![Robert Lea](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FrPVWMGMDcv5rjJzExQQ4f.jpg)
Robert Lea
Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.
Latest articles by Robert Lea
![A crack in an ice sheet an Antarctica ice sheet caused by climate change](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PhnmSDrpvaTgW4AaptaTyN-320-80.jpg)
Climate change and polar ice melting could be impacting the length of Earth's day
By Robert Lea published
Humanity's activities and climate change are impacting the polar ice sheets, causing excessive melting, and this is slowing Earth's rotation, challenging official timekeeping standards.
![three deep-space images, showing newfound distant galaxies as blue, orange, yellow, green and red dots](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/S4nfNoFdGcyAA7d5XpZRHU-320-80.png)
Cosmic gold rush! Astronomers find 49 new galaxies in just 3 hours
By Robert Lea published
Using the MeerKat radio telescope, astronomers discovered a "gold rush" of galaxies in just three hours, including three joined by their gas content.
![The supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way Sgr A* seen in polarized light for the first time](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yMquMe4srNd7YKaBJUmqw6-320-80.png)
New view of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way hints at an exciting hidden feature (image)
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have for the first time imaged the powerful magnetic fields that dwell around the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*.
![illustration of a yellow star and a blue star circling close to each other](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DrUCCGghL6EAGYd7uBWgB8-320-80.png)
How are extreme "blue supergiant" stars born? Astronomers may finally know
By Robert Lea published
Scientists have discovered that the hottest and brightest stars in the cosmos, blue supergiants, are created when two smaller stars spiral together and merge, new research suggests.
![A bright point of light shines near center-right with diffraction spikes, surrounded by glowing clouds against black space. A blue jet of material extends roughly throughout the center of the image, partially obscured by the clouds.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wDcRmfmgeQmkt5ydCYasY8-320-80.png)
Hubble Telescope witnesses a new star being born in a stunning cosmic light show (image)
By Robert Lea published
The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged a powerful jet erupting from an envelope of gas and dust that represents a newly born star announcing itself to the cosmos.
![one side of the silvery-grey surface of the moon is slightly darkened by a shadow](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mvro4tM3FDc4eKMkcyYd7g-320-80.jpg)
March's Full Worm Moon wriggles its way through a subtle lunar eclipse in stunning photos
By Robert Lea published
The Worm Moon underwent a slightly undramatic lunar eclipse on Sunday, March 24, two weeks before the main event: April's total solar eclipse.
![A black circle in the center of the scene is emanating circular ripples going outward to the edges of the image.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qFhksxU8RFw7KkHfWaAR6Q-320-80.png)
'Quantum tornado' allows scientists to mimic a black hole on Earth
By Robert Lea published
Scientists created a giant vortex made of tiny quantum pieces to bring black hole physics down to Earth.
![The ancient stellar streams Shakti (yellow triangles) and Shiva (blue dots) that make up the Milky Way](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iEZJNavz2kMakf7rMbeN5g-320-80.png)
'Shiva and Shakti': The ancient star streams that helped weave the Milky Way
By Robert Lea published
The Gaia space telescope has discovered two ancient stellar streams woven through the heart of the Milky Way, which were present 12 billion years ago.
![A spacecraft that looks like its wrapped in foil (it's not really, of course) up in orbit.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/E8RmPGxxZujn98y8TyKRuW-320-80.png)
NASA suspends Swift gamma-ray space telescope operations
By Robert Lea published
NASA has shut down its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, but don't panic; this is only a temporary pause for the space telescope that has served the space agency since 2004.
![An asteroid races toward the icy Jovian moon Europa with the gas giant planet in the background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wPFm3tQkd2S999R8gtLAEQ-320-80.png)
A 'snowball fight' may help scientists find life on Jupiter's moon Europa
By Robert Lea published
Impact craters in Europa's icy crust have been used to measure the thickness of the world's shell, leading scientists closer to learning if this frozen moon could host life as we know it.
![An illustration shows two brown dwarf failed stars as they part ways](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HfEtXbH89uE2GNT6MWBzqk-320-80.png)
Hubble Space Telescope discovers 'failed stars' are bad at relationships too
By Robert Lea published
Using the Hubble astronomers found that "failed star" brown dwarfs struggle to maintain relationships as passing stars disrupt them like the cosmic equivalent of the distracted boyfriend meme.
![A view of Uranus in blue with auroras marked in reddish tones; Saturn is seen in an inset, its rings glowing brightly due to image filters.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Aydr3TZrRy9yaN3X79FEai-320-80.png)
Stunning light shows on Uranus and Saturn may soon draw James Webb Space Telescope's eye
By Robert Lea published
The James Webb Space Telescope will soon investigate stunning light shows from Uranus and Saturn as two projects look at the auroras of these planets to discover the processes that make them tick.
![A red giant star engulfs an orbiting planet.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rAGuXkQD7LTwXvsParExVB-320-80.jpeg)
'Singing' red giant stars could offer another way to measure the universe's expansion
By Robert Lea published
The different ways red giants "sing" could affect distance measurements of the universe, potentially helping soothe a cosmic headache: The Hubble tension.
![A black screen with lots of golden speckled dots. One area of the scene is zoomed-in with a box to the right.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nZf3ZEZkuDdr6r8ry8mnrK-320-80.png)
Scientists find galaxy supercluster as massive as 26 quadrillion suns
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have discovered a treasure trove of 662 new galactic superclusters, the most prominent of which, the Einasto Supercluster, contains a staggering mass equivalent to 26 quadrillion suns.
![An illustration shows the egg-shaped planet WASP-12b on a death spiral towar its yellow dwarf parent star](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/teUbfLqDoaSqMThbK68A6d-320-80.png)
Doomed egg-shaped exoplanet is death-spiraling into its star
By Robert Lea published
WASP-12b, an ultrahot Jupiter planet molded into the shape of an egg, is set to nose-dive into its star.
![A view of a double-headed gray rock with a diagram on the right that shows its composition.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NFkRnECHUNSsamYBeohYAe-320-80.png)
Arrokoth the 'space snowman' and other Kuiper Belt objects may be packed with ancient ice
By Robert Lea published
A new model of cometary evolution and interiors could help explain the explosive behavior of "ice bomb" comets as they pass close to the sun.
![Lots of little squares, each depicting one of the newly found ring-shaped galaxies. They're all pinkish due to filters used by the scientists.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WZKGB9zjeZJozWuY9XLYtb-320-80.png)
Citizen scientists and AI take a cosmic cruise to discover 430,000 new galaxies
By Robert Lea published
With the help of artificial intelligence, amateur scientists have discovered more than 400,000 new galaxies.
![A view created by Condor and computer technologies of extremely faint shells of ionized gas surrounding the dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QpUGStfckowgef77WXTFjF-320-80.png)
Condor Array Telescope confirms Chinese astrology records of 'new star' spotted in 77 BCE
By Robert Lea published
The first data from the Condor Telescope Array suggests a dwarf nova was the source of a new star seen in 77 BCE.
![At left, an illustration of a spacecraft in orbit around Mars. At right, a spacecraft photo of icy gullies on Mars.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ETRA9wJVvBMdGu9HxLid4b-320-80.png)
Bad news for life on Mars? Red Planet's wet epoch may have been shorter than we thought
By Robert Lea published
Water freely flowed across Mars billions of years ago, suggesting the Red Planet could also once have supported life. But this water may have existed for just a short time.
![A blurry image of a supernova with a blue interior and pearl-like globules around that interview in a ring-shape. A diagram on the right shows the ring of pearls in more detail.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y6ycs2LqxCx6j6A8HkXzKh-320-80.png)
Scientists may finally know why this infamous supernova wears a 'string of pearls'
By Robert Lea published
SN 1987A is ringed by a strange string of hydrogen pearls that have puzzled astronomers for a long time, but researchers may finally have an explanation.
![Blue, purple and yellow streaks are seen against a black background. It almost looks like abstract art, concentrated in a stripe in the center of the image.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/G23rcfYWjdwdmaJopud6aT-320-80.png)
Scientists reveal never-before-seen map of the Milky Way's central engine (image)
By Robert Lea published
A new map spanning 500 light-years reveals the interaction between magnetic fields and dust in the Milky Way that will become the building blocks of stars.
![An illustration of two ice-blue orbs smashing together, surrounded by warm reddish dust and gas.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gm8bZVLrnvDXKN6uVKdkSZ-320-80.jpeg)
Colliding neutron stars hint at new physics that could explain dark matter
By Robert Lea published
Extreme collisions between neutron stars could create exotic particles beyond the standard model, including axions, the hypothetical particle that comprises dark matter.
![(Main) The complex shape of Gz9p3 shows it origins as the result of a merger between galaxies (Inset) direct imaging by the JWST reveals Gz9p3 has a double nucleus indicating a merger that is still ongoing](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yS2GVVpr6fjfWnSUL7jiVK-320-80.png)
Speck of light glimpsed by Hubble is truly an enormous old galaxy, James Webb Space Telescope reveals
By Robert Lea published
The James Webb Space Telescope has zoomed in on a mere speck of light seen by Hubble, identifying it as a massive early galaxy that existed just 510 million years after the Big Bang.
![A view of a facility with white pillars on either side, attached to a metal structure with stairs. It's in a snowy area; the sky is very blue. An inset shows a diagram of how IceCube works.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TTduJRC5B4qvsrLZhC2LV4-320-80.png)
Scientists may have just caught 7 exotic 'ghost particles' as they pierced through Earth
By Robert Lea published
Devices buried deep within the south pole detected highly elusive tau neutrinos blasted toward Earth by powerful astrophysical events.
![An image of a region parallel to the massive protostar known as IRAS23385 (star not visible)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HepKNzwBcapZinddKy2STE-320-80.png)
James Webb Space Telescope spots the icy building blocks of life swirling around infant stars
By Robert Lea published
Two infant stars are surrounded by swirling clouds that astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope found contain icy molecules that could form the building blocks of life.