Science

A team of astronomers in Argentina uncovered a 30-tonne meteorite, possibly the second-largest ever found on our planet. “Although we hoped for weights above what had been registered, we did not expect it to exceed 30 tons,” Mario Vesconi, president of the Astronomy Association of Chaco, told reporters. “The size and weight surprised us.”

The European Space Agency’s Gaia mission has released its first set of data, resulting in the assembly of the most detailed 3D map of the Milky Way ever. The result is a stunning portrayal of our galaxy as never before seen, featuring 20 times as many stars previous galactic surveys have captured. “Gaia is at the forefront of astrometry, charting …

Stingrays from the Amazon River chew up their insect meals, just as mammals might, using complex jaw motions to shred the tough outer shells of juvenile beetles and dragonflies, says new research. Using a combination of high-speed video and CT scans Matthew Kolmann, a recently graduated PhD in the lab of U of T Scarborough’s Nathan Lovejoy found that as …

A juvenile humpback whale was safely released after becoming caught up with an anchor line near one of Marine Harvest’s empty aquaculture sites at Klemtu, British Columbia. Following Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO) marine mammal distress reporting guidelines, DFO was immediately contacted by site staff to assess the situation. Soon after, Marine Harvest staff and DFO experts successfully freed the …

SpaceX is continuing to sort through thousands of channels of data in regard to its September 1 accident, which led to the loss of its Falcon 9 rocket and its Amos-6 satellite during preparations for a static fire test. The company has nonetheless begun working toward an ambitious November return to flight for its rocket. “We’re anticipating getting back to …

A giant Huntsman spider, which is usually found in tropical areas of the world such as Australia and Asia, has been found in a shipping container in Scotland. The female huntsman spider is searching for a specialist home after it was found in Aggreko’s manufacturing premises in Dumbarton. Staff at the Scottish base trapped the giant creepy crawly before it …

A dolphin has turned up at Kiel harbour and has become very friendly with the local children, taking them for rides on its fins. According to the German Waterways and Shipping Office, it has often been spotted swimming in and out of the canal that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. Hundreds of children have swum with the …

Can you see all 12 black dots in this optical illusion? This optical illusion has gone viral since being tweeted by game developer. Game developer Will Kerslake shared the optical illusion on Twitter on Sunday, and at time of writing it had over 18,000 retweets. The illusion was sourced from a Facebook post, according to Kerslake. The illusion is discussed …

Astronomers discover 63 of the most powerful, luminous, and energetic objects known in the Universe in one study. “The formation and evolution of the earliest light sources and structures in the universe is one of the greatest mysteries in astronomy,” lead author Eduardo Bañados from the Carnegie Institution for Science said in a statement released Monday. “Very bright quasars such …

Earth needs fuel to run its engine. Scientists are hoping to determine nuclear fuel and radioactive power left inside the Earth’s tank by 2025. The study, authored by researchers from the University of Maryland, Charles University in Prague, and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, was published on September 9, 2016, in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. “I am one …

Researchers have definitively proven how dolphins communicate with each other by recording a conversation for the first time. According to The Telegraph, experts have known for decades that dolphins can communicate their feelings via distinctive whistles and clicks. They can express their happiness and excitement and can likewise “say” when they are stressed. But researchers have now suggested that they …