Oct 4, 2008 9:16 AM

Today's Gallery: Giants of Earth and Space

To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the invention of the telescope, we ran a big package of stories today. The gallery shows the 10 largest telescopes on Earth and our favorite images that they’ve captured.

TopicsPhotography space telescopes

The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature

An observatory detected the first radio signal from the interstellar object 3I/Atlas. Here’s what it means.

How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas

The interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reached its closest point to the sun. Here's how to follow the rest of its journey away from our solar system.

In Orbit You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up

Driving a spacecraft around a planet isn’t anything like driving on a planet. A physicist explains orbital navigation.

Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’

“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.

The ‘10 Martini’ Proof Connects Quantum Mechanics With Infinitely Intricate Mathematical Structures

The proof, known to be so hard that a mathematician once offered 10 martinis to whoever could figure it out, uses number theory to explain quantum fractals.

How Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Grow Living Things

The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.

How Do Metal Detectors Work?

What sneaky invisible forces enable these instruments to locate buried treasure?

Unpicking How to Measure the Complexity of Knots

Two mathematicians have proved that a straightforward question—how hard is it to untie a knot?—has a complicated answer.

Can a Hydroelectric Dam Really Make the Days Longer?

By shifting water to a higher elevation, the giant Three Gorges Dam caused the Earth to spin more slowly.

Climate Change Made Hurricane Melissa 4 Times More Likely, Study Suggests

Unusually warm ocean temperatures fueled one of the worst hurricanes on record. New research finds climate change increased the storm’s likelihood.

The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves

The math behind even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.

Hurricane Melissa Has Meteorologists Terrified

The storm, which is set to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has stunned meteorologists with its intensity and the speed at which it built.