Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 32m

This ESO image shows what scientists described as a "fiery ribbon" of red gas and dust shining in the constellation Orion's belt. The ribbon is a small part of a huge star-forming region.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 57m

Three Share Nobel Prize in Economics. Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt won the prize for showing how “society must keep an eye on the factors that generate and sustain economic growth." Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 22h

This Hubble image features the giant nebula NGC 2014 and its neighbor NGC 2020 which together form part of a vast star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, approximately 163 000 light-years away.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 2d

A close-up ESO view of the interacting galaxies NGC 5090 (right) and NGC 5091 (left).

5 9

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 2d

Today is October 11. On this date in 1889 physicist James Prescott Joule passed away. He established that the various forms of energy—mechanical, electrical, and heat—are basically the same and can be changed one into another. Thus formed the basis of the law of conservation of energy.

2

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 2d

On THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, at 6:30PM ET, I will be giving a virtual (via Zoom) talk at the Smithsonian Associates
on: "The World According to the James Webb Space Telescope": smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/pr...

The World According to the James Webb Space Telescope

Launched in 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is a large, space-based observatory optimized for infrared light and designed to complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Tel...

smithsonianassociates.org

1 3

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 3d

The large galaxy in the foreground of this Webb image is LEDA 2046648, and is seen just over a billion years back in time, while most of the others lie even farther away, and hence are seen even further back in time.

2

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 3d

The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who built a powerful social movement challenging the country’s authoritarian president and has been living in hiding since last year, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 4d

In this beautiful ESO image the Flame Nebula is the large feature on the left. The smaller feature on the right is the reflection nebula NGC 2023. To the top right of NGC 2023, the iconic Horsehead Nebula seems to emerge heroically from the “flames”.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 4d

The 2025 Nobel Prize in literature awarded to László Krasznahorkai, a Hungarian writer who said his dark and difficult novels aim to examine reality “to the point of madness.” Photo Credit: Nobel Committee.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 5d

Arp 148 in this Hubble image is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion. The collision between the two parent galaxies produced a shockwave effect that propagated outwards in a ring.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 5d

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, Omar M. Yaghi awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They are responsible for developing large-scale molecular structures (metal-organic frameworks) through which gases & chemicals can flow freely. Jonathan Nackstrand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 6d

A gorgeous ESO view of the stellar nursery known as Sharpless 29, which is about 5,500 light-years away.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 6d

Scientists John Clarke,Michel Devoret & John Martinis won 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for "experiments that revealed quantum physics in action", paving the way for development of next generation of digital technologies. Credit:Christine Olsson/TT News Agency,via Associated Press.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 6d

On THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, at 6:30PM Eastern time, I will be giving a virtual talk (via Zoom) at the Smithsonian Associates
on the topic of: "The World According to the James Webb Space Telescope.":
smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/pr...

The World According to the James Webb Space Telescope

Launched in 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is a large, space-based observatory optimized for infrared light and designed to complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Tel...

smithsonianassociates.org

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 7d

A vast array of telescopes observed the Andromeda galaxy in different wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum, to create this Chandra image as a fitting tribute to astronomer Vera C. Rubin, who was responsible for the discovery of dark matter.

1 2

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 7d

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.”

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 8d

This detailed image from ESO's Very Large Telescope shows the dramatic effects of very young stars on the dust and gas from which they were born in the star-forming region NGC 6729.

2

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 8d

Today is October 5. On this date in 1781 mathematician Bernhard Bolzano was born. He provided a more detailed proof for the binomial theorem in 1816 and suggested the means of distinguishing between finite and infinite classes.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 9d

Gravitational lensing occurs when light from a distant galaxy is distorted by the gravitational pull of an intervening object. In this Hubble image, the relatively nearby cluster MACSJ0138.0-2155 lensed a more distant galaxy—MRG-M0138, which is 10 billion light-years away.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 9d

Today is October 4. On this date in 1916 physicist Vitaly Ginzburg was born. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003 for his pioneering work on superconductivity. Was also noted for his work on theories of radio wave propagation, radio astronomy, and the origin of cosmic rays.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 10d

An ESO zoom-in on gas pillars in the Tarantula Nebula. Some structures have the appearance of elephant trunks.

1

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 10d

Today is October 3. On this date in 2018 physicist Leon Lederman passed away. He demonstrated that there are at least two kinds of neutrinos (there are now known to be three), a discovery that was honored in 1988 with a Nobel Prize in Physics. Also led a team that found the bottom quark.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 11d

A Hubble image of the spiral galaxy NGC 4845. The galaxy is about 65 million light-years away, and it harbors a supermassive black hole of about 300,000 solar masses at its center.

3

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 11d

Today is October 2. On this date in 1836 Charles Darwin returned to England after his five-year journey on the HMS Beagle. The extensive specimens and observations he gathered during this voyage provided the foundation for his groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection.

2