Nov 2, 2017 6:57 PM

SPoW_Oct30_2017 / Lauren Joseph / Nov 2nd, 2017 @ 15:50

ESO/Babak Tafreshi
01
This spectacular view of the Milky Way was captured in Chile, home of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, seen in the foreground. The brightest star in the upper left of the frame is Antares, which is surrounded by the “galactic bulge,” a region that is dense in stars, while the brighter areas are regions of hot gas.
NASA/CXC/SAO
02
There’s a lot going on in this photo of system MACS J1149. It was captured by three different instruments: the Chandra Observatory (X-rays), the Hubble Space Telescope (visible light). and the Very Large Array in New Mexico (radio waves). Together, they show a cluster of hundreds and maybe even thousands of galaxies, some 5 billion light years from Earth. By studying this cluster in multiple wavelengths, scientists are able to see the interactions of gas and gravity that would otherwise be invisible.

NASA/JPL-Caltech
03
The eye of a storm on Earth can be large, but they have nothing on this hexagonal storm at Saturn’s north pole. Taken by the late, great Cassini spacecraft, which plunged into Saturn’s atmosphere in September, this image shows a storm as wide as Earth’s diameter, illuminated by sunlight. Take a look behind Saturn, and you can see the planet’s rings.
NASA
04
You’re getting hotter, literally. Our star is shining in all its glorious colors in this NASA series. Each color is filtered for a different extreme UV light, but each photo gets progressively hotter— from 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit to 18 _million_ degrees. Feelin’ hot, hot,hot?

NASA/JPL-Caltech
05
Mars is covered in weird rocks, most of which are clues to the planet’s ancient watery past. This photo taken by the Curiosity rover on September 16 shows a rock dubbed “Christmas Cove.” The fine material surrounding the rock is dust that’s been brushed away by Curiosity, revealing the fine grain of hematite, a mineral that forms in standing water or hot springs.
NASA
06
Galaxies, galaxies, everywhere, wait—what are all these smudges? This image takes photo-bombing to a new level. This stunning Hubble image contains thousands of galaxies, but it also has some asteroids streaking across the frame. Those white streaks are 20 different asteroids, all of which orbit around 160 million miles from Earth.

A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why

Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.

Stephanie Pearson

The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For

AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.

Miles Klee

It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend

Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.

Luke Larsen

There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home

Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.

Jeremy White

The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones

As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.

Miles Klee

Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good

This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.

Christopher Null

The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App

The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.

Matthew Korfhage