Rafi Letzter
Rafi wrote for Live Science from 2017 until 2021, when he became a technical writer for IBM Quantum. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of journalism. You can find his past science reporting at Inverse, Business Insider and Popular Science, and his past photojournalism on the Flash90 wire service and in the pages of The Courier Post of southern New Jersey.
Latest articles by Rafi Letzter
Warm pasta helps hot, angry neutron stars cool down
By Rafi Letzter published
Neutron stars are like the most efficient thermoses in the universe, filled with hot noodle soup. Here's how, over the course of millions of years, they cool down.
Astronomers claimed galaxy was 98% dark matter. They were wrong.
By Rafi Letzter published
Back in 2016, researchers claimed Dragonfly 44 was a "failed" Milky Way — a galaxy with a huge dark matter mass but almost no stars. Now, on closer examination, that claim has fallen apart.
Physicists keep trying to break the rules of gravity but this supermassive black hole just said 'no'
By Rafi Letzter published
A new test of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity has proved the 20th Century physicist right again, this time using a supermassive black hole.
Something huge ripped the skin off this star before it died
By Rafi Letzter published
Something pulled the outer layer of Cassiopeia A off before it detonated to form this gorgeous supernova. But what?
There's too much gold in the universe. No one knows where it came from.
By Rafi Letzter published
Something is showering gold across the universe. But no one knows what it is, and key theoretical explanations are falling apart
Did NASA detect a hint of life on Venus in 1978 and not realize it?
By Rafi Letzter published
What if scientists had started hunting for life on Venus in 1978?
Dark matter hunter who found unexpected, giant 'Fermi bubbles' wins $100,000 physics prize
By Rafi Letzter published
Tracy Slatyer, known for hunting dark matter in our galaxy and discovering evidence of an ancient Milky Way explosion, has won a $100,000 prize funded by tech billionaires.
Rainbow meteorite discovered in Costa Rica may hold building blocks of life
By Rafi Letzter last updated
A small, soft smacked into Costa Rica on April 23, 2019. And it carried dust older than our sun, as well as clues regarding how life formed on Earth.
Interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua could still be alien technology, new study hints
By Rafi Letzter published
The idea that interstellar object 'Oumuamua is a hydrogen iceberg has a flaw.
First ever double hurricane could hit the Gulf of Mexico
By Rafi Letzter published
There's no record of two hurricanes being in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time. Next week, that could change.
Astronomers bounced a laser off a spacecraft whirling around the moon
By Rafi Letzter published
That's one precise laser shot.
Entire cities could fit inside the moon's monstrous lava tubes
By Rafi Letzter published
Vast lava tubes pock the surface of the moon and Mars, and could protect explorers from the elements. But first someone needs to explore them.
Death Valley tops 130 F, setting possible global heat record
By Rafi Letzter published
California's Death Valley recorded what may be its hottest ever temperature on Sunday (Aug. 16) — a blazing 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius).
Heavy atom spills its guts in decade-long experiment
By Rafi Letzter published
A new experiment on ultra-rare astatine could open the door to cancer treatments and new research into super-heavy atoms.
Thousands of Earthlike 'blanets' might circle the Milky Way's central black hole
By Rafi Letzter published
Tens of thousands of planets like Earth and Neptune might orbit the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
Oldest surviving light reveals the universe's true age
By Rafi Letzter published
One of the most important controversies in physics remains unresolved after a major new study. But at least we have a new precise number for the universe's age.
Origin of 'Mirach's Ghost' perplexes black hole scientists
By Rafi Letzter published
Physicists are step closer to understanding where the largest black holes in the universe came from. But new data reveals even deeper mysteries around their creation.
Pentagon should release UFO report, Senate intelligence committee argues
By Rafi Letzter published
How much would a report like this really tell us?
Why some physicists really think there's a 'mirror universe' hiding in space-time
By Rafi Letzter published
What happens when you turn space-time upside-down?
Einstein's core idea about gravity just passed an extreme, whirling test in deep space
By Rafi Letzter published
Once again, physicists have confirmed one of Albert Einstein's core ideas about gravity and relativity — this time with the help of a neutron star flashing across space.
An astronomer calculated that Earth's intelligent life is probably 'rare.' Here's what that means.
By Rafi Letzter published
A new paper used an advanced "Bayesian" model to show that the emergence of intelligent life on Earth was probably a lucky break.
Ancient 'ring of fire' galaxy found glaring at Earth across space and time
By Rafi Letzter published
Eleven billion years ago, a hot, active, eyeball of a galaxy glared across space. It formed in a violent collision, and could help explain the Milky Way's spiral.
Why a microwave-beam experiment will launch aboard the Air Force’s secretive X-37B space plane
By Rafi Letzter published
There's a microwave power experiment heading to space Saturday (May 16) aboard the Air Force's secretive X-37B spaceplane. Researchers hope it could lead to a new global power source.
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