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    Heavy metal may rain from the skies of planet WASP 76b

    On one distant world, “heavy metal” could be a weather forecast. Telescope observations indicate that an exoplanet nearly 400 light-years away has iron rain. The planet, dubbed WASP 76b, is an extreme kind of exoplanet known as an ultrahot gas giant (SN: 7/30/19). These worlds “are complete oddballs,” says astronomer David Ehrenreich of the University […] More

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    In a first, magnetic fields have been spotted between two galaxy clusters

    The finding suggests large structures in the cosmic web are magnetized MAGNETIC CONNECTION Two distant galaxy clusters, Abell 0399 (left) and Abell 0401 (right), are connected by magnetic fields containing high-energy electrons. X-rays from the cluster cores are shown in purple, and radio emission from the magnetic bridge forms the blue-toned smear in between.  DSS, […] More

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    Astronomers find far-flung wind from a black hole in the universe’s first light

    The discovery could shed light on how galaxies and black holes grow up together A MIGHTY WIND  Supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies can blow gas and plasma far away from their galaxies, as shown in this artist’s illustration based on the Pinwheel galaxy. JPL-Caltech/NASA Share this: This article is only available to […] More

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    Astronomers have measured all the starlight ever emitted

    The tally counts up the stray photons roaming through space THROUGH THE DARKNESS  Gamma rays bursting from distant galaxies, like the one shown in the center of this artist’s illustration, can illuminate the diffuse light, called extragalactic background light, that manages escape its dusty environs. Aurore Simonnet/Swift/NASA Share this: This article is only available to […] More

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    On Jupiter, lightning flashes from storms swirling at the poles

    The planet’s heat distribution explains why lightning doesn’t strike near the equator IN A FLASH  Unlike Earth lightning, which is most concentrated at the equator, Jupiter’s strikes at its poles, as shown in this artist’s rendition. SwRI, JPL-Caltech/NASA, JUNOCAM Share this: This article is only available to Science News subscribers. Subscribers, enter your e-mail address to […] More