News and Events

Eclipses tend to come in pairs. Twice a year, during an eclipse season that lasts about 34 days, Sun, Moon, and Earth can nearly align. Then the new and full phases of the Moon, separated by just over 14 days, create a solar and a lunar eclipse. But only rarely is the alignment at both new moon and full moon during a single eclipse season close enough to produce a pair with both total solar and lunar eclipses. More often, partial eclipses are part of any eclipse season. But, the last eclipse season of 2026 did produce this fortnight-separated pairing of a total solar eclipse on August 12 (top) and an almost total lunar eclipse on the night of August 27/28. At New Moon, the solar eclipse was captured at Peñafiel, Spain near the begining of totality in this HDR composite image, revealing a flash of Bailey's beads and a golden solar corona. At the following Full Moon, the deep partial lunar eclipse was recorded from Sèvres, France. Also an HDR composite, the image shows this partial eclipse at closer to half its 93 percent maximum phase, so about half the visible lunar disk appears darkened and reddened within Earth's umbral shadow. The coming eclipse season will see an annular solar eclipse on 2027 February 6 paired with a penumbral lunar eclipse on February 20/21. Growing Gallery: Lunar Eclipse of 2026 August 28 APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod
Temp:  65 °FN2 Boiling:76.0 K
Humidity: 78%H2O Boiling:   368.6 K
Pressure:86 kPaSunrise:6:51 AM
Wind:2 m/s   Sunset:8:04 PM
Precip:2 mm   Sunlight:0 W/m²  
This winter, ten students in BYU’s new “Advanced Planetary Astrophysics” taught by Darin Ragozzine course gained hands-on experience in planetary science research, mastering interdisciplinary skills to prepare for future careers in astronomy.
Starting Fall 2025, BYU will offer a new Applied Physics: Data Science major that combines rigorous physics training with data science skills to prepare students for the growing demand in data-driven careers.
BYU's new Biological Physics course introduces students to the physics behind biological processes, fostering interdisciplinary skills to tackle complex biological questions.
The university's new electron microscopy facility opened in fall of 2025, offering atomic-level imaging and student-led research.

Selected Publications

The quantum dimer magnet, with antiferromagnetic intradimer and interdimer Heisenberg exchange between spin-1/2 moments, is known to host an $$(\left|\uparrow \downarrow \right\rangle -\left|\downarrow \uparrow \right\rangle )/\sqrt{2}$$singlet ground state when the intradimer exchange is dominant. Rare-earth-based quantum dimer systems with strong spin-orbit coupling offer the opportunity for tuning their magnetic properties by using magnetic anisotropy as a control knob. Here, we present bulk characterization and neutron scattering measurements of the quantum dimer magnet Yb2Be2SiO7. We find that the Yb3+ ions can be described by an effective spin-1/2 model at low temperatures and the system does not show signs of magnetic order down to 50 mK. The magnetization, heat capacity, and neutron spectroscopy data can be well-described by an isolated dimer model with highly anisotropic exchange that stabilizes a singlet ground state with a wavefunction $$(\left|\uparrow \uparrow \right\rangle -\left|\downarrow \downarrow \right\rangle )/\sqrt{2}$$or $$(\left|\uparrow \uparrow \right\rangle+\left|\downarrow \downarrow \right\rangle )/\sqrt{2}$$. Our results show that strong spin-orbit coupling can induce unusual entangled states of matter in quantum dimer magnets.

Katrina Pedersen, Mark K. Transtrum, and Kent L. Gee (et al.)

This paper presents ambient | global, an ambient soundscape model developed to predict global ambient sound levels from all anthropogenic, biological, and geophysical sources. The soundscape model adopts a geospatial approach by modeling the ambient sound level as a function of geospatial features at a location. The soundscape model consists of an ensemble of four machine learning regression models fitted at acoustic measurement sites where both the geospatial features and ambient sound levels are known. The fitted model is then applied to predict ambient sound levels at any location where the geospatial features are known. The results quantify the spatial, temporal, and spectral patterns of ambient sound levels across the world under various scenarios. This paper presents maps of the existing ambient sound levels across the world in terms of the daytime overall A-weighted L50, or median sound level, and partitions the existing sound levels into their natural and anthropogenic constituents. Ultimately, the soundscape model will enable research into the impacts of humans and nature on the ambient soundscape and the impacts of ambient sound levels on humans and nature across the world.

Tyler P. Green, Ashley J. Spencer, Roger G. Harrison, Rajendra P. Gautam, Karine Chesnel, and William G. Pitt

This study describes a carrier having submicron, uniform and non-aggregated poly lactic acid (PLA) spheres loaded with the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and with 9 nm superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for magnetically guided drug delivery and local controlled release. Using a water/organic/water (w/o/w) doubleemulsion process, we produced uniformly spherical microparticles smaller than 2 µm in diameter with well-dispersed SPIONs that retained superparamagnetic behavior after encapsulation. 5FU loading efficiency was determined to be 94%. Biological activity and chemical integrity was confirmed for the 5FU released from the product. Drug release kinetics showed faster release within the first day followed by sustained, slower release over 63 days with a cumulative release reaching 70% of loaded drug. Drug release was faster at 37°C compared to 21°C. PBS at pH 7.4 and 5.4 promoted faster release than did distilled water at pH 7.0. Release was prolonged from these PLA systems compared to other systems employing PLGA. This research introduces a rigorously optimized microcarrier system distinguished by sub-2-µm superparamagnetic PLA or PLGA microspheres of uniform morphology containing phase-dispersed SPIONs and exhibiting long-term controlled release, offering a transformative framework for magnetically directed drug delivery using high-gradient systems such as Halbach arrays.

Noah Pulsipher, Kent L. Gee, Grant Hart, and Lucas Hall

This study presents a comparative analysis of far-field acoustic measurements from twelve SpaceX Falcon 9 launches conducted near Vandenberg Space Force Base. Acoustic data were collected at a fixed location 8.45 km from the launch pad as part of an ongoing ecology-motivated effort to characterize the launch noise environment. Maximum overall sound pressure levels (OASPL), one-third-octave spectra, pressure-time waveforms, and running pressure-derivative skewness were examined to assess launch-to-launch variability. Results show a spread of approximately 4.7 dB in maximum flat-weighted OASPL and over 10 dBA across the dataset, despite consistent vehicle configuration and similar ascent trajectories. Detailed comparisons of three representative launches reveal substantial differences in waveform structure, dominant spectral content, and crackle-related metrics. The period of maximum OASPL does not coincide with the period of maximum derivative skewness, and the launch with the greatest OASPL contains the least amount of crackle content. Understanding of this launch-to-launch variability, likely driven by local meteorology, is critical for accurate rocket noise modeling and environmental impact assessment.

Benjamin Proudfoot and Darin Ragozzine (et al.)

Mutual events of trans-Neptunian binaries (TNBs) provide rare opportunities to measure the physical and orbital properties of small bodies in the outer solar system. However, successful observations of these events have been limited by uncertain predictions. Here, we present probabilistic predictions of TNB mutual events occurring through the 2030s, using high-precision non-Keplerian orbit solutions from the Beyond Point Masses project combined with a Bayesian framework that propagates orbital and size uncertainties. Our methods generate distributions of event timing, duration, depth, and probability of occurrence, enabling direct assessment of observability. We provide predictions for five systems with ongoing or imminent mutual event seasons, including (38628) Huya, (58534) Logos–Zoe, (148780) Altjira, (469705) ǂKá̧gára-!Hãunu, and (524366) 2001 XR254. Preparing for upcoming events with long-baseline light-curve monitoring is vital, as events may be difficult to distinguish from a regular rotational light curve. Rapid dissemination of event detections will benefit the entire community, allowing predictions to be updated, ensuring that these rare mutual event opportunities can be fully exploited.

Aiden C. Edwards, Michelle S. Wang, Jay C. Spendlove, Tracianne B. Neilsen, and Mark K. Transtrum (et al.)

One approach to investigating parameter sensitivity in seabed models is to apply the techniques of information geometry. This paper provides an information geometric analysis of a sound propagation in a shallow-water waveguide, where the acoustic properties of the sediment are derived from the viscous grainshearing (VGS) model. Specifically, we consider single-frequency transmission loss (TL) across a wide range of VGS parameters. By exploring the limits and boundaries of the TL model manifolds, particularly as parameters approach both low and high extremes, this approach allows for the determination of relative stiffness and sloppiness of model parameters and provides indications of parameter hierarchies and correlations. Results include slices of the model manifold and matrices of information distances on a fivedimensional model man-ifold, representing the absolute transmission loss at 16 receiver depths for different sediment types. Careful examination of these results provides insights into the relative impact of VGS parameters and the delineation of limiting regions. This work demonstrates how information geometry can inform model selection and parametrization in geoacoustic inversion studies, leading to more efficient and interpretable models of the seabed.