Neutron star merger results in magnetar with brightest kilonova ever observed Long ago and far across the universe, an enormous burst of gamma rays unleashed more energy in a half-second than the sun will produce over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Galaxies in the Perseus Cluster For galaxies, as for people, living in a crowd is different from living alone. Recently, astronomers used the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to learn how a crowded environment affects galaxies in the Perseus Cluster, a collection of thousands of galaxies some 240 million light-years from Earth. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
From a Tempest to a Trickle: Prospects for the 2020 Leonid Meteor Shower Following the Leonid meteors in 2020. The post From a Tempest to a Trickle: Prospects for the 2020 Leonid Meteor Shower appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Image: Shape-shifting mirror This bendable space mirror can have its shape shifted to compensate for manufacturing or alignment errors within orbital telescopes or temperature-driven distortions. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Three high-redshift quasars detected by Chandra Using NASA’s Chandra spacecraft, astronomers have discovered three new ultraviolet-bright radio-quiet quasars at high redshift and measured their basic X-ray properties. The newly found quasi-stellar object turns out to be the brightest in UV among the known high-redshift radio-quiet quasars. The finding is presented in a paper published November 2 on arXiv.org. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Terrify yourself with LeoLabs’ visualization of satellites and space debris around Earth Founded in 2016, Menlo Park, California-based LeoLabs, is a mind-blowing company. They have built, and continue to expand, a network of ground-based, phased array radars worldwide to keep track of the thousands of operational satellites, defunct satellites, spent rocket bodies, and pieces of debris in orbit around the Earth. Not only is their radar technology … Continue reading “Terrify yourself with LeoLabs’ visualization of satellites and space debris around Earth” The post Terrify yourself with LeoLabs’ visualization of satellites and space debris around Earth appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →
Meteorite Tells Us About Water on Mars 4.4 Billion Years Ago Meteorites often offer terrific glimpses into worlds we are unable to otherwise access. Sometimes those worlds are simply fragments of asteroids that didn’t burn up when they entered the atmosphere. But sometimes, they come from the Moon or Mars. Part of what makes these types of meteorites interesting is that they don’t necessarily come from … Continue reading “Meteorite Tells Us About Water on Mars 4.4 Billion Years Ago” The post Meteorite Tells Us About Water on Mars 4.4 Billion Years Ago appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Tree rings may hold clues to impacts of distant supernovas on Earth Massive explosions of energy happening thousands of light-years from Earth may have left traces in our planet’s biology and geology, according to new research by University of Colorado Boulder geoscientist Robert Brakenridge. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
A Second Cable has Failed at Arecibo, Causing Even More Damage to the Radio Observatory Another main cable that supports the Arecibo Observatory broke last week, falling onto the reflector dish and causing more damage. This is the second time a cable has snapped on the iconic radio observatory in just three months. The new damage is an unfortunate and devastating setback for the observatory, just as repairs from the … Continue reading “A Second Cable has Failed at Arecibo, Causing Even More Damage to the Radio Observatory” The post A Second Cable has Failed at Arecibo, Causing Even More Damage to the Radio ObservatoryRead More →
Researchers give radar new abilities using optical data about meteors It is thought that over 1,000 kilograms of so-called interplanetary dust falls to Earth every day. This dust is produced by an untold number of small faint meteors, discarded remnants of asteroids and comets that pass by the Earth. Two ways to study faint meteors are radar and optical observations, each with advantages and limitations. Astronomers have combined specific observations with both methods, and can now use radar to make the kinds of observations that previously only optical telescopes could make. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
The Driest Place on Earth Could Help Predict How Life Might be Surviving on Mars Scientist find microbes in clay deposits beneath the Atacama desert, a good sign for missions looking for life on Mars The post The Driest Place on Earth Could Help Predict How Life Might be Surviving on Mars appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
The universe is getting hot, hot, hot, a new study suggests The universe is getting hotter, a new study has found. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Radioactive elements may be crucial to the habitability of rocky planets The amount of long-lived radioactive elements incorporated into a rocky planet as it forms may be a crucial factor in determining its future habitability, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of scientists at UC Santa Cruz. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Australia’s Parkes Telescope Just Got a New Name: Murriyang, Which Means “Skyworld” Australia’s iconic 64-meter Parkes radio telescope has been given a new traditional name to recognize the Wiradjuri, who own the land on which the telescope sits. The Wiradjuri are some of Australia’s First People who have occupied the continent and its adjacent islands for over 65,000 years. The telescope received the name Murriyang, which represents … Continue reading “Australia’s Parkes Telescope Just Got a New Name: Murriyang, Which Means “Skyworld”” The post Australia’s Parkes Telescope Just Got a New Name: Murriyang, Which Means “Skyworld” appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →
Brown dwarf discovered with a radio telescope for the first time A brown dwarf has been detected by a radio telescope, which opens a new way to discover them. The post Brown dwarf discovered with a radio telescope for the first time appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Physicists propose using atomic clocks of GPS network to detect exotic ultralight fields A team of physicists from the U.S., Poland and Germany proposes to use quantum sensor networks such as atomic clocks of the GPS network or sensors from the Gnome collaboration (a network of shielded atomic magnetometers made up of 13 stations placed strategically on four continents—each of which is equipped with a magnetometer that has sub-picotesla sensitivity) to detect exotic ultralight fields (ELDs). In their paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the group describes theoretical calculations to predict the types of signals that might make up ELDs and how they mightRead More →
New extremely variable quasar discovered By analyzing data from astronomical surveys, Japanese astronomers have detected a new, extremely variable quasi-stellar object (QSO), or quasar. The newly found object, designated SDSS J125809.31+351943.0, brightened in optical band for 4.0 mag over three decades, which means that it was one of the largest quasar brightening events so far recorded. The finding is reported in a paper published November 3 on arXiv.org. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Most light pollution isn’t coming from streetlights Light pollution is the arch nemesis of astronomy, spoiling both the enjoyment of the night sky and the professional study of our universe. For years we’ve assumed that streetlights are the main culprit behind light pollution, but a recent study has shown that streetlights contribute no more than 20% of all the pollution, and if … Continue reading “Most light pollution isn’t coming from streetlights” The post Most light pollution isn’t coming from streetlights appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
One of the Terms of Service For Starlink is that You “Recognize Mars as a Free Planet” In May of 2019, SpaceX began launching its Starlink constellation with the launch of its first 60 satellites. To date, the company has launched over 800 satellites and (as of this summer) is producing them at a rate of about 120 a month. By late 2021 or 2022, Elon Musk hopes to have a constellation … Continue reading “One of the Terms of Service For Starlink is that You “Recognize Mars as a Free Planet”” The post One of the Terms of Service For Starlink is that YouRead More →
Lunar Dust is Still One of The Biggest Challenges Facing Moon Exploration The ESA is investing in research that will lead to spacesuits and materials that can handle one of the biggest hazards on the Moon – Moon dust! The post Lunar Dust is Still One of The Biggest Challenges Facing Moon Exploration appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
