Space

New research suggests future images of black holes could be precise enough to allow scientists to determine if these objects are accurately described by Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity, general relativity — or if they are best modeled by alternative theories. Such black hole research is possible due to breakthroughs in black hole imaging pioneered by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT)…

With solar activity likely to remain elevated for the next couple of years, more powerful geomagnetic storm events are possible. The northern lights may grab the headlines, but it’s the invisible GPS turbulence that can disrupt our technological world and determine the fate of your next peanut butter sandwich. Charged particles hurled toward Earth from the sun can trigger geomagnetic storms…

The three astronauts of China’s Shenzhou 20 mission safely touched down on the Dongfeng Landing Site in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region shortly before 3.45 a.m. EST (0845 GMT) on Nov. 14, after spending over 6 months in low-Earth orbit aboard the Tiangong space station. Commander Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie have since exited the return spacecraft and appear to be in…

Scientists studying Earth’s magnetic field have discovered that its electric heartbeat flows in the opposite direction from what long-standing models predict. Earth is surrounded by a vast magnetic bubble called the magnetosphere, which shields the planet from the solar wind, the stream of charged particles constantly blowing from the sun. When the solar wind collides with Earth’s…