Space 18 June 2020 By Leah Crane The Milky Way and surrounding dwarf galaxies Lynette Cook/Science Photo Library One of our neighbouring galaxies is dying, and it’s the Milky Way’s fault. Our galaxy is nearly done ripping the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy to shreds, according to a series of simulations of the pair’s epic dance. The…
By Jason Arunn Murugesu This dazzling infrared image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows hundreds of thousands of stars crowded into the swirling core of our spiral Milky Way galaxy.NASA/JPL-Caltech Magnetic fields in the early universe may have shrunk the volume of our galaxy by close to 30 per cent. The compression that causes this…
By Jonathan O’Callaghan Stars in the Milky Way’s central bulge have close encounters with one anotherESO/NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kornmesser/R. Hurt When a star passes another star, any planets orbiting them can be flung into space, destroying what could once have been hospitable solar systems. And while rare in the outer parts of our galaxy, such events might…
Kataza the baboon. Facebook / Baboon Matters The City of Cape Town has asked the public not to feed a baboon that has relocated to Tokai. The baboon, known as Kataza or SK11, is slowly being integrated into the Tokai troop. Video footage, however, shows humans feeding Kataza. The City of Cape Town has requested that Kataza…
As SA Rugby moves to determine which franchises will go to Europe in future, Rassie Erasmus has noted several potential benefits for the local game should that route be followed.The national director of rugby believes the high world rankings of Wales, Ireland and Scotland mean PRO Rugby is competitive and that fans will eventually identify…
(John Finney Photography/Moment/Getty Images) An abnormally bad season of weather may have had a significant impact on the death toll from both World War I and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, according to new research, with many more lives being lost due to torrential rain and plummeting temperatures. Through a detailed analysis of an ice…