News (Page 476)

Deep eclipses detected in the cataclysmic variable J0130 Russian astronomer Valery Kozhevnikov has conducted photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable (CV) IPHAS J013031.89+622132.3 (J0130 for short), finding that the object exhibits deep eclipses. The discovery, presented in a paper published December 17 on arXiv.org, could provide more clues on the nature of this CV. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Calculating the time it will take spacecraft to find their way to other star systems A pair of researchers, one with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, the other with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CIT, has found a way to estimate how long it will take already launched space vehicles to arrive at other star systems. The pair, Coryn Bailer-Jones and Davide Farnocchia have written a paper describing their findings and have uploaded it to the arXiv preprint server. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

LAMOST first data release provides fundamental parameters of nearly 30,000 M dwarfs Based on the first data release (DR1) from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), astronomers have derived fundamental parameters of nearly 30,000 M-dwarf stars. The research paper presenting the findings was published December 13 on the arXiv pre-print repository. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Astronomers describe a violent black hole outburst that provides new insight into galaxy cluster evolution Billions of years ago, in the center of a galaxy cluster far, far away (15 billion light-years, to be exact), a black hole spewed out jets of plasma. As the plasma rushed out of the black hole, it pushed away material, creating two large cavities 180 degrees from each other. In the same way you can calculate the energy of an asteroid impact by the size of its crater, Michael Calzadilla, a graduate student at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MKI), used the size of theseRead More →

Researchers make new discoveries set to reveal the geology of planets outside our solar system Three OU astronomers today announced groundbreaking discoveries allowing scientists to understand planets outside the solar system. Professor Carole Haswell, Dr. Daniel Staab and Dr. John Barnes discovered three, new, nearby planetary systems. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Deaf people at risk of being ‘excluded from astronomy’ The deaf community risks being excluded from aspects of modern science because the number of new advances is outpacing the development of sign language to explain them, a leading researcher says. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Astronomer probes ‘DNA’ of twin stars to reveal family history of the Milky Way Twin stars appear to share chemical “DNA” that could help scientists map the history of the Milky Way galaxy, according to new research by astronomer Keith Hawkins of The University of Texas at Austin accepted for publication in The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Massive gas disk raises questions about planet formation theory Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) found a young star surrounded by an astonishing mass of gas. The star, called 49 Ceti, is 40 million years old and conventional theories of planet formation predict that the gas should have disappeared by that age. The enigmatically large amount of gas requests a reconsideration of our current understanding of planet formation. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Astronomers study peculiar kinematics of multiple stellar populations in Messier 80 Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), astronomers have investigated one of the Milky Way’s globular clusters, Messier 80. The new study concentrated on peculiar kinematics of Messier 80’s multiple stellar population and provides important information about the cluster’s formation and evolution. The research was published December 12 on arXiv.org. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy may have a friend Do supermassive black holes have friends? The nature of galaxy formation suggests that the answer is yes, and in fact, pairs of supermassive black holes should be common in the universe. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Image: Hubble’s close-up of spiral’s disk, bulge This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows IC 2051, a galaxy in the southern constellation of Mensa (the Table Mountain) lying about 85 million light-years away. It is a spiral galaxy, as evidenced by its characteristic whirling, pinwheeling arms, and it has a bar of stars slicing through its center. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →

Spitzer studies a stellar playground with a long history This image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Perseus Molecular Cloud, a massive collection of gas and dust that stretches over 500 light-years across. Home to an abundance of young stars, it has drawn the attention of astronomers for decades. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →