Pulp Fiction

Friday, May 22, 2026

NASA’S Juno Makes Closest Ever Approach To Jupiter’s Moon Of Thebe

New NASA Juno image of Jupiter's tiny moon of Thebe presented at the EGU26 general assembly early this month. Credit: NASA via Bruce Dorminey

NASA’S Juno spacecraft images Jupiter’s tiny moon of Thebe in a recent close approach.

A Beautiful Death: How a Dying Star Created the Crystal Ball Nebula

Planetary nebula are created when a dying star sheds it outer layers. The gas is lit up by the star and all the gorgeous, changing detail is exposed. NGC 1514, the Crystal Ball Nebula, is about 1500 light years away and contains a binary pair in its center. The orbits and winds from the stars create the Crystal Ball's beautiful form.

Supermassive Black Holes Can Render Exoplanets Uninhabitable at Great Distances

This artist's illustration shows a spinning SMBH at the center of its AGN. New research shows how AGN affect exoplanet habitability. The powerful energy can strip away atmospheres and ozone at great distances, shaping habitability in large portions of a galaxy. Image Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration / Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech.

Life on Earth relies on energy from astrophysical sources. But what if the astrophysical source isn't a star, but a supermassive black hole and its active galactic nuclei? Life needs shelter from their powerful energy, and the only shelter is distance. New research shows that SMBH and their AGN could strip away exoplanet atmospheres and destroy their ozone at vast distances.

Is Dust the Best Thing in the Universe? Part 3: Tiny Chemistry Labs

Barnard 68, a dark molecular cloud where dust grains shield the densest interior from UV radiation and catalyze the formation of complex molecules. (CC BY 4.0, ESO)

Two hydrogen atoms can't form an H2 molecule on their own in empty space. They need a surface. The universe has only one surface available, and it's something I have just spent two articles complaining about.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Crypto Investor Works on a Plan to Ride SpaceX's Starship Around Mars

Mission commander Chun Wang works on his laptop with Earth looming outside the window of SpaceX's Dragon capsule during the Fram2 mission in 2025. (Chun Wang / SpaceX via X)

Chinese-born cryptocurrency investor Chun Wang has become the latest deep-pocketed space enthusiast to set his sights on a trip around Mars. But first, he wants to take a ride around the moon on SpaceX's Starship. And SpaceX is willing to work with him.

Both Hemispheres of 3I/ATLAS Observed Simultaneously by JUICE and Europa Clipper

Image of 3I/ATLAS captured by the Subaru Telescope on December 13th, 2025. Credit: NAOJ

The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instruments aboard ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft and NASA’s Europa Clipper made unique observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in late 2025. SwRI leads the UVS instruments on both spacecraft, simultaneously imaging both hemispheres of the comet and detecting the comet’s ultraviolet emissions.

The Magnetar at the Heart of a Superluminous Supernova

This artist's illustrations shows a superluminous supernova, which can be 100 times brighter than a "regular" supernova. Their cause is debated, and figuring it out comes down to detecting gamma rays from superluminous supernova. That's been very difficult to do, but one group of researchers may have figured it all out. Image Credit: NASA/Dana Berry/Skyworks Digital

Superluminous supernovae are the royalty in the supernova world. They're up to 100 times brighter than a standard supernova, and astrophysicists want to know why. New research shows that magnetars are responsible.