NASA Selects Rocket Lab to Launch Sun, Earth Science Missions - NASA (.gov)

The biggest galaxy in the Deer Lick Group, galaxy NGC 7331 has lots to offer through a telescope, so track it down tonight. Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.

Experience sub-500 nm O-PTIR featuring integrated fluorescence and simultaneous Raman spectroscopy with the mIRage-LS, a global first in microscopy systems. Fluorescence microscopy and O-PTIR spectroscopy with submicron resolution positioned together

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Dr. Ho Seong Lee) has re-measured a key transition frequency of the strontium (Sr) atom for the first time in 88 years since 1938, using a photonic grating chip, and has established a new absolute frequency value with a measurement uncertainty reduced by more than 50 times. By securing an accurate reference value needed for next-generation quantum technologies ahead of time, this achievement is expected to greatly contribute to the precise control and miniaturization of quantum devices, including atomic clocks and neutral-atom quantum computers. Strontium is an atom widely used in precision quantum technologies such as optical lattice clocks and quantum sensors. To use strontium in these technologies, fast-moving atoms must be slowed down and trapped with precisely tuned lasers, and for this, it is essential to know exactly the resonant frequency of the laser light for the atomic transition.

Some galaxies glow with sweeping spiral arms, while others are shaped by violent collisions, powerful black holes, and explosive bursts of star formation. A newly released collection of 16 images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes reveals the extraordinary diversity of these cosmic structures. Like precious gemstones, galaxies come in many shapes and sizes, each with characteristics that tell a story about its history. Astronomers generally classify them into three major groups. Spiral galaxies, including our Milky Way, have winding arms extending from their centers. Elliptical galaxies typically contain older stars and are often thought to form through galactic mergers. Irregular galaxies have less orderly structures and can display a wide variety of cosmic activity.

Nearly all metabolic processes require protons - positively charged hydrogen atoms. Although these are abundant in the cellular fluid, the biocatalysts involved depend on mechanisms for efficiently capturing protons and transporting them to the site where catalysis occurs. Enzymes from microorganisms can produce hydrogen (H2) by combining electrons with protons. These so-termed hydrogenases are so efficient that one biocatalyst can capture nearly 10,000 protons per second. A team of researchers from the Photobiotechnology group at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, has discovered how they do this. The researchers report their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society from October 27, 2026. How an inhibitor can help us understand biocatalysts

Worried about winter damage from wildlife? Identify plants most at risk and take these essential steps now