A black hole is an object so compact - usually a collapsed star - that nothing can escape its gravitational pull. Not even light. On Earth an object needs to be launched with a speed of 11 km/s if it is to escape the planet's gravity and go into orbit. But the escape velocity of a black hole exceeds ...Read more.

From a NOIRLab press releases, for which this image was commissioned: 'Astronomers studying a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) with the Gemini South telescope, operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, may have detected a never-before-seen way to destroy a star. Unlike most GRBs, which are caused by exploding mass ...Read more.

Conceptual image showing the Universe's galaxies reflected in the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope. JWST is expected to peer deeper into the cosmos than ever before, potentially revolutionising some of our understanding of it. ...Read more.

Conceptual representation of the opening to a wormhole moving through a nebula. A wormhole (or Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a theoretical 'tunnel' through spacetime, allowed by the theory of general relativity. In principle, a wormhole connects two regions in the universe - or two different regions in ...Read more.

Conceptual animation of the opening to a wormhole moving through a nebula. A wormhole (or Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a theoretical 'tunnel' through spacetime, allowed by the theory of general relativity. In principle, a wormhole connects two regions in the universe - or two different regions in space ...Read more.

Conceptual representation of the opening to a wormhole moving through a nebula. A wormhole (or Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a theoretical 'tunnel' through spacetime, allowed by the theory of general relativity. In principle, a wormhole connects two regions in the universe - or two different regions in ...Read more.

Conceptual animation of the opening to a wormhole moving through a nebula. A wormhole (or Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a theoretical 'tunnel' through spacetime, allowed by the theory of general relativity. In principle, a wormhole connects two regions in the universe - or two different regions in space ...Read more.

In this cataclysmic scene, a city suffers a near-miss as an asteroid strikes in the distance. The effect of a large meteorite impact or meteor airburst over a city would be catastrophic, with extensive damage and loss of life. Asteroids that are 30 to 40 metres across are large enough to wipe out a ...Read more.