News (Page 474)

NASA’s Webb will seek atmospheres around potentially habitable exoplanets This month marks the third anniversary of the discovery of a remarkable system of seven planets known as TRAPPIST-1. These seven rocky, Earth-size worlds orbit an ultra-cool star 39 light-years from Earth. Three of those planets are in the habitable zone, meaning they are at the right orbital distance to be warm enough for liquid water to exist on their surfaces. After its 2021 launch, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will observe those worlds with the goal of making the first detailed near-infrared study of the atmosphere of a habitable-zone planet. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Astronomers discover unusual monster galaxy in the very early universe An international team of astronomers led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found an unusual monster galaxy that existed about 12 billion years ago, when the universe was only 1.8 billion years old. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Artificial intelligence tool developed to predict the structure of the universe Advancements in telescopes have enabled researchers to study the universe with greater detail, and to establish a standard cosmological model that explains various observational facts simultaneously. But there are many things researchers still do not understand. Remarkably, the majority of the universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy of an unknown nature. A promising avenue to solving these mysteries is studying the structure of the universe. The universe is made up of filaments where galaxies cluster together. These filaments resemble threads from far away, surrounding voids where there appears to beRead More →

Novel method used to investigate supernova remnant DEM L71 Using the smoothed particle inference (SPI) technique, astronomers have investigated the supernova remnant (SNR) DEM L71, mainly analyzing the X-ray emission from this source. Results of the study, presented in a paper published January 28 on arXiv.org, shed more light on the nature of this SNR. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Astronomers search for gravitational-wave memory Astronomers regularly observe gravitational waves (GW)—ripples in space and time—that are caused by pairs of black holes merging into one. Einstein’s theory of gravity predicts that GW, which squeeze and stretch space as they pass, will permanently distort space, leaving a “memory” of the wave behind. However, this memory effect has not yet been detected, as it would be extremely small, leaving only the faintest traces. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

MAVEN explores Mars to understand radio interference on Earth NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft has discovered “layers” and “rifts” in the electrically charged part of the upper atmosphere (the ionosphere) of Mars. The phenomenon is very common at Earth and causes unpredictable disruptions to radio communications. However, we do not fully understand them because they form at altitudes that are very difficult to explore at Earth. The unexpected discovery by MAVEN shows that Mars is a unique laboratory to explore and better understand this highly disruptive phenomenon. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Study investigates over 70 variable stars in the Sh 2-170 star-forming region Using three ground-based telescopes, astronomers have conducted a long-term photometric monitoring of the Sh 2-170 star-forming region. The new observations have identified 71 variable stars in this region and provided essential information about their properties. Results of the study were presented in a paper published January 24 on arXiv.org. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Observations detect distortion of magnetic fields in the protostellar core Barnard 335 Using the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Japanese astronomers have investigated the magnetic field structure of the protostellar core Barnard 335. The new observations suggest that the magnetic field of Barnard 335 is distorted, which could have implications for our understanding of the nature of this object. The finding is detailed in a paper published January 22 on arXiv.org. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

How many stars eventually collide as black holes? The universe has a budget for that Since the breakthrough in gravitational wave astronomy back in 2015, scientists have been able to detect more than a dozen pairs of closely located black holes—known as binary black holes—by their collisions into each other due to gravity. However, scientists still debate how many of these black holes are born from stars, and how they are able to get close enough for a collision within the lifetime of our universe. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Driving massive galaxy outflows with supermassive blackholes Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies that are accreting material onto their hot circumnuclear disks, releasing the energy in bursts of radiation or as particle jets moving at close to the speed of light. These energetic outbursts in turn drive outflows of ionized, neutral, and molecular gas that can extend over thousands of light-years and move at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second. The gas flows can be launched directly from the hot accretion disc, though radiation pressure on the dust that is mixed in with the gas, by hotRead More →

Image: Hubble spies bar, baby stars The galaxy depicted in this image taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is a barred spiral known as NGC 7541, in the constellation of Pisces (the Fishes).  phys.org Go to SourceRead More →