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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Astronomy

    In a first, magnetic fields have been spotted between two galaxy clusters

    The discovery of magnetic fields in the gaseous filament between two galaxy clusters suggests that some large cosmic structures are magnetized.

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  2. Astronomy

    The accretion disk around our galaxy’s black hole has been spotted at last

    The Milky Way's central black hole has a disk of gas and dust orbiting it, astronomers can finally say with confidence.

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  3. Astronomy

    Watch the oldest surviving film of a total solar eclipse

    A short film of the 1900 total solar eclipse was restored by conservation experts and is now available to view online.

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  4. Astronomy

    Questions about solar storms, slingshot spiders and more reader feedback

    Readers had questions about solar storms, a robotic gripper, slingshot spiders and more.

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  5. Planetary Science

    Icy volcanoes on Pluto may have spewed organic-rich water

    Planetary scientists found ammonia-rich ice near cracks on Pluto, suggesting the dwarf planet had recent icy volcanoes.

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  6. Physics

    100 years ago, an eclipse proved Einstein right. Today, black holes do too — for now

    In 1919, an eclipse affirmed Einstein’s famous general theory of relativity. Now scientists hope to use black holes to poke holes in that idea.

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  7. Physics

    Big black holes can settle in the outskirts of small galaxies

    Astronomers have found dozens of surprisingly massive black holes far from the centers of their host dwarf galaxies.

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  8. Planetary Science

    China’s lunar rover may have found minerals from the moon’s mantle

    The Chang’e-4 mission spotted material on the lunar surface that appears to contain bits originating from the moon’s interior.

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  9. Planetary Science

    Apollo-era moonquakes reveal that the moon may be tectonically active

    Moonquakes recorded decades ago suggest the moon is tectonically active. Knowing more about that activity could help scientists identify where to land future spacecraft.

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  10. Ecosystems

    Readers were curious about green icebergs, aliens and more

    Readers had questions and comments about icebergs and climate change, CBD and NASA’s search for E.T.

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  11. Astronomy

    Dying stars called collapsars may forge much of the universe’s gold

    Spinning stars that collapse into black holes could help explain the origins of heavy elements such as gold and silver.

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  12. Physics

    What a nearby kilonova would look like

    Physicists imagined what we’d see in the sky if two neutron stars collided just 1,000 light-years from Earth.

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