June 2025 (Page 22)

Rubin Observatory to detect millions of new solar system objects in vivid detail, simulations suggest A group of astronomers from across the globe, including a team from the University of Washington and led by Queen’s University Belfast, have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects will be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later in 2025. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Astronomers detect new ultracompact binary system with unusually bright, infrequent outbursts An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new ultracompact binary of the AM CVn type exhibiting infrequent outbursts. The detection of the newfound system, designated TCP J07222683+6220548, was detailed in a paper published May 27 on the arXiv preprint server. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Discovery of giant planet orbiting tiny star challenges theories on planet formation Star TOI-6894 is just like many in our galaxy, a small red dwarf, and only ~20% of the mass of our sun. Like many small stars, it is not expected to provide suitable conditions for the formation and hosting of a large planet. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Consciousness and collaboration were fundamental to shaping knowledge, show astronomy archives of premodern China The astronomical records of imperial China are some of the most comprehensive archives in the history of science, spanning over two millennia, from 221 BC to 1911 AD, and providing detailed insight into phenomena ranging from comets to the rate of rotation of Earth. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Star quakes and monster shock waves: Researchers simulate a black hole consuming a neutron star Across the cosmos, many stars can be found in pairs, gracefully circling one another. Yet one of the most dramatic pairings occurs between two orbiting black holes, formed after their massive progenitor stars exploded in supernova blasts. If these black holes lie close enough together, they will ultimately collide and form an even more massive black hole. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Magnetic curtains on the sun: Solar telescope reveals ultra-fine striations that shape surface dynamics A team of solar physicists has released a new study shedding light on the fine-scale structure of the sun’s surface. Using the unparalleled power of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, built and operated by the National Solar Observatory (NSO) on Maui, scientists have observed, for the first time ever in such high detail, ultra-narrow bright and dark stripes on the solar photosphere, offering unprecedented insight into how magnetic fields shape solar surface dynamics at scales as small as 20 kilometers (or 12.4 miles). phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Webb rounds out picture of Sombrero galaxy’s disk The Sombrero galaxy has long had a place in astronomical history as an intriguing object. The first written record of this galaxy was noted in 1781, almost 250 years ago, by Pierre Méchain, a French astronomer and surveyor. Méchain was a longtime collaborator of Charles Messier, of the Messier catalog fame. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Hubble filters a barred spiral This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

‘Crazy idea’ about cooling effects of Pluto’s haze confirmed by new Webb data The first observations of Pluto by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reveal dramatic phenomena on its surface, like seasonal cycles of volatile ice redistribution across its surface, and material being pulled from its very atmosphere onto its main satellite, Charon—an eerie interaction that happens nowhere else in our solar system. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Particles energized by magnetic reconnection found in nascent solar wind New research led by a Southwest Research Institute scientist identified a new source of energetic particles near the sun. These definitive observations were made by instruments aboard NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which detected the powerful phenomena as the spacecraft dipped in and out of the solar corona. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Newly discovered ‘Cosmic Himalayas’ quasar cluster defies explanation Quasars are some of the brightest objects in the universe. A quasar is powered by large amounts of matter falling into the supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. Collisions and mergers between galaxies can cause quasar activity by feeding additional matter into the center of a galaxy. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

How a new planetarium show helped scientists unlock a cosmic secret Scientists have unlocked one of the solar system’s many secrets from an unexpected source: a planetarium show opening to the public on Monday. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Study shows how scientists can use black holes as supercolliders As federal funding cuts impact decades of research, scientists could turn to black holes for cheaper, natural alternatives to expensive facilities searching for dark matter and similarly elusive particles that hold clues to the universe’s deepest secrets, a new Johns Hopkins study of supermassive black holes suggests. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →