Notebook

  1. Physics

    Rubidium atoms used to record coldest temperature — ever

    A swarm of rubidium atoms has been cooled to about 50 trillionths of a kelvin, making it the coldest substance ever measured.

    By Andrew Grant
  2. Astronomy

    Source of puzzling cosmic signals found — in the kitchen

    One type of radio burst has a pretty mundane origin: prematurely opened microwave ovens.

    By Christopher Crockett
  3. Planetary Science

    A modest Plutonian proposal

    Flagstaff, Echidna, Spock. Naming conventions for the landscapes of Pluto and its moons are proposed ahead of the arrival of the New Horizons probe.

    By Christopher Crockett
  4. Astronomy

    The art of astronomy

    Astronomer Zoltan Levay uses the Hubble Space Telescope to create stunning images of cosmic landscapes.