NASA releases impressive sky-mapping data

By Trevor Mogg Published April 15, 2011

nasa-sun-spring-eclipse — Image used with permission by copyright holder

How many times have you found yourself lying in bed at night, gazing up at the stunning beauty of the night sky, filled with all its wonder and mystery, and suddenly thought: “Where’s my roof gone?” Hopefully never, as it would indicate that you have some serious issues with the structural integrity of your house.

Stand outside though, in a field far from the light pollution of towns and cities, and on a clear night you’ll be made to feel very small as you survey the awesome endlessness of the universe above you.

Recommended Videos

If you’re the kind of person inspired by such a sight, you’ll probably be interested to know that NASA has just released a veritable treasure trove of space-related information thanks to its Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission – otherwise known as WISE.

A statement released on Thursday by NASA said: “Astronomers across the globe can now sift through hundreds of millions of galaxies, stars and asteroids collected in the first bundle of data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission.”

The aim of the mission, which launched in December 2009, was to map the night sky in infrared light, hopefully revealing many space objects that can’t be seen in visible light. Many of the 2.7 million images are available for viewing online, and the plan is to have a complete map of the night sky on the Web by the spring of next year.

The images include those of distant galaxies and not-so-distant (though hopefully nothing to worry about) asteroids. While many parts of the night sky are already known to astronomers, the WISE mission has also revealed plenty of exciting new bits and bobs. These include 20 comets and more than 33,000 asteroids, which all happen to be floating about between Mars and Jupiter. Astronomers will continue to closely examine the incoming data in a bid to look for more new objects or any hitherto unknown oddities.

This exciting survey of the sky will have astronomers beside themselves with intergalactic glee, and with the data available online to all, the universe may be about to get a whole new audience.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Topics

Emerging Tech

Entertainment

Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts

Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Cars

Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?

jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii 4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Entertainment

Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode

Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.