Spinning black hole sprays light-speed plasma clouds into space Astronomers have discovered rapidly swinging jets coming from a black hole almost 8000 light-years from Earth. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Messier 84 – the NGC Elliptical Galaxy Welcome back to Messier Monday! Today, we continue in our tribute to our dear friend, Tammy Plotner, by looking at the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy – also known as Messier 83! During the 18th century, famed French astronomer Charles Messier noticed the presence of several “nebulous objects” while surveying the night sky. Originally mistaking these objects … Continue reading “Messier 84 – the NGC Elliptical Galaxy” The post Messier 84 – the NGC Elliptical Galaxy appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Swan EGGs in the sky: Astronomers conduct radio observations of free-floating evaporating gas globules in Cygnus OB2 Using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), astronomers have carried out radio observations of the so-called free-floating evaporating gas globules or (frEGGs) in the Cygnus OB2 region. Results of this observational campaign, presented in a paper published April 17 on arXiv.org, provide more details about the properties of these peculiar objects. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Soon-to-be world’s most sensitive gamma ray observatory launches its first set of detectors China’s Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) launched its first set of detectors on April 26, 2019. It marked the beginning of comprehensive research effort in observing and detecting very high energy cosmic rays with the anticipated world most sensitive gamma ray detection facility. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Here’s the Video of Hayabusa2 Bombing Asteroid Ryugu Japan’s recently shared a video of the crater their Hayabusa2 spacecraft created on the surface of Ryugu. The post Here’s the Video of Hayabusa2 Bombing Asteroid Ryugu appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Astrophysicists simulate the sounds of stars to reveal their secrets Sound may not be able to travel through the vacuum of space. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
InSight Just Detected its First “Marsquake” The InSight lander recently detected the strongest seismic signal yet, thanks to its Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument. The post InSight Just Detected its First “Marsquake” appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Image: Hubble snaps a crowded cluster This sparkling burst of stars is Messier 75. It is a globular cluster: a spherical collection of stars bound together by gravity. Clusters like this orbit around galaxies and typically reside in their outer and less-crowded areas, gathering to form dense communities in the galactic suburbs. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
As Expected, the Newly Upgraded LIGO is Finding a Black Hole Merger Every Week The LIGO detector is back online after months of upgrades, and has made two new detections already! The post As Expected, the Newly Upgraded LIGO is Finding a Black Hole Merger Every Week appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Researchers detect evidence of six new binary black hole mergers within LVC data Scholars at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) recently submitted a paper announcing the discovery of six new binary black hole mergers that exceed the detection thresholds defined by the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration (LVC), the group responsible for the first direct observation of gravitational waves on February 11, 2016. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
New ultra metal-poor star discovered An international team of astronomers has detected a new ultra metal-poor star with the lowest ever measured abundance of iron. Designated SMSS J160540.18−144323.1, the newly found object is the most iron-deficient star for which iron has been detected. The finding is presented in a paper published April 16 on the arXiv pre-print repository. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Mystery of the universe’s expansion rate widens with new Hubble data Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope say they have crossed an important threshold in revealing a discrepancy between the two key techniques for measuring the universe’s expansion rate. The recent study strengthens the case that new theories may be needed to explain the forces that have shaped the cosmos. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Astronomers find quasars are not nailed to the sky Until recently, quasars were thought to have essentially fixed positions in the sky. While near-Earth objects move along complex trajectories, quasars are so remote that they were believed to offer stable and reliable reference points for use in navigation and plate tectonics research. Now, an international team of astrophysicists featuring researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology has found that quasars are not entirely motionless and explained this behavior. The findings were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
Astronomers Catch a Superflare From a Puny Star Astronomers recently spied a massive flare on a tiny diminutive star, a powerful, radiation spewing event that you wouldn’t want to witness up close. The post Astronomers Catch a Superflare From a Puny Star appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Weekly Space Hangout: Apr 24, 2019 – Nathaniel Putzig and Gareth Morgan of the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) Sounder Team on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Hosts: Fraser Cain (universetoday.com / @fcain) Dr. Kimberly Cartier (KimberlyCartier.org / @AstroKimCartier ) Dr. Morgan Rehnberg (MorganRehnberg.com / @MorganRehnberg & ChartYourWorld.org) Dr. Paul M. Sutter (pmsutter.com / @PaulMattSutter) Dr. Nathaniel Putzig (Than) is a Senior Scientist with the Planetary Science Institute (PSI), and he serves as the US Team Leader for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter … Continue reading “Weekly Space Hangout: Apr 24, 2019 – Nathaniel Putzig and Gareth Morgan of the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) Sounder Team on the MarsRead More →
Astronomers Think a Meteor Came from Outside the Solar System When ‘Oumuamua was first detected on October 19th, 2017, astronomers were understandably confused about the nature of this strange object. Initially thought to be an interstellar comet, it was then designated as an interstellar asteroid. But when it picked up velocity as it departed our Solar System (a very comet-like thing to do), scientists could … Continue reading “Astronomers Think a Meteor Came from Outside the Solar System” The post Astronomers Think a Meteor Came from Outside the Solar System appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Barfing Neutron Stars Reveal Their Inner Guts We don’t really understand neutron stars. Oh, we know that they are – they’re the leftover remnants of some of the most massive stars in the universe – but revealing their inner workings is a little bit tricky, because the physics keeping them alive is only poorly understood. But every once in a while two … Continue reading “Barfing Neutron Stars Reveal Their Inner Guts” The post Barfing Neutron Stars Reveal Their Inner Guts appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
Rapid destruction of Earth-like atmospheres by young stars The discoveries of thousands of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system has made questions about the potential for life to form on these planets fundamentally important in modern science. Fundamentally important for the habitability of a planet is whether or not it can hold onto an atmosphere, which requires that the atmosphere is not completely lost early in the lifetime of the planet. A new study by researchers based at the University of Vienna and at the Space Research Institute of the ÖAW in Graz has shown that young stars can rapidly destroy the atmospheres ofRead More →
You Could Travel Through a Wormhole, but it’s Slower Than Going Through Space A new study reveals that traveling through a wormhole may actually be possible, but don’t count on it saving you any time! The post You Could Travel Through a Wormhole, but it’s Slower Than Going Through Space appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →
X-ray observations reveal insights into the nature of the pulsar wind nebula 3C 58 Analysis of the new data from X-ray observations using NASA’s NuSTAR spacecraft and archival data from the agency’s Chandra X-ray space observatory, has yielded more insights into the nature of a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) named 3C 58. Results of the analysis, presented in a paper published April 12 on arXiv.org, could also shed more light on particle distribution in the population of known PWNe. phys.org Go to SourceRead More →
