Blog

Focussing on a patch of sky covering roughly the same area as 100 full moons, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope in Western Australia has captured the bright glow of dozens of galaxies as they looked billions of years in the past.

In this activity we are going to take a look at how some dinosaurs may have digested their food.

Australia’s Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) recently launched its $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge and this could spell good news for climate change action. The challenge aims to connect solar technology engineers from across the country and make progress towards lowering carbon emissions.

Climate change is a looming threat to planet Earth, so scientists have been thinking of solutions. One of them is going to Mars in case Earth becomes inhabitable, as scientists think there might be water on Mars. But if someone asked me if I would move to Mars, I would always come out with a straight answer: no.

Cosmos Magazine has partnered with Double Helix to publish a free eBook that takes kids aged 8 to 12 on a dive into the science of our oceans. The eBook includes stories about turtles, wonky holes and undersea cables, as well as experiments to do at home.

CSIRO scientists have found a species of fish to add to Australian aquaculture and, hopefully, Aussie diets. Trachinotus anak, known as the pompano, oyster pompano, giant oystercracker or dart, is a white-flesh fish endemic to northern Australia, and CSIRO’s top choice for farming.

The 1980 Mount St Helens eruption in the USA led to a surprising discovery. The eruption killed 57 people and destroyed 350 km2 of forest. In an effort to restore the ecosystem of the plains, in 1983, scientists captured 2 wild gophers, placing each into a small, fenced off area on the volcanic plain. The gophers dug for twenty-four hours before the scientists removed them. A new study published in 2024 shows the long-lasting effects the gophers had on the ecosystem.

When astronomers first looked at the Moon through telescopes, they thought they were seeing great oceans. They gave the Moon’s big, dark patches names such as Oceanus Procellarum, and the Sea of Tranquillity. Now we know that these ‘seas’ are ancient lava flows, and that the Moon’s surface is very dry. It’s also airless.

A famous person built a square house so that the windows on all four sides look south. Where is this house? (And can you name the famous person?)

Twinkle, twinkle, giant stars! Pairs of so-called ‘heartbeat’ stars change their brightness like the rhythm of a beating heart. For the first time, new models show that they also create gigantic waves.