New Class of Unusual Stellar Explosions: Mysterious Luminous “Cow” Shines in X-Rays
Results narrow in on what powers new class of supernovae. Another member of the new “Cow” class of supernova explosions has been discovered—the brightest one…
California Institute of Technology
Colossal Black Holes Locked in an Epic Cosmic Dance at Heart of Galaxy
Astronomers find evidence for the tightest-knit supermassive black hole duo observed to date. Locked in an epic cosmic waltz 9 billion light years away, two…
Nano-Architected Material Refracts Light Backward – An Important Step Toward Photonic Circuits
A newly created nano-architected material exhibits a property that previously was just theoretically possible: it can refract light backward, regardless of the angle at…
Black Hole Tears Apart a Star Decades Ago – Goes Unnoticed Until Now
Every galaxy, including our own Milky Way, has at its center a massive black hole whose gravity influences the stars around it. Generally, the stars…
Chaining Atoms Together Using Nuclear Spins Yields Quantum Storage
New technique could make quantum networking possible. Engineers at Caltech have developed an approach for quantum storage could help pave the way for the development…
Worlds Can Change: Puffy Planets Lose Atmospheres & Become Super-Earths
Worlds Around Other Stars Can Change Their Classification If our solar system were a hobbyist kit, it would come boxed up with four rocky terrestrial…
Caltech Names New Director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
The distinguished geochemist and space scientist brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in academic and government service to JPL. Laurie Leshin, president of…
Palomar Survey Instrument Shows Astronomical Impact of SpaceX Starlink Satellites
A study of archival images from Zwicky Transient Facility shows an increase in satellite streaks. Since 2019, SpaceX has been launching an increasing number of…
Webb Space Telescope Will “Revolutionize Our Understanding” of the Universe
On December 25, the largest and most powerful space telescope ever constructed by NASA was successfully launched from Earth. With unprecedented technology, the James Webb…
Is Space Pixelated? The Quest for Quantum Gravity
The search for signatures of quantum gravity forges ahead. Sand dunes seen from afar seem smooth and unwrinkled, like silk sheets spread across the desert….
Transforming Materials With Light – Enabling Windows That Transform Into Mirrors and Super High-Speed Computers
Imagine windows that can easily transform into mirrors, or super high-speed computers that run not on electrons but light. These are just some of the…
Exoplanet Bonanza: 172 New Planetary Candidates Found – Including Some Truly Bizarre Planetary Systems
New planetary candidates found by sifting through archival Kepler Telescope data. A fully automated exoplanet-detection system sifted through years of data from NASA’s retired Kepler…
What Are Virus Variants? Explaining Viral Mutations, COVID and Vaccines
Viruses reproduce by taking over the replication machinery of host cells to make copies of their own genetic material, or genome. Unlike cellular organisms, whose…
Black Hole Collision May Have Exploded With Light
In a first, astronomers may have seen light from the merger of two black holes, providing opportunities to learn about these mysterious dark objects. This…
Caltech Researchers Read a Jellyfish’s Mind
The human brain has 100 billion neurons, making 100 trillion connections. Understanding the precise circuits of brain cells that orchestrate all of our day-to-day behaviors—such…
Powerful New Tool Can Peer Into the Vast Genetic Library Inside of Your Cells
The human genome can be thought of as a massive library, containing over 20,000 different “instruction manuals”: your genes. For example, there are genes which…
Extending LIGO’s Reach Into the Cosmos With New Mirror Coatings for the Gravitational-Wave Observatory
New mirror coatings will increase the volume of space LIGO can probe in its next run. Since LIGO’s groundbreaking detection, in 2015, of gravitational waves…
How Long Does a Neutron Live? Physicists Make Most Precise Measurement Yet
Physicists use “bottle” method to make most precise measurement yet of a neutron’s lifetime. Particles called neutrons are typically very content inside atoms. They stick…
