Feb. 27, 1942: The birth of solar radio astronomy

Feb. 27, 1942: The birth of solar radio astronomy

On Feb. 27, 1942, in the midst of World War II, sudden, severe interference struck anti-aircraft radar stations on the coast of England. The obvious answer seemed to be a new German signal-jamming tactic. But physicist James Stanley Hey of the Army Operational Research Group realized that the signals started at sunrise and ended at Continue reading "Feb. 27, 1942: The birth of solar radio astronomy" The post Feb. 27, 1942: The birth of solar radio astronomy appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .

Scientists discover diet that tricks the body into burning fat without exercise

Scientists discover diet that tricks the body into burning fat without exercise

Researchers found that cutting two amino acids common in animal protein—methionine and cysteine—made mice burn significantly more energy. The boost in heat production was nearly as powerful as constant exposure to cold temperatures. The mice didn’t eat less or exercise more; they simply generated more heat in their beige fat. The discovery hints that diet alone might activate the body’s calorie-burning machinery.

A lost moon may have created Titan and Saturn’s rings

A lost moon may have created Titan and Saturn’s rings

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may have been born in a colossal cosmic crash. New research suggests Titan formed when two older moons slammed together hundreds of millions of years ago—an event so violent it reshaped Saturn’s entire moon system and may have indirectly sparked the formation of its iconic rings. Clues come from Titan’s unusual orbit, its surprisingly smooth surface, and the strange behavior of the tumbling moon Hyperion.

A lost moon may have created Titan and Saturn’s rings

A lost moon may have created Titan and Saturn’s rings

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may have been born in a colossal cosmic crash. New research suggests Titan formed when two older moons slammed together hundreds of millions of years ago—an event so violent it reshaped Saturn’s entire moon system and may have indirectly sparked the formation of its iconic rings. Clues come from Titan’s unusual orbit, its surprisingly smooth surface, and the strange behavior of the tumbling moon Hyperion.