Space science
What Is Space Weather?
Space weather describes changing conditions in the Sun, solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere that can affect technology and operations near Earth. It i…
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40,619 published items in this category and its subcategories.
Space science
What Is a Geomagnetic Storm?
A geomagnetic storm is a prolonged disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere caused by enhanced energy transfer from the solar wind. The most significant storms are often ass…
Space science
What Is a Solar Flare?
A solar flare is a rapid release of magnetic energy in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares can brighten dramatically in X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation and can acceler…
Space science
How Do Scientists Forecast Auroras?
Aurora forecasts combine measurements of the Sun and solar wind with models of Earth's magnetosphere. Scientists are not predicting a fixed light show at a precise stree…
Space science
What Are the Northern Lights and Why Do Auroras Happen?
Auroras occur when energetic charged particles are guided by Earth's magnetic field into the upper atmosphere, where collisions with oxygen and nitrogen produce light. T…
Space science
Mars Exploration: Rovers, Missions and What We Have Learned
Mars exploration combines orbiters, landers, rovers and laboratory analysis on Earth to reconstruct the planet's history. Missions have turned Mars from a distant reddis…
Space science
Can Black Holes Die?
Black holes are not necessarily eternal in the simplest quantum description. Stephen Hawking's work showed that quantum effects near an event horizon allow black holes t…
Space science
What Is a Supermassive Black Hole?
Supermassive black holes contain millions to billions of times the Sun's mass and are found at the centers of many large galaxies. Their enormous mass distinguishes them…
Space science
What Is a Black Hole and How Do Black Holes Form?
A black hole is a region where matter has been compressed so strongly that, inside a boundary called the event horizon, escape would require moving faster than light. Bl…
Biology
What Are Neural Implants?
Neural implants are devices placed in or near the nervous system to record neural activity, stimulate neural tissue, or create an interface between the brain, spinal cor…
Biology
What Is Neuroscience and How Does the Brain Work?
Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system—from molecules and individual neurons to circuits, behavior and cognition—and the brain works by coordinating electrical…
Discover science
What Is Fusion Ignition?
Fusion ignition is a condition in which heating from fusion products becomes strong enough to sustain or amplify the fusion burn without relying only on continued extern…
Discover science
What Is a Tokamak?
A tokamak is a doughnut-shaped magnetic-confinement device designed to hold extremely hot plasma using strong magnetic fields so controlled nuclear fusion reactions can…
Discover science
How Does a Fusion Reactor Work?
A fusion reactor aims to create a hot plasma in which light nuclei fuse, confine or compress that plasma long enough to release useful energy, then capture the energy in…
Discover science
What Is the Large Hadron Collider?
The Large Hadron Collider is CERN’s 27-kilometer particle accelerator that circulates beams of protons or heavy ions in opposite directions and collides them so experime…