Astronomy

New research proposes that Dante Alighieri's 14th-century work Inferno contains an early description of a massive asteroid striking Earth. Timothy Burbery of Marshall University argues the poem depicts Satan as a cosmic impactor that reshapes the planet. The interpretation links literary elements to modern understanding of meteor impacts.

May 08, 2026 Reported by AI

A comet from beyond our solar system shows dramatically higher levels of deuterium-rich water than any object seen locally. The findings suggest it formed under much colder conditions than those in our own planetary neighborhood. Researchers used observations from two major telescopes to make the measurements.

Physicists have found evidence challenging the century-old assumption that the universe is uniform on large scales. Three new preprint papers propose tests and analyze data showing the standard FLRW model may be flawed. The results could help resolve major cosmological puzzles.

April 27, 2026 Reported by AI

Undergraduate students at the University of Hamburg have constructed a simple cavity detector to search for axions, hypothetical particles that may constitute dark matter. Despite limited resources, their experiment set new limits on axion properties, as detailed in a recent study. The project demonstrates that small-scale efforts can contribute to major physics challenges.

Astronomers have detected Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák reversing its rotation direction, marking the first rapid such change observed in a celestial body. The 1-kilometer-wide comet slowed from a 20-hour spin in March 2017 to 46-60 hours two months later, then accelerated to about 14 hours by December. Researchers suggest outgassing from sublimating ice caused the reversal.

April 13, 2026 Reported by AI

Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole in galaxy J1007+3540 restarting powerful jets after nearly 100 million years of inactivity. The jets, distorted by intense pressure from a surrounding galaxy cluster, stretch nearly a million light-years. The findings reveal cycles of black hole activity shaping the galaxy's structure.