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The star-filled sky in this Hubble photo lies in the direction of the Galactic center. The light from stars is monitored to see if any change in their apparent brightness is caused by a foreground object drifting in front of them. The warping of space by the interloper would momentarily brighten the appearance of a background star, an effect called gravitational lensing. One such event, OB110462, is shown in the four close-up frames at the bottom. The arrow points to a star that momentarily brightened, as first captured by Hubble in August 2011. This was caused by a foreground black hole drifting in front of the star, along our line of sight. The star brightened and then subsequently faded back to its normal brightness as the black hole passed by. Because a black hole doesn’t emit or reflect light, it cannot be directly observed. But its unique thumbprint on the fabric of space can be measured through these so-called microlensing events. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / K. Sahu, STScI / J. DePasquale, STScI.

Hubble Detects Free-Floating Compact Object 5,000 Light-Years Away

Jun 13, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers have for the first time discovered what may be an isolated stellar-mass black hole using the astrometric microlensing technique. They estimate...

This artist’s impression shows a long umbilical scar on Psittacosaurus. Image credit: Jagged Fang Designs.

Some Non-Avian Dinosaurs Had ‘Belly Buttons,’ New Fossil Shows

Jun 13, 2022 by News Staff

In egg-laying amniotes (reptiles, birds and monotremes), the developing embryo is tethered to a number of the extraembryonic membranes that deliver oxygen...

Fernanda, the only known living Fernandina giant tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus), now lives at the Galápagos National Park’s Giant Tortoise Breeding Center on Santa Cruz Island. Image credit: Galápagos Conservancy.

Fernandina Island Tortoise Is Not Extinct, New Study Confirms

Jun 10, 2022 by News Staff

The status of the Fernandina Island Galapagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus) has been a mystery, with the species known from a single specimen...

New Spinosaurid Dinosaur Unearthed on Isle of Wight

Jun 9, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Dubbed the ‘White Rock spinosaurid,’ the new dinosaur is ‘one of Europe’s largest ever land-based hunters.’ Life reconstruction of the White...

Reconstruction of the paleoecosystem of the Upper Cretaceous Bahariya Formation of the Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt, showing diversity of large-bodied theropod dinosaurs. In the foreground, the unidentified abelisaurid described herein (right) confronts the spinosaurid Spinosaurus aegyptiacus (left center, with the lungfish Retodus tuberculatus in jaws) and the carcharodontosaurid Carcharodontosaurus saharicus (right center) while two individuals of the stomatosuchid crocodyliform Stomatosuchus inermis (left) look on. In the background, a herd of the titanosaurian sauropod Paralititan stromeri (left) warily regards these theropods and two individuals of the bahariasaurid Bahariasaurus ingens (far right) while a small flock of an undescribed pterosaur soars above. The vegetation is dominated by the mangrove-like tree fern Weichselia reticulata. Image credit: Andrew McAfee, Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Fossil of Previously Unknown Carnivorous Dinosaur Found in Egypt

Jun 8, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have unearthed a well-preserved cervical vertebra of a medium-sized abelisaurid ceratosaur in the Bahariya Oasis of the Western Desert...

Geiseleptes delfinoi hunting a termite. Image credit: Márton Szabó.

Geckos Lived in Europe as Early as 47 Million Years Ago

Jun 7, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have identified a new genus and species of ancient gecko from an articulated near-complete skull found in Germany. Geiseleptes delfinoi...

An artist’s impression of the super-Earth planet Ross 508b. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Super-Earth Found Orbiting Nearby Red Dwarf Ross 508

Jun 6, 2022 by Natali Anderson

Using the radial velocity technique, astronomers have discovered a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting near the inner edge of the habitable zone of the cool...

Colorful New Species of Gecko Discovered in India

Jun 6, 2022 by Sergio Prostak

Scientists have discovered a new species of leopard gecko (genus Eublepharis) living in the forests of the Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The...

Higher coffee intake is associated with a lower risk of incident acute kidney injury and could present an opportunity for cardiorenal protection through diet. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Drinking Coffee Daily May Lower Risk of Acute Kidney Injury

Jun 6, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

In a prospective cohort study with 14,207 middle-aged participants, those who drank any quantity of coffee every day had a 15% lower risk of acute kidney...

Male combat in Discokeryx xiezhi. Image credit: Xiaocong Guo.

Miocene Giraffe Had Disk-Shaped Headgear and Head-Neck Joints Adapted for Head-Butting Combat

Jun 3, 2022 by News Staff

Paleontologists have identified a new species of giraffoid that lived in northern China during the Early Miocene epoch some 17 million years ago. Named...

Poseidon’s ribbon weed (Posidonia australis) meadow in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Image credit: Rachel Austin, University of Western Australia.

Single Clone of Poseidon’s Ribbon Weed is Largest Plant in World

Jun 1, 2022 by News Staff

A single plant or ‘clone’ of the Poseidon’s ribbon weed (Posidonia australis), a species of seagrass that occurs in the southern half of Australia,...

Sela macaques (Macaca selai). Image credit: Zoological Survey of India.

New Species of Macaque Identified in India

May 31, 2022 by Natali Anderson

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India and the University of Calcutta have discovered a cryptic new species of macaque in the forests of the Indian...

Liu et al. found that compared to non-coffee drinkers, adults who drank moderate amounts (1.5 to 3.5 cups per day) of unsweetened coffee or sugar-sweetened coffee were less likely to die during a 7-year follow up period. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Drinking Coffee Daily, Even with Sugar Added, Reduces Mortality Risk: Study

May 31, 2022 by News Staff

Moderate dietary consumption (1.5 to 3.5 cups per day) of unsweetened or sugar-sweetened coffee is associated with a lower mortality risk, according to...

MeerKAT image of the PSR J0901-4046 region at 1.28 GHz. Image credit: Caleb et al., doi: 10.1038/s41550-022-01688-x.

Astronomers Discover Unusual Radio-Emitting Neutron Star

May 31, 2022 by News Staff

Radio-emitting neutron stars are objects with spin periods ranging from milliseconds to tens of seconds; as they age and spin more slowly, their radio...

Researchers Sequence First Pompeian Human Genome

May 27, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Scientists from the United States, Italy, Denmark and Brazil have successfully sequenced the genome of a 35-40 year-old male who died in the ancient city...

Life reconstruction of Thanatosdrakon amaru. Image credit: Universidad Nacional de Cuyo.

New Species of Azhdarchid Pterosaur Unearthed in Argentina

May 25, 2022 by Sergio Prostak

Thanatosdrakon amaru had a wingspan of nearly 9 m (29.5 feet) and lived in what is now Argentina during the Cretaceous period. Life reconstruction of Thanatosdrakon...

Life reconstruction of Paralitherizinosaurus japonicus. Image credit: Masato Hattori.

New Dinosaur Species Identified in Japan

May 23, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genus and species of therizinosaurid dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period has been identified from the fossilized remains unearthed on...

Scientists Synthesize Crystalline Gamma-Graphyne

May 23, 2022 by News Staff

Graphynes are two-dimensional carbon allotropes similar to the wonder material graphene that is optically transparent and mechanically flexible, and yet...

Solar Orbiter Sends Back Spectacular Images of the Sun

May 20, 2022 by News Staff

On March 26, 2022, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft made the first of its close perihelion passages. The spacecraft flew closer to the Sun than the...