Gallery: Space Photos of the Week: Nobody Knows How Old This Dang Star Is
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-team-probes-peculiar-age-defying-star">NASA</a>01SPOW-Sept2-05.jpg
How old is this star? When it comes to the red object in the center of this photo, researchers are divided: some believe it’s an elderly red supergiant, others suggest it may be a protostar still in the making.
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/jupiter-s-north-pole-unlike-anything-encountered-in-solar-system">NASA</a>02SPOW-Sept2-08.gif
Taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, this photo is one of the first images ever taken of Jupiter’s north pole. The pole has storms and weather unlike those seen so far on any other gas-giant planets in our solar system: Look closely to see possible cloud shadows, suggesting that the clouds are at a high altitude.
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2016/hubbles-best-image-of-alpha-centauri-a-and-b">NASA</a>03SPOW-Sept2-07.gif
This image shows Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, two stars in the star system closest to Earth, only 4.3 light-years away. Because of their proximity, the two stars are top targets in the search for habitable exoplanets.
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/images-from-sun-s-edge-reveal-origins-of-solar-wind">NASA</a>04SPOW-Sept2-06.gif
The view on the left shows solar wind (a flow of charged particles issued from the sun), captured by NASA’s STEREO spacecraft; the image on the right shows the same view after computer processing that dims the stars, allowing scientists to better observe the wind.
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/record-breaking-galaxy-cluster-discovered.html">NASA</a>05SPOW-Sept2-02.jpg
This photo shows the furthest away galaxy cluster yet seen. According to NASA, it may have captured the galaxy undergoing a growth spurt immediately after birth, a stage of galaxy evolution previously undocumented.
<a href="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2016/08/Comet_on_17_August_2016_NavCam">ESA</a>06SPOW-Sept2-01.jpg
ESA’s Rosetta space probe took this photo of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko when only 8.6 miles from the center of the comet’s nucleus.
OpenAI’s Rogue AI Agent Hacked More Than Just Hugging Face
In a new disclosure, OpenAI says its agent used exposed logins to gain access to at least four “publicly available services” in its unhinged quest to solve a test.
Dell Cameron
A Typo Landed an Innocent Gamer in Prison for 18 Months
How much could a single underscore in a username really matter? Just ask Brandon Klayme, who served 18 months in prison before realizing how authorities arrested, charged, and convicted the wrong man.
Nate Anderson, Ars Technica
Ebay Has to Pay $55.7 Million in Settlement for Its Unhinged Harassment Campaign
For months on end, eBay employees and contractors made life hell for a couple that had criticized the company. Six years later, the company is finally paying up.
Lauren Goode
Laura Loomer’s Reversal on Ukraine Stirs Up the MAGA Civil War
Donald Trump’s base has been increasingly spilt. Laura Loomer’s sudden embrace of Ukraine has only widened that divide.
David Gilbert
Is the Electric Trike the Next Big Thing in Shared Micromobility?
Veo is launching accessibility-focused electric tricycles in Denver, with plans to put its e-trikes on the streets nationwide.
Boone Ashworth
What WIRED Writers Would Actually Give Their Moms
Your mom never gets you a thoughtless gift, so you shouldn’t get her one, either. Here’s every cool gift WIRED writers would give their mothers.
Nena Farrell
Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
Should you splurge on the new Series 11, or will the SE 3 do? Let us help you figure out which version to get (and which to avoid).
Boutayna Chokrane
12 Adventurous Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People
Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful blade or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.
Scott Gilbertson
A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life
Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Jeremy White
Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
In 2023, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. They’ve since spent more than $20 million on the case, and publisher A.G. Sulzberger has no plans to stop fighting it.
Katie Drummond
Silicon Valley’s Next IPO Billionaires Are Coming. Nonprofits Are Ready for Them
Anthropic and OpenAI employees are expected to give generously after their companies go public. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” says one nonprofit leader.
Paresh Dave
The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Can Do It All
Dyson’s new stick vacuum can vacuum and mop in a single cordless device—if you’re willing to really splurge.
Nena Farrell