Crab Nebula Particle Accelerator

New observations by two telescopes have found the Crab Nebula to be a source of high-energy gamma-ray flares from mechanisms hidden within it that are not clearly understood, producing "the highest particle energies ever associated with a single source."

Between Brown Dwarf and Planet

A new astronomical study has found a large gap in the sizes of planetary objects between 25 and 40 times the mass of Jupiter, providing a natural and usable demarcation in the classification of these objects into gas giants (planets) or brown dwarfs (stars).

Plasma Jets Explain Corona

Plasma jets erupting from within the Sun cause hot coronal temperature fronts ahead of them, explaining the mystery of why the corona is orders of magnitude hotter than the chromosphere itself.

Wreckage from "Pristine Star"

Astronomers have detected the remnants of a star that exploded more than 13 billion years ago, likely one of the very first generation of stars to exist in our universe, whose chemical constituents were almost only hydrogen and helium.

Oxygen Crash and Extinction

Analysis of rock samples around the world reveal an oxygen crash in the world's oceans about 499 million years ago that led to rising levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide and a mass extinction of Cambrian species, the cause of which is still unknown.

Superconductors and Alcohol

For reasons still unclear, laboratory substances such as an iron tellurium sulphur sample are turned into superconducting materials by mulling them in a water-alcohol (ethanol) mix, with the best results obtained using ordinary red wine.

Comet in Disguise

A newly discovered comet spotted last month turns out to be an known asteroid (596 Scheila, 1906), one of a category of hybrid objects called main belt comets with stable inner-solar system orbits that are "dormant" for long periods of time.

Bee Virus Spreads

Recent studies have identified the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), spread through pollen transfer, as a factor contributing to colony collapse disorder of American honeybees.

Fossil Crocodile Found

Fossils of a new ancient reptile species related to modern crocodiles (Neptunidraco ammoniticus) were discovered in limestone slabs from Ferrara, Italy, destined for kitchen countertops, warehoused in 1955 and only recently examined in 2009.

Hairy Fly Rediscovered

Thought extinct since 1948, specimens of the bizarre and flightless hairy fly (Mormotomyia hirsuta) have been rediscovered living in its only known habitat in Kenya's remote Ukazi Hills where it lives and breeds in the bat-filled clefts of isolated rock.

Rare Red Novae

Astronomers have observed the formation of a rare red nova (V1309 Scorpii) from the combination of a binary star system known as a contact binary, where the two stars orbit each other close enough to touch and eventually merge and explode.

Saturn's Strange Propellers

Data from the Cassini probe orbiting Saturn have revealed strange propeller-shaped wakes thousands of kilometers long that exist within the planet's rings, the result of small unseen moons ploughing through the rings and providing new insight into planet formation theories.

Giant Stork Fossils

Fossil remains of a giant marabou stork (Leptoptilos robustus) that once stood 1.8-m tall have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores, the latest in a series of extreme-sized animals native to that island including dwarf elephants, giant rats and a species of "hobbit-like" hominids.

Arsenic-Tolerant Bacteria

Scientists have isolated arsenic-tolerant bacteria (GFAJ-1) found in a California lake and have cultured them to thrive in an arsenic-heavy environment, possibly substituting arsenic for phosphorus on a molecular level and changing the baseline chemistry believed necessary for life to function.