Inverse - ☀️ Inside the Sun’s Bubble

By Ashley Bardhan

My personal history with bubbles: 1. Blowing them through my screen door when I was a kid and the day was warm, scrunching my face when they popped, and the soapy iridescence went splat up my nose, 2. Wishing I could travel in one like Glinda the Good Witch 3. Discovering that the Sun spends its time in a bubble, not unlike Glinda the Good Witch.

Well, the Local Bubble that surrounds the Sun is more of a cavity filled with hot gas, but that’s not quite as visually appealing. And according to a new study, our galaxy could be filled with these bubble-ish voids. But don’t let anything pop yet — I’m Ashley Bardhan, newsletter writer at Inverse.

A 1,000 light year bubble unveils link between supernovae and new stars

“The Buddha once described our world as ‘a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,’” writes Jon Kelvey. “He was speaking more to the transitory nature of reality than cosmology, but he could well have been describing our own Sun and its temporary place in the galaxy — right in the middle of the cosmic bubble of star formation.”

Astronomers call this bubble the “Local Bubble,” and believe it was borne from a series of 14-million-year-old supernovae. Although all of Earth’s young, surrounding stars flicker on at the edge of the Bubble, astronomers didn’t understand the connection until just this week.

That's when a new study in Nature suggested that stars formed in the Local Bubble are “driven by [its] expansion],” a huge discovery.

This is why we care: Since the study suggests that bubbles help form stars, it’s possible that others “dot the galaxy like the cavities in bread,” writes Kelvey. This is invaluable information about not only stars themselves, but everything that surrounds them.

I’m blinded by the light! →

Other bubbles:

• Did scientists discover a warp bubble?
  

The Neptune-sized world could be the weirdest moon astronomers have ever seen

New research has tentatively, possibly identified a new exomoon, or a natural satellite that orbits a planet outside of our solar system.

The team of researchers noticed the celestial body, which they identify as Kepler 1708 b-i, orbiting the giant planet Kepler 1708 b. Although they stress that there’s a 1 percent chance the hint of moon could be caused by “natural fluctuations in the data,” the possibility is worth getting excited about. Go on, get excited. You have our permission.

“Researchers still don’t know a lot about how moons form,” writes Erika K. Carlson, “and studying planetary systems with moons could teach us not only how moons form, but how their host planets form as well.”

This is why we care: It’s too soon to confirm whether or not Kepler 1708 b-i actually exists, but if it does, it could be the first exomoon that scientists have identified. Sounds like a job for James Webb, if you ask me (and actual experts).

Yeah, that’s pretty weird →

Check in on the rest of the galaxy:

• A 238-year-old invention could help us survive Venus’ hellish atmosphere
  

Scientists confirm six links between race and air pollution

Just like pollution, systemic racism is often silent, insidious, and brushed off by the very people that perpetuate it. And too often, pollution and racism overlap in more literal ways — we see this in the non-white communities dumped with city garbage or poisoned water and given no means to fix it. Now, a new study in Nature focuses on how air pollution could be another noxious effect of racism.

“One type of air pollution, PM2.5, is arguably the greatest environmental risk factor for human mortality,” reports Tara Yarlagadda. “When enough accumulates in the air around us, it can create smog that clogs up the skies in urban areas.”

Although PM2.5 air pollution levels have declined between 2000 and 2016, the study found that this wasn’t necessarily true in low-income or non-white neighborhoods. In fact, as more Black residents moved into one neighborhood, the PM2.5 levels also increased.

This is why we care: The study’s findings tell us that, although their stats may sound good, some environmental regulations are leaving communities out. Climate change is deadly, and our efforts to combat it need to take everyone into account, not just a few chosen neighborhoods.

Discover the uncomfortable truth →

Nature needs us, but so do people:

• Is planting trees good for cities?
  

Scientists reveal fish nest network four times the area of Manhattan

The cold Weddell Sea waters, crisp and ice-capped off the coast of Antarctica, are filled with all kinds of strange life. There are sea spiders and sea cucumbers, but the silver Nepagetopsis ionah ice fish takes a sick pleasure in the frozen blue to rival them all.

Sorry, ice fish, that was mean. I’m sure you’re a very normal group of ice fish. At least for the most part — surprised researchers have discovered that this particular ice fish has 60 million active nests spanning 92.5 square miles of sea.

This is why we care: These ice fish nests reveal a large part of Antarctica's oceanic life and the deep sea seafloor, a mystery as beguiling to researchers as space.

That’s a whole lot of nest →

Fish are friends:

• Ethereal fish songs reveal a vital oceanic resilience to climate change
  

Meanwhile ...

• The perfect diet: How scientists transformed the search with one discovery
  
• Going to space can literally change the shape of your eyeball. Here’s why.
  
• Amazon’s 'Lord of the Rings' could feature the series’ most underrated character
  
• 'Boba Fett' just set up a terrifying new 'Mandalorian' Season 3 villain
  

Inverse Loot

Shop our favorite deals. We only recommend products we love.

• The best gaming desks under $100
• 50 cheap things that are actually impressive
  
• The best home & kitchen deals on Amazon right now

Thanks for reading!

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• On this day in history: Benjamin Franklin (ever heard of him?) was born this day in 1706. Aside from being a Founding Father and writer behind Poor Richard’s Almanack, Franklin also popularly invented the lightning rod.
• Song of the day: “Electric Relaxation,” by A Tribe Called Quest.

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