Simulations

If you've seen even a single shark documentary, then you've probably heard that the majority of attacks on humans are likely due to sharks mistaking people for seals. Scientists now say they've confirmed that theory, using computer models.

A collection of computer simulations based on data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray observatory is offering astronomers and the public alike the ability to explore cosmic objects in 3D. The visualizations let users pan around stars and supernovae remnants.

A new study has used simulations to show that even Earth-like planets completely encased in ice could still have areas warm enough for life, muddying up the already-murky definition of habitable worlds.

Hurricanes and water go hand in hand. But researchers from Purdue University and MIT have now made a surprising discovery by tweaking a hurricane simulation – the storms can occur under much colder and drier conditions than previously thought, which may be common on other planets.

Martian clouds could have an alien origin, according to a newly-published paper. The study suggests that mid-level clouds form above the Red Planet due to a phenomenon called "meteor smoke," which occurs when space debris is shredded upon entering the Martian atmosphere.

Last year astronomers discovered a gigantic “ghost” galaxy, named Antlia 2, orbiting the Milky Way. Now, new research led by Rochester University has found that the bizarre galaxy may have been involved in a hit-and-run that left the Milky Way with a wobbly galactic disc.

As the largest planet in the solar system by a wide margin, Jupiter has a lot of sway, but its history is still a bit of a mystery. Now astronomers have put forward a new theory, suggesting that the gas giant formed much farther away from the Sun and then migrated into its current position.

According to a new study, the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy, is on a collision course with the Milky Way. But there’s no need to worry just yet – the starry smashup won’t begin for another two billion years or so.

Among the almost-4,000 exoplanets found so far, none really capture the imagination like TRAPPIST-1. Now a team of astronomers led by the University of Washington has simulated the climates that could be found on each TRAPPIST world.

Scientists have long debated the cause of the distinctive grooves on the surface of Mars' moon Phobos. One leading theory has it that the lines are signs of structural failure. But a competing idea suggests the marks may be superficial, caused simply by rolling stones on Phobos' surface.

A white dwarf is one of the last stages of life for stars of a certain size, and it’s all downhill from there. But supercomputer simulations run by astronomers at LLNL suggest that these dying stars could be reignited by a close encounter with an enigmatic class of black hole.

Forget steel, forget diamond and even forget graphene – “nuclear pasta” may be the strongest material in the universe. This strange substance is formed in the intense pressures inside neutron stars, and researchers have now run computer simulations to test just how strong it is.