Magnetism

What causes the sun's 11-year cycle of sunspot activity? According to two new studies, it could be literal tsunamis of plasma.

These liquid droplets can morph into various shapes and be externally manipulated to move around.

The monster black hole at the center of the Milky Way is eerily quiet, and now astronomers think they know why.

Here's why a motorcycle's rubber tires didn't protect the rider when lightning struck.

Jupiter's magnetic field has changed since the 1970s, and now physicists think they know why it's happening.

The giant heads and distorted bodies are magnetized in particular spots.

The Force is (super) strong with these quarks.

Here’s one explanation for why Earth’s magnetic field undergoes weird geomagnetic jerks every decade or so.

This strange structure could explain what happens during solar rain.

The ghostly 'quasiparticles' have barely any material existence, but physicists are still managing to manipulate them into uncanny shapes.

The Earth's magnetic field might be influencing the brain.

It's too hot to sit still

A gigantic solar storm hit Earth about 2,600 years ago, one about 10 times stronger than any solar storm recorded in the modern day, a new study finds.

There's a mighty wind a-blowin' out of the Cigar Galaxy, and it could teach astronomers how the first stars formed.

People on Earth are familiar with the sun's powerful rays — but the moon suffers from sunburn, too.

Why did Maleficent suddenly appear over Iceland?