5 Astronomy Breakthroughs of the 21st Century

Fast Radio Bursts

[{"selector":"#anim-456a201c-e4a5-4da1-a9d0-cae2a18b0b4d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] First detected in 2007, fast radio bursts (FRBs) remain mysterious cosmic signals likely originating from neutron star collisions or interactions with massive stars. –

Methane On Mars

[{"selector":"#anim-ab888448-8126-425c-89b6-c8d6249c1fa1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Curiosity rover's detections of methane on Mars since 2013 have raised intriguing questions about geological processes, potential microbial life, or even contamination.

Phosphine On Venus

[{"selector":"#anim-376c675f-c3ea-46f5-993e-cd20d233813f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Detection of phosphine on Venus has sparked debates about possible microbial life in its atmosphere, challenging previous notions of Venus as inhospitable.

Cassini Spies Water Jets Over Enceladus

[{"selector":"#anim-0b59f639-7a29-4107-9c73-b8ddbfc5628f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Cassini's discovery of water jets from Enceladus' tiger stripes in 2009 suggests subsurface oceans, indicating potential habitable environments on moons like Europa and Ganymede.

Gaia Mapping The Milky Way

[{"selector":"#anim-f153e05e-0157-4db1-a0d9-5815f04275e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Since its 2013 launch, Gaia has mapped nearly 1.7 billion stars, revolutionizing our understanding of the Milky Way's structure and history.