SPoW_Sept28_2017
01Hubble photographed the galaxy dubbed NGC 4490 and its victim galaxy NGC 4485, pulled together by gravity over millions of years and eventually colliding to form system Arp 269. The region is a hotbed for stellar nurseries, seen here in bright pinks and reds. The photo captures the pair post-collision, slowly drifting apart but doomed to crash into one another once again billions of years from now.
02This is the Saturn Nebula, a low-mass star that expelled material into space creating rings of dust and gas. The MUSE instrument attached to the European Space Observatory’s Very Large Telescope snapped this photo in order to map the nebula’s inner structure.
03This is the active region of molecular clouds known as W3, W4, and W5, a fantastic swirl of gaseous tendrils tossed around by powerful winds. The white areas are star formation and the blue areas contain supernovas.
04A collage of Jupiter photos taken over 95 minutes by the Juno spacecraft, highlighting the changes in the planet's atmosphere.
05This glowing blue beauty is comet C/2017 K2 PANSTARRS (K2), traveling through our solar system after being ejected from the Oort Cloud millions of years ago. The ball of rock and ice is around 4.6 billion years old and is the farthest active comet ever spotted.
06The Rosetta space probe snapped countless images of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from all sides for nearly two years, presented here in a 210-photo mosaic.
Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ Becomes ‘Assisted Driving’ in Europe
The automaker has been criticized for misleading drivers with the feature’s name. Now it’s renaming it for European regulators.
Aarian Marshall
Book Publishers Are Quietly Using More AI. Staff Are Revolting
Workers at three major publishing houses tell WIRED that LLMs are being used for publicity, cover art, back cover copy, and emails, as some execs push junior staff to champion the tech.
Adam Morgan
NASA Just Made Nearly 1 TB of Artemis II Data Available to the Public
The data drop includes photographs, audio, video, and astronauts’ notes that will be used to study the moon and prepare for future human missions.
Jorge Garay
The DOJ Is Weighing Perjury Charges Against Cassidy Hutchinson
The Justice Department is considering a perjury and obstruction-of-justice case against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who testified against Donald Trump to the January 6 committee.
Hugo Lowell
I’m Still Convinced the iPod Was the Perfect Gadget
Apple’s original music player got many things right. Chief among them: It didn’t connect to the internet.
Steven Levy
I’ve Tested the 3 Mac Desktops That Apple Makes, and There’s a Clear Winner
Apple’s Mac desktops have become some of the most sought-after computers this year, driven by surging interest in agentic AI. Here’s which model to buy depending on your use case.
Luke Larsen
Dunking on Dating App Profiles Is Content Gold. People Are Getting Sick of It
Relationship coaches, TikTokers, and disgruntled singles alike frequently shame bad profiles, as more apps experiment with blocking screenshots.
Jason Parham
The Best Battery-Powered Leaf Blowers for Taking Back Your Weekend
It’s finally time to ditch the gas canister—I tested these cordless leaf blowers on gravel, wood chips, and even a 5-pound concrete paver.
Sal Vaglica
Even Law & Order Is Terrified of AI
In its 26th season premiere, the procedural legal drama paints a damning picture of power-mad AI CEOs.
Ej Dickson
A New Mexico Community Was a Place to Build a Life. Then a Hypersonic Missile Factory Showed Up
Castelion—a next-generation defense tech company—is building a facility in Rio Rancho Estates that documents show could pose a major fire and chemical hazard to neighboring communities.
Yulia Almazova
America’s Hybrid Hype Has Hit the Used Market
Demand is so high that some used cars are selling for more than new ones.
Aarian Marshall
Lovehoney Promo Code: Toys, Lingerie, and Gift Set Discounts
Save on Lovehoney, including bestselling toys, lingerie, and popular gift sets for date nights, self-care, and couples’ play.
Amanda Chatel