compiled by Arlene & David Kaplan

Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescopes Baikal
The Baikal deep underwater neutrino telescope (or Baikal-GVD – Gigaton Volume Detector) is an international project in the field of astroparticle physics and neutrino astronomy. The construction of Baikal-GVD is motivated by its discovery potential in astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics…more

Don’t Look Up: What’s the plan to deal with asteroids and comets? It’s understandable if the thought of a comet wiping out all life on earth might be an extra worry you just don’t need right now. But if you’ve watched Netflix movie Don’t Look Up, it might be hard to get the thought out of your mind…more

Durham University fiber-optics help largest 3D map of Universe An international team of scientists has produced the most detailed three-dimensional map of the Universe yet. Within seven months, their Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has broken all 3D galaxy survey records. A component built by Durham University…more

Citizen Scientists Spot Jupiter-like Planet in NASA TESS Data Tom Jacobs of Bellevue, Washington, loves treasure hunts. Since 2010, the former U.S. naval officer has participated in online volunteer projects that allow anyone who is interested — “citizen scientists” — to look through NASA telescope data for signs of exoplanets, planets beyond our solar system. Now, Jacobs has helped discover a giant gaseous planet about…more

What is a Lagrange point, the final destination for the James Webb Space Telescope? The James Webb Space Telescope, launched Dec. 25, has now arrived at the destination from which it will begin its in-depth examination of the distant universe. However, unlike its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Telescope won’t be orbiting Earth…more

James Webb Space Telescope marks deployment of all mirrors NASA’s massive new observatory has notched another milestone. After nearly a full month in space, the James Webb Space Telescope, also known as JWST or Webb, is nearly at the end of its deployment work. The complicated series of deployments has seen the telescope transform from its tightly-folded launch configuration to what looks like a real observatory, although science observations remain months away…more

Scorching alien planet takes seasons to an extreme Scientists got a close look at an extreme case of seasons thanks to a retired NASA telescope. Researchers used NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope to film a year on an exoplanet called XO-3b. Conveniently, a year on this world lasts only three Earth days…more

Pentagon launches new UFO office. Not all believers are happy about it. A new office in the Pentagon will investigate sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) — but longtime UFO enthusiasts are skeptical. According to NBC, putting the new “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” program in the purview of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence &…more

NASA catches sun sending powerful flare into space Our sun just had a medium-sized energy burp. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) caught a mid-level solar flare on Thursday (Jan. 20) with a peak at 1:01 a.m. EST (0601 GMT). You can see the flash on the limb, or edge, of the sun, thanks to SDO’s powerful imaging…more