Discovery of many new ultra-diffuse galaxies in galaxy clusters In preparation for the new multi-object survey spectrograph, WEAVE, on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope, the astronomical community is working on deep imaging surveys to identify the astronomical objects that will be studied later in more detail with WEAVE. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
FIRST J141918.9+394036 is an ‘orphan’ long gamma-ray burst, study finds Using a network of radio telescopes, European astronomers have investigated a decade-long transient known as FIRST J141918.9+394036. Results of this study, presented in a paper published February 18 on arXiv.org, provide important insights into the nature of this mysterious source, confirming that it is an “orphan” long gamma-ray burst. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Discovering a brown dwarf binary star with microlensing Brown dwarfs are stars less massive than the sun and unable to burn hydrogen. They comprise (at least in mass) a bridge between planets and stars, and astronomers think that they form and evolve in ways different from either planets or stars. Gravitational microlensing is an excellent method for detecting them because it does not depend on their light, which is dim, but rather their mass. When the path of light from a star passes by a brown dwarf acting as a lens, it is magnified into a distorted image, like an object seen through the stemRead More →
Modeling the origin story of the elements More than 1800 years ago, Chinese astronomers puzzled over the sudden appearance of a bright “guest star” in the sky, unaware that they were witnessing the cosmic forge of a supernova, an event repeated countless times scattered across the universe. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Astronomers are Using NASA’s Deep Space Network to Hunt for Magnetars Right, magnetars. Perhaps one of the most ferocious beasts to inhabit the cosmos. Loud, unruly, and temperamental, they blast their host galaxies with wave after wave of electromagnetic radiation, running the gamut from soft radio waves to hard X-rays. They are rare and poorly understood. Some of these magnetars spit out a lot of radio … Continue reading “Astronomers are Using NASA’s Deep Space Network to Hunt for Magnetars” The post Astronomers are Using NASA’s Deep Space Network to Hunt for Magnetars appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Complex Life Might Require a Very Narrow Habitable Zone A new study has placed new constraints on the emergence of complex life, which effectively narrows what what we would consider to be a star’s “habitable zone” The post Complex Life Might Require a Very Narrow Habitable Zone appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Curiosity Crashed, but it’s Working Fine Again. NASA Won’t Have to Send Astronauts to Turn it off and Back on Again. A few weeks after Curiosity suffered a glitch that put it in safe mode, the rover is once again operating normally. The post Curiosity Crashed, but it’s Working Fine Again. NASA Won’t Have to Send Astronauts to Turn it off and Back on Again. appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
More Evidence that Planet 9 is Really Out There What’s going on in the distant reaches of our Solar System? Is there a Planet 9 out there? Out in the frigid expanse of our System, there are bodies on orbital paths that don’t make sense in terms of our eight-planet Solar System. There seems to be an undiscovered body out there, several times more … Continue reading “More Evidence that Planet 9 is Really Out There” The post More Evidence that Planet 9 is Really Out There appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Hiding black hole found Astronomers have detected a stealthy black hole from its effects on an interstellar gas cloud. This intermediate-mass black hole is one of over 100 million quiet black holes expected to be lurking in the galaxy. These results provide a new method to search for other hidden black holes and help us understand the growth and evolution of black holes. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Silicon carbide ‘stardust’ in meteorites leads to understanding of erupting stars What do tiny specks of silicon carbide stardust, found in meteorites and older than the solar system, have in common with pairs of aging stars prone to eruptions? phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
NGC 3079: Galactic bubbles play cosmic pinball with energetic particles We all know bubbles from soapy baths or sodas. These bubbles of everyday experience on Earth are up to a few inches across, and consist of a thin film of liquid enclosing a small volume of air or other gas. In space, however, there are very different bubbles—composed of a lighter gas inside a heavier one—and they can be huge. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Exiled planet linked to stellar flyby three million years ago Some of the peculiar aspects of our solar system—an enveloping cloud of comets, dwarf planets in weird orbits and, if it truly exists, a possible Planet Nine far from the sun—have been linked to the close approach of another star in our system’s infancy flung things helter-skelter. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Cluster reveals inner workings of earth’s cosmic particle accelerator Using unprecedented in-situ data from ESA’s Cluster mission, scientists have shed light on the ever-changing nature of Earth’s shield against cosmic radiation, its bow shock, revealing how this particle accelerator transfers and redistributes energy throughout space. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Dark matter may be hitting the right note in small galaxies Dark matter particles may scatter against each other only when they hit the right energy, say researchers in Japan, Germany, and Austria in a new study. Their idea helps explain why galaxies from the smallest to the biggest have the shapes they do. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
The Record for the Most Distant Object in the Solar System has been Shattered. Introducing FarFarOut at 140 Astronomical Units Remember Far Out, the distant planet at the far reaches of the Solar System, that was discovered in December, 2018? Well, it has been kicked unceremoniously off its pedestal as the most distant object after a short, two-month reign. In its place is the very newly-discovered FarFarOut (FFO.) And if it weren’t for a heavy … Continue reading “The Record for the Most Distant Object in the Solar System has been Shattered. Introducing FarFarOut at 140 Astronomical Units” The post The Record for the MostRead More →
Why do some galactic unions lead to doom? Three images from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope show pairs of galaxies on the cusp of cosmic consolidations. Though the galaxies appear separate now, gravity is pulling them together, and soon they will combine to form new, merged galaxies. Some merged galaxies will experience billions of years of growth. For others, however, the merger will kick off processes that eventually halt star formation, dooming the galaxies to wither prematurely. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
More support for Planet Nine Corresponding with the three-year anniversary of their announcement hypothesizing the existence of a ninth planet in the solar system, Caltech’s Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin are publishing a pair of papers analyzing the evidence for Planet Nine’s existence. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Anemic galaxy reveals deficiencies in ultra-diffuse galaxy formation theory A team of astronomers led by the University of California Observatories (UCO) have studied in great detail a galaxy so faint and in such pristine condition it has acted as a time capsule, sealed shortly after the dawn of our universe only to be opened by the newest technology at W. M. Keck Observatory. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Virgin Galactic Sends Three People to the Edge of Space. Flights with Paying Customers Around the Corner Now Virgin Galactic has reached another milestone in their fight test program. The VSS Unity spacecraft carried a third crew member on board, in its fifth rocket-powered test flight. It was the second time that the spacecraft reached space. Virgin Galactic is developing the VSS Unity space flight system. Their goal is to make private spaceflight … Continue reading “Virgin Galactic Sends Three People to the Edge of Space. Flights with Paying Customers Around the Corner Now” The post Virgin Galactic Sends Three People to the Edge ofRead More →
NASA has Cleared Crew Dragon to Fly. Demo-1 Launches on March 2 NASA has announced that the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is ready for its first demo flight. After discussions with SpaceX, both NASA and Elon Musk’s private space company determined that it was time for Dragon to fly. The date for the flight is March 2nd. The first flight will be un-crewed, and will travel to … Continue reading “NASA has Cleared Crew Dragon to Fly. Demo-1 Launches on March 2” The post NASA has Cleared Crew Dragon to Fly. Demo-1 Launches on March 2 appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →
