'Doubly charming' tetraquark is the longest-lived exotic-matter particle ever found By Ben Turner last updated 1 November 22 Studying the particle could provide physicists with vital insight into the rules that govern how all matter is formed.
These 'Strange' Alien Planets May Be Made of Exotic Matter By Charles Q. Choi last updated 1 November 22 Astronomers have identified a half dozen exoplanets that may be made of an exotic form of matter unknown on Earth.
Physicists Just Solved a 35-Year-Old Mystery Hidden Inside Atomic Cores By Rafi Letzter last updated 1 November 22 The quarks inside atoms move slower than the quarks inside free-floating protons and neutrons. But why?
Rare quadruplet 'top quarks' created at world's largest atom smasher By Diane Lincoln last updated 1 November 22 The world's largest atom smasher has "given birth" to a set of four ultraheavy particles — called top quarks.
Large Hadron Collider finds new way to measure mass of a quark By Keith Cooper last updated 1 November 22 The LHC's ALICE experiment detected a 'dead cone' in the aftermath of a proton-proton collision, paving the way for the direct measurement of the mass of a quark.
Weird quantum experiment shows protons have more 'charm' than we thought By Stephanie Pappas last updated 1 November 22 Protons can contain a charm quark, an elementary particle 1.5 times heavier than the proton itself.
Why Physicists Are Interested in the Mysterious Quirks of the Heftiest Quark By Paul Sutter last updated 1 November 22 The top quark is about 100 trillion times heavier than the up quark. But why?
Strange quark star may have formed from a lucky cosmic merger By Paul Sutter last updated 1 November 22 A team of physicists has found that the remnant of a neutron star merger observed in 2019 has just the right mass to be a strange hypothetical quark star.
Quarks: What are they? By Keith Cooper published 1 November 22 Reference Quarks are elementary particles that are the building blocks of all visible matter in the universe. Explore them in more detail here.
Collapsed Arecibo Observatory reveals final 'treasure trove' to defend Earth from asteroids By Andrew Jones published 31 October 22 The study is the largest ever on radar observations of near-Earth asteroids.
Mars moon mystery: Strange structures found inside 'fearful' Phobos By Keith Cooper published 31 October 22 Europe's Mars Express spacecraft has peered deep into the subsurface of the Martian moon Phobos, finding unknown structures that could reveal the moon's origin.
Satellite peers at a creepy iceberg's 'Halloween crack' (photo) By Elizabeth Howell published 31 October 22 The iceberg tip is "hanging by a thread" due to ongoing climate change in Antarctica.
Haunting photo of dead 'ghost star' a cosmic Halloween treat By John Loeffler published 31 October 22 The European Space Observatory (ESO) has released an image of a dead star's 'ghost' in deep space just in time for Halloween.
Hubble telescope spies a cosmic 'spider web' containing clues to dark secret By Andrew Jones published 31 October 22 The eerie Hubble Space Telescope image was released for the "spooky season" surrounding Halloween
'Planet killer' asteroid found hiding in sun's glare may one day hit Earth By Tereza Pultarova published 31 October 22 A giant asteroid that might one day cross paths with Earth has been discovered hiding in the glare of the sun.
Asteroids threatening Earth could be spotted by network of spacecraft near Venus' orbit, Chinese scientists say By Andrew Jones published 31 October 22 We could detect potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids by using six surveyor spacecraft deployed in Venus-like orbits, Chinese researchers propose.
Private space mission to study how solar flares kill exoplanet life By Tereza Pultarova last updated 31 October 22 A private space mission will study how solar flares generated by nearby stars can affect habitability of exoplanets in their orbit.
NASA has a life-detecting instrument ready to fly to Europa or Enceladus By Keith Cooper published 31 October 22 OWLS, the Ocean Worlds Life Surveyor, would autonomously search for life on the icy moons of the outer solar system.
NASA seeks origin of 'weird' fast-spinning dwarf planet Haumea By Robert Lea last updated 31 October 22 The dwarf planet Haumea may be the weirdest object in the solar system. Now NASA researchers may finally understand how it was formed.
1st 'atom tornado' created from swirling vortex of helium atoms By Ben Turner last updated 31 October 22 Physicists have created the first-ever atomic vortex beam — a swirling tornado of atoms and molecules with mysterious properties that have yet to be understood.
