X-ray

Astronomers have detected mysterious X-ray signals coming from a nearby white dwarf star for more than 40 years. We may now know where they’re coming from – the death throes of a planet being torn to shreds and raining down on the star.

A frothy breakthrough at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), using lasers with a silver metal foam that's as light as air, has created the brightest yet X-ray source ever, twice as brilliant as that of anything previous.

Asteroids can devastate the planet in an instant – just ask the dinosaurs. Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have now demonstrated a proof of concept method to deflect a potential Earthbound asteroid using a blast of X-rays.

Astronomers have watched a supermassive black hole take two bites of a star, and predicted when it might go back for a third. If it does, this should make for an intriguing stellar light show.

The second largest diamond in the world has been discovered in Botswana. Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond used an advanced X-ray scanner to find a 2,492-carat diamond from its Karowe Diamond Mine. That's a whopping 17.58 oz (498.4 g).

Not content with sending tourists into space as a general destination, SpaceX plans by the end of the year to send a private space expedition, called Fram2, aboard a Dragon spacecraft on the first crewed mission to travel over the Earth's poles.

Using very low-dose X-rays to activate compounds that light up and generate cancer-killing free radicals stalled brain tumor growth and doubled survival time, according to a new study. Importantly, healthy cells were left unaffected.

Researchers have created a tiny chip that can take images of objects through cardboard. The technology, designed to fit inside a smartphone, brings us a step closer to wielding Superman’s X-ray vision abilities (without the X-rays).

A supermassive monster lurks at the center of our galaxy, and astronomers have now discovered that it’s spinning so fast it’s warping the very fabric of spacetime into a football shape.

Astronomers have mapped out half the universe in X-ray light, using a space telescope called eROSITA. The new map, which contains almost a million X-ray sources, is the basis of dozens of new scientific papers, with many more to come.

Researchers developed an AI algorithm that automatically analyzes chest X-rays to rapidly detect COVID-19 infection with more than 98% accuracy, distinguishing between normal X-rays and X-rays from people with viral pneumonia.

Astronomers have discovered evidence of a theorized type of black hole lurking in the distant universe. Known as an “Outsize Black Hole,” this object could help explain some fundamental cosmic mysteries, including how supermassive monsters form.