Solar flares made in the lab could teach us about the real thing

This new AI-powered computer model can predict dangerous solar storms

50 years ago today, the Pioneer 11 spacecraft set sail for the outer solar system. And 4 million years from now, the probe — which carries a gold-plated plaque meant to help identify humanity’s place in the cosmos — will pass very near the star Lambda Aquilae, located some 125 light-years away.

The 2024 total solar eclipse next April will be the most observed celestial event in history. Nearly 32 million people live in the path of totality, and another 117 million people live within 200 miles of that line.