Science
Molecular, Glow-in-the-Dark Cloud Discovered Close to Earth
Stars and planets are born inside swirling clouds of cosmic gas and dust that are brimming with hydrogen and other molecular ingredients. On Monday, astronomers revealed the discovery of the closest known cloud to Earth, a colossal, crescent-shaped blob of star-forming potential.
Named Eos, after the Greek goddess of the dawn, the cloud was found lurking some 300 light-years from our solar system and is as wide as 40 of Earth’s moon lined up across the sky. According to Blakesley Burkhart, an astrophysicist at Rutgers University, it is the first molecular cloud to be detected using the fluorescent nature of hydrogen.
“If you were to see this cloud on the sky, it’s enormous,” said Dr. Burkhart, who announced the discovery with colleagues in the journal Nature Astronomy. And “it is literally glowing in the dark,” she added.
Identifying and studying clouds like Eos, particularly based on their hydrogen content, could reshape astronomers’ understanding of how much material in our galaxy is available to produce planets and stars. It will also help them measure the creation and destruction rates of the fuel that can drive such formations.
“We are, for the first time, seeing this previously hidden reservoir of hydrogen that can form stars,” said Thavisha Dharmawardena, an astronomer at New York University who is an author of the study. After Eos, she said, astronomers are “hoping to find many more” such hydrogen-heavy clouds.
Molecular hydrogen, which consists of two hydrogen atoms bound together, is the most abundant material in the universe. Stellar nurseries are chock-full of it. But it is difficult to detect the molecule from the ground because it glows in far-ultraviolet wavelengths that are readily absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere.
Easier to spot is carbon monoxide, a molecule made up of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. Carbon monoxide radiates light in longer wavelengths that can be detected by radio observatories on Earth’s surface, a more conventional technique for identifying star-forming clouds.
Eos, as immense as it is, evaded detection for so long because it contains so little carbon monoxide.
Dr. Burkhart noticed the cloud while studying data that was about 20 years old from the Far-Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph, or FIMS, an instrument aboard a Korean space satellite. She spotted a structure in the molecular hydrogen data in a region of space where she believed no molecular clouds were present, and then teamed up with Dr. Dharmawardena to investigate further.
“At this point, I had known pretty much all the molecular clouds by name,” Dr. Dharmawardena said. “This structure, I didn’t know at all. I couldn’t place it.”
Dr. Dharmawardena cross-checked the find with three-dimensional maps of the interstellar dust between stars in our galaxy. Those maps were built with data from the recently retired Gaia space telescope. Eos “was very clearly outlined and visible,” she said. “It’s this gorgeous structure.”
John Black, an astronomer at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden who was not involved in the work, commended the technique used to reveal Eos.
“It’s really wonderful to be able to see the molecular hydrogen directly, to trace out the outlines of this cloud,” Dr. Black said. Compared with carbon monoxide, the hydrogen shows “a truer picture of the shape and size” of Eos, he added.
Using the molecular hydrogen content, the astronomers estimated the mass of Eos to be about 3,400 times that of our sun. That is much higher than the estimate computed from the amount of carbon monoxide present in the cloud — as little as 20 times the mass of our sun.
Similar measurements of carbon monoxide could very well be underestimating the mass of other molecular clouds, Dr. Burkhart said. That has important implications for star formation, she added, because bigger clouds form more massive stars.
A follow-up study of Eos, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that the cloud had not formed stars in the past. But the question remains whether it will begin to churn out stars in the future.
Dr. Burkhart is working with a team of astronomers to conceptualize a NASA spacecraft called Eos, which also inspired the name of the newly discovered cloud. The proposed space telescope would be able to map the molecular hydrogen content of clouds across the galaxy, including its namesake.
Perhaps such a mission would find more hidden clouds or revise knowledge about the ability of known stellar mists to coalesce their material into stars and planets.
“We don’t really know how stars and planets form,” Dr. Burkhart said. “If we’re able to look at molecular hydrogen directly, we’re able to tell how the birthplaces of stars are forming — and also how they’re being destroyed.”
Science
Bodies of all 9 skiers killed in devastating avalanche recovered by authorities
California search-and-rescue teams have recovered the bodies of all nine missing skiers killed Tuesday in a devastating avalanche in a remote region of Sierra Nevada north of Lake Tahoe.
When a catastrophic avalanche rumbled over a stretch of the High Sierra, dozens of law enforcement officers scoured the mountainside for a group of 15 skiers, including four mountain guides.
Within hours, crews rescued six survivors and discovered eight deceased skiers near the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts. Another skier was still missing, but was presumed dead.
After five days of navigating deep snowpack and treacherous weather conditions, authorities announced they had found the body of the ninth victim.
During a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Nevada County identified the victims as six skiers and three professional mountain guides:
- Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nev., a Blackbird Mountain Guide
- Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs, Calif.
- Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Blackbird Mountain Guide
- Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho
- Michael Henry, 30, from Soda Springs, Calif., a Blackbird Mountain Guide
- Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, Calif.
- Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, Calif.
- Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco, Calif.
- Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae, Calif.
Authorities lamented the fast-moving disaster as the deadliest avalanche in modern California history.
“There are no words that truly capture the significance of this loss and our hearts mourn alongside the families of those affected by this catastrophic event,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said in a statement on Saturday. “The weight of this event is felt across many families, friends, and colleagues, and we stand together with them during this difficult time.” Moon said.
The avalanche occurred amid a powerful atmospheric river storm that unleashed several feet of snow onto the Sierra Nevada mountains. First responders maneuvered through the blizzard on snowcats and skis to rescue the survivors.
But the unstable snowpack, high winds and whiteout conditions made search-and-recovery efforts too perilous, prompting first responders to leave behind the bodies of deceased skiers and suspend operations on Wednesday and Thursday.
Authorities carved paths through the deep snow to eventually continue the search, and California Highway Patrol officers found the ninth victim.
The Nevada County Sheriff‘s Office was also assisted by California National Guard, California State Parks, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Truckee Police Department and the United States Forest Service.
Science
Video: ‘Very Successful Day’: NASA Completes Artemis II Launchpad Test
new video loaded: ‘Very Successful Day’: NASA Completes Artemis II Launchpad Test
transcript
transcript
‘Very Successful Day’: NASA Completes Artemis II Launchpad Test
NASA successfully completed a rehearsal to launch the Artemis II rocket on Thursday. The mission would send astronauts around the Moon’s orbit for the first time in more than 50 years.
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“Very successful day. I’m very proud of this team and all that they accomplished to get us to yesterday, and then to go execute with such precision.” “Following that successful wet dress yesterday, we’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt. I am going to caveat that — I want to be open, transparent with all of you, that there is still pending work.”
By Jorge Mitssunaga
February 20, 2026
Science
Fourth measles case confirmed in L.A. County; person visited LAX, restaurants while infectious
A fourth measles case has been confirmed in Los Angeles County, prompting renewed calls from health officials for residents to ensure they are protected against the highly contagious virus.
The infected individual flew from Singapore to Los Angeles International Airport on Feb. 9 aboard Singapore Airlines Flight 38. The plane landed at about 7 p.m. following a 14-hour journey, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
Over the following days, the individual visited a few San Gabriel Valley fast food restaurants, potentially exposing others to the measles virus.
“As measles cases increase, it is important that residents take steps to make sure they are fully protected,” L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in a statement. “The [measles-mumps-rubella] vaccine is the safest and most reliable way to prevent measles and protect yourself, your family, and your community.”
The health department did not respond to questions from The Times regarding the sex or age of the infected individual, who was described in a statement as “a resident who recently traveled internationally.”
After arriving at and leaving the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the individual visited restaurants and convenience stores throughout Whittier and Montebello.
The individual ate at a Burger King in Montebello, 1212 West Beverly Blvd., on Feb. 10 between 5:30 and 7 p.m. The next day, the person dined at Taqueria El Atacor, 11156 1/2 Whittier Blvd. in Whittier, between 3 and 5 p.m.
The final two stops in Montebello were at Domino’s Pizza, 803 West Whittier Blvd., between 4 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 12; and 7-Eleven, 1106 West Beverly Blvd., on Feb. 13 between 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Those who were in the Bradley Terminal (Terminal B) on Feb. 9 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:40 p.m., or in the eateries above during the aforementioned time windows, may have been exposed to the measles virus.
Symptoms typically develop anywhere from seven to 21 days after exposure, according to the health department.
Concerned individuals should confirm whether they have protection against the virus, either through past measles vaccinations or infections.
Those who are not immunized or are unsure of their status should monitor themselves closely for signs of infection. Common symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose or red eyes, as well as a rash.
Those with such symptoms are encouraged to stay home and avoid school, work and any gatherings. They should also call a healthcare provider immediately, but not go into a healthcare facility without informing them.
The monitoring deadline for symptoms ranges from March 2 at LAX until March 6 at 7-Eleven for individuals who visited those spaces around the same time as the infected person.
Davis said the most effective way to protect against measles is to take the MMR vaccine. Children age 1 year and older are considered fully immunized after receiving two doses.
“Measles spreads easily and can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and even death,” Davis said. “We urge everyone to confirm their immunity and get the MMR vaccine if needed, especially before traveling. Taking this simple step helps safeguard your health and strengthens protection for our entire community.”
Previous cases confirmed in L.A. County so far this year also involved individuals who had traveled internationally. One of those individuals ventured to Sherman Oaks on Jan. 24, another to Woodland Hills on Jan. 30. The first case had no identified public exposure locations in L.A. County.
Measles cases have increased in the United States as vaccination rates have fallen in recent years, allowing the highly contagious virus to spread in communities with lower vaccine coverage.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 2,280 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. last year, the highest annual total since 1991. As of Feb. 12, 910 cases had already been confirmed nationwide this year — including 15 in California.
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