Optical illusion gives green comet an ‘anti -tail’ that defies physics

Thirty years ago, on the evening of 23 July 1995, amateur astronomers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp were both independently looking at the same globular star cluster. Experienced observers who knew the sk

New model suggests Hawking radiation is speeding cosmic decay Scientists have long predicted that the Universe’s lifetime is effectively forever – specifically, 101100 years. But now scientists from R

The best discoveries, inventions and surprises

I’m responding to an article by Pete Lawrence in the April 2025 issue, titled ‘Flora crosses the Leo Triplet’ (Big Three, in the Sky Guide), which spurred me to have a look for this minor planet. I al

Type: Sinuous rille Size: 80km x 2.5km Longitude/latitude: 3.1° E, 25.7° N Age: 3.2–3.9 billion years Best time to see: First quarter (2–3 July) and six days after full Moon (16–17 July) Minimum equip

The world’s biggest digital camera telescope has started ...