stressed in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research paper was published in Research into the marine environment. Dr … Read more

Webb admires the jeweled ring of the lens quasar RX J1131-1231

A small image of a galaxy that has been distorted into a faint ring by gravitational lensing. At the top of the ring are three very bright spots with diffraction spikes coming off them, right next to each other: these are copies of a single quasar in the borrowed galaxy, duplicated by the gravitational lens. … Read more

Ancient volcanic eruption not catalyst for early cultural innovations of Homo sapiens, researchers say

Grotta di Castelcivita. Above: The location of the cave (indicated by a white arrow) at the foot of the Alburni massif in the Campania region, southern Italy. Below: The excavation trench of the Upper Paleolithic layers. Credit: University of Tübingen An international team of researchers from the universities of Tübingen (Dr. Armando Falcucci), Siena and … Read more

Elusive temporary star described in historical documents recreated using new computer model

These images show the two shock regions of the remnant SNR 1181. The bright white in the center is the white dwarf. Credit: 2024 T. Ko, H. Suzuki, K. Kashiyama et al./ The Astrophysical Journal A mysterious remnant of a rare type of supernova recorded in 1181 has been explained for the first time. Two … Read more

How a Group of Butterflies Managed to Fly 4,200 Kilometers Without Stopping

THIS STORY IS ORIGINAL Appeared on WIRED Italy and has been translated from Italian. The twelve butterflies were flying gracefully across a beach in French Guiana when Gerard Talavera spotted them. It took only a moment to see that they were extraordinary. These were not just any butterflies, he saw, but painted ladies (Vanessa card)—beautiful … Read more

Engineers find a way to protect microbes from extreme conditions

Source: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Microbes used for health, agriculture, or other applications must be able to withstand extreme conditions, and ideally, the manufacturing processes used to make tablets for long-term storage. MIT researchers have now developed a new way to make microbes strong enough to withstand these extreme conditions. Their method involves mixing bacteria with … Read more

Desert-loving fungi and lichens pose deadly threat to 5,000-year-old rock art

Negev Petroglyphs of Animals. Credit: Laura Rabbachin, INTK, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna The Negev Desert in southern Israel is known for its unique rock art. Since at least the third millennium BCE, hunters, herders, and traders roaming the Negev have left thousands of engravings (petroglyphs) on the rocks. These figures are usually carved into … Read more

Study reveals rapid evolution and global spread of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Source: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an environmental bacterium that can cause devastating multi-drug-resistant infections, particularly in people with underlying lung conditions, has rapidly evolved and subsequently spread across the globe over the past 200 years, likely driven by changes in human behavior, a new study finds. The work appears in the magazine Science. P. … Read more

Recovery of unique geological samples sheds light on the formation of the current Antarctic ice sheet

Rendered image of the landing of the MARUM-MeBo70 on the seabed of the Amundsen Sea. Credit: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen / Martin Künsting In recent years, global warming has left its mark on the Antarctic ice caps. The “eternal” ice in Antarctica is melting faster than previously assumed, especially … Read more