Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 2h

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”.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 2h

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.

Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 2d

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

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 2d

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 · 2d

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

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 3d

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.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 3d

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 · 4d

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.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 4d

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 · 5d

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.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 5d

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.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 6d

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

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 6d

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 · 7d

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.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 7d

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.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 7d

Very saddened to her that Jane Goodall, eminent primatologist who chronicled the lives of Chimps, passed away at 91. I had the honor of meeting her this year.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 8d

Each of the thousands of spots in this ESO image represents a distant star, and the glittering blue holes reveal glimpses of our neighboring galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 8d

Today Oct 1. On this date in 1990 physicist John Stewart Bell passed away. The originator of Bell's theorem in quantum physics regarding hidden-variable theories. In 2022, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for work on Bell inequalities and experimental validation of Bell's theorem.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 9d

Today Sept 30. On this date in 1870 physicist Jean Perrin was born. In his studies of Brownian motion of minute particles suspended in liquids he verified Einstein's explanation of this phenomenon and thereby confirmed the atomic nature of matter. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1926.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 10d

The Dumbbell Nebula in this ESO image— also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853 — is a typical planetary nebula. The distance is rather uncertain, but is believed to be around 1,200 light-years.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 10d

Today Sept 29. On this date in 1901 physicist Enrico Fermi was born. One of very few physicists to excel in both theoretical & experimental physics. Awarded the 1938
Nobel Prize
in Physics for work on induced radioactivity by neutron bombardment and for discovery of transuranium elements.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 11d

Today is Sept 28. 28 is the second "perfect" number (after 6), it is the sum of its proper divisors 28=1+2+4+7+14. It is also a "happy" number, when you repeatedly sum the squares of its digits, the sequence eventually leads to 1 : 2² + 8² = 68, 6² + 8² = 100, 1² + 0² + 0² = 1.

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Mario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 11d

Today Sept 28. On this date in 1895 chemist Louis Pasteur passed away. Renowned for discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization. His research led to remarkable breakthroughs in the understanding of the causes and preventions of diseases.

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