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Chris Impey

University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona
Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He has over 180 refereed publications on observational cosmology, galaxies, and quasars, and his research has been supported by $20 million in NASA and NSF grants. He has won eleven teaching awards, and has taught three massive open online classes with over 180,000 enrolled. Impey is a past Vice President of the American Astronomical Society and he has been an NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Carnegie Council’s Arizona Professor of the Year, and most recently, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. He’s written over 70 popular articles on cosmology and astrobiology, two introductory textbooks, a novel called Shadow World, and eight popular science books: The Living Cosmos, How It Ends, Talking About Life, How It Began, Dreams of Other Worlds, Humble Before the Void, Beyond: The Future of Space Travel, and Einstein’s Monsters: The Life and Times of Black Holes.

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

Apr 26, 2024 01:33 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Space Science Series

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Apr 01, 2024 11:05 am UTC| Science

Stars like the Sun are remarkably constant. They vary in brightness by only 0.1% over years and decades, thanks to the fusion of hydrogen into helium that powers them. This process will keep the Sun shining steadily for...

Orbital resonance − the striking gravitational dance done by planets with aligning orbits

Feb 05, 2024 07:17 am UTC| Science

Planets orbit their parent stars while separated by enormous distances in our solar system, planets are like grains of sand in a region the size of a football field. The time that planets take to orbit their suns have no...

Space Science Series

Why isn't there any sound in space? An astronomer explains why in space no one can hear you scream

Dec 05, 2023 05:40 am UTC| Science

In space, no one can hear you scream. You may have heard this saying. Its the tagline from the famous 1979 science fiction movie Alien. Its a scary thought, but is it true? The simple answer is yes, no one can hear you...

Space Science Series

NASA report finds no evidence that UFOs are extraterrestrial

Sep 18, 2023 05:52 am UTC| Science

NASAs independent study team released its highly anticipated report on UFOs on Sept. 14, 2023. In part to move beyond the stigma often attached to UFOs, where military pilots fear ridicule or job sanctions if they...

Space junk in Earth orbit and on the Moon will increase with future missions − but nobody's in charge of cleaning it up

Sep 01, 2023 01:38 am UTC| Science

Theres a lot of trash on the Moon right now including nearly 100 bags of human waste and with countries around the globe traveling to the Moon, theres going to be a lot more, both on the lunar surface and in Earths...

Economy

IMF Maintains 2027 Global Growth Forecast at 3.4% Amid Rising Risks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) maintained its 2027 global economic growth forecast at 3.4%, warning that escalating Middle East tensions, rising government debt and persistent inflation could threaten the global...

Philippines Current Account Deficit Seen at $19.1 Billion in 2026

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects the Philippines current account deficit to reach $19.1 billion in 2026, equivalent to 3.8% of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP), according to projections announced by...

RBA Signals More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has indicated that further interest rate hikes remain possible as policymakers confront persistent inflation pressures and rising global costs, according to minutes from its September...

Gold Prices Rebound as Dollar Weakens Ahead of US Inflation Data

Gold prices rose on Tuesday as a softer U.S. dollar supported precious metals, although escalating Middle East tensions and expectations of further Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes continued to limit gains. Spot gold...

Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Nears 18-Month High Ahead of US CPI

Asian currencies traded in narrow ranges on Tuesday as investors remained cautious ahead of crucial U.S. inflation data, while the U.S. dollar stayed near an 18-month high amid geopolitical tensions and sustained demand...

Politics

US Condemns China Sanctions on Taiwan Allies Belize and Paraguay

The Trump administration has criticized China for imposing sanctions on government ministers from Belize and Paraguay over their diplomatic relations with Taiwan, accusing Beijing of using coercion to undermine the...

Kim Jong Un Showcases ICBM Ahead of Possible Trump Meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a newly opened military museum showcasing advanced weapons, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the United States, according to state media...

Trump Denies Russia and China Are Helping Iran in U.S. Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday evening that he does not believe Russia or China is providing significant assistance to Iran in its ongoing conflict with the United States, despite reports suggesting both countries...

Most Americans Oppose Election Betting on Prediction Markets, Poll Finds

A majority of Americans oppose betting on US elections, military operations and government decisions through prediction markets, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, highlighting public concerns as regulators consider new...

Elon Musk Donates $366 Million to 2026 US Midterms

Elon Musk has poured approximately $366 million into the 2026 US midterm elections, making the Tesla and SpaceX CEO potentially the largest individual political donor of the election cycle as Republicans fight to retain...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Nvidia’s China AI Chip Market Share Falls to 34% as Huawei Gains Ground

Nvidias share of Chinas artificial intelligence chip market declined sharply during the first half of 2026 as U.S. export restrictions and growing competition from domestic semiconductor manufacturers reshaped the...

Samsung, SK Hynix Shares Plunge as China Chip Competition Grows

Shares of South Korean semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plunged on Tuesday, extending a steep selloff as investors weighed rising competition from Chinese memory chipmakers and growing uncertainty...

Moonshot AI Executives Seek Settlement Ahead of Hong Kong IPO

Senior executives at Chinese artificial intelligence startup Moonshot AI are reportedly negotiating a settlement in a shareholder dispute ahead of the companys planned Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO). According to...

Meta Launches Muse Wonder AI Models, Shares Rise 3.7%

Meta Platforms has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, marking a major step in the companys efforts to compete with leading AI developers. The announcement on Monday...

Epic Games Delays Disney Shooter, Shifts to AI-First Development

Epic Games has reportedly postponed the launch of its upcoming Disney multiplayer shooter as the Fortnite developer adopts an artificial intelligence-driven approach to game production, according to Bloomberg. The highly...