Astronomers probe ‘outstanding mystery’ of how galaxies stop building stars
2018-09-12
Galaxies like our own Milky Way are factories that use gravity to fashion new stars out of molecular hydrogen gas. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
New accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar discovered
2018-09-12
Using NuSTAR spacecraft and NICER instrument, an international team of astronomers has found a new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar. The newly discovered object, designated IGR J17591−2342, is the newest addition to a still short list of known accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars. The finding is reported in a paper published August 30 on the arXiv pre-print server. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
A Galactic Gem
2018-09-12
A Galactic Gem FORS2, an instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, has observed the spiral galaxy NGC 3981 in all its glory. The image was captured as part of the ESO Cosmic Gems Programme, which makes use of the rare occasions when observing conditions are not suitable for gathering scientific data. Instead of sitting idle, the ESO Cosmic Gems Programme allows ESO’s telescopes to be used to capture visually stunning images of the southern skies. ESO News Feed Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
A galactic gem: FORS2 instrument captures stunning details of spiral galaxy NGC 3981
2018-09-12
This wonderful image shows the resplendent spiral galaxy NGC 3981 suspended in the inky blackness of space. This galaxy, which lies in the constellation of Crater (the Cup), was imaged in May 2018 using the FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph 2 – FORS2) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope – VLT). Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Astronomers witness birth of new star from stellar explosion
2018-09-12
The explosions of stars, known as supernovae, can be so bright they outshine their host galaxies. They take months or years to fade away, and sometimes, the gaseous remains of the explosion slam into hydrogen-rich gas and temporarily get bright again—but could they remain luminous without any outside interference? Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
A Mission to Deflect an Asteroid Just Moved into the Final Design and Assembly Phase
2018-09-11
A Mission to Deflect an Asteroid Just Moved into the Final Design and Assembly Phase The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission, which will attempt to deflect a small asteroid in 2022, recently moved into the final phase of design and assembly. The post A Mission to Deflect an Asteroid Just Moved into the Final Design and Assembly Phase appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Researchers conduct chemical analysis of six extremely metal-poor star candidates
2018-09-11
An international team of researchers has conducted a chemical study of six new very metal-poor star candidates in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 (SDSS DR12). The new research, available in a paper published August 29 on the arXiv pre-print repository, could help researchers better understand the early stages of chemical evolution of the galaxy. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Astronomy Cast Ep. 499: What is the proposed Hubble-Lemaitre Law?
2018-09-10
Astronomy Cast Ep. 499: What is the proposed Hubble-Lemaitre Law? We started out Astronomy Cast with the controversal decision to de-planet Pluto. And here we are, more than a decade later, at the brink of recording our 500th episode when another big decision is coming down from the IAU: whose name goes on the concept that our Universe is expanding: Hubble or Lemaître? It’s a … Continue reading “Astronomy Cast Ep. 499: What is the proposed Hubble-Lemaitre Law?” The post Astronomy Cast Ep. 499: What is the proposed Hubble-Lemaitre Law? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Artificial intelligence helps track down mysterious cosmic radio bursts
2018-09-10
Artificial intelligence is invading many fields, most recently astronomy and the search for intelligent life in the universe, or SETI. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
A Japanese Company is About to Test a Tiny Space Elevator… in Space
2018-09-10
A Japanese Company is About to Test a Tiny Space Elevator… in Space A team of Japanese engineers recently constructed a scale-model of a space elevator, which will be sent to the ISS to conduct experiments that could lead to the real thing someday! The post A Japanese Company is About to Test a Tiny Space Elevator… in Space appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Scientists find evidence for early planetary shake-up
2018-09-10
Scientists at Southwest Research Institute studied an unusual pair of asteroids and discovered that their existence points to an early planetary rearrangement in our solar system. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Dark matter clusters could reveal nature of dark energy
2018-09-10
Scientists are hoping to understand one of the most enduring mysteries in cosmology by simulating its effect on the clustering of galaxies. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
OTELO reveals a population of “ghost galaxies” in the universe
2018-09-10
The OSIRIS instrument on the Gran Telescopio Ganarias has made the deepest survey of galaxies to date, the OSIRIS Tunable Emission Line Object survey (OTELO), and the results could change what we currently know about the formation and evolution of galaxies. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Team of researchers challenge bold astronomical prediction
2018-09-10
Calvin College professor of astronomy Larry Molnar made a bold announcement in 2017—he and his team had identified a binary star in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan, that was a strong candidate to merge and explode in the near future. Known by its Kepler mission number, KIC 9832227, the pair of stars is about 1800 light years from Earth and has an orbit so close that it takes just 11 hours to go around once. That first-of-its-kind prediction caught the attention of an international audience, creating excitement within the scientific community and among the general public. Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Hubble peers into a galaxy’s dusty haze
2018-09-10
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image showcases the galaxy NGC 4036, a lenticular galaxy some 70 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major (the Great Bear). Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
New Reasons why Pluto Should be Considered a Planet After All
2018-09-09
New Reasons why Pluto Should be Considered a Planet After All A new study, which was co-authored by Alan Stern, provides more reasons for why Pluto should be considered a planet. The post New Reasons why Pluto Should be Considered a Planet After All appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
What is the Cosmic Microwave Background?
2018-09-08
What is the Cosmic Microwave Background? For thousands of years, human being have been contemplating the Universe and seeking to determine its true extent. And whereas ancient philosophers believed that the world consisted of a disk, a ziggurat or a cube surrounded by celestial oceans or some kind of ether, the development of modern astronomy opened their eyes to new frontiers. … Continue reading “What is the Cosmic Microwave Background?” The post What is the Cosmic Microwave Background? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Japanese Startup is Working on a Reusable Rocketplane to Carry Passengers to Space, as Early as 2023
2018-09-07
Japanese Startup is Working on a Reusable Rocketplane to Carry Passengers to Space, as Early as 2023 The Japanese startup PD Aerospace is developing a reusable space plane that will use a combination of jet engines and a rocket motor to take customers to space by as early as 2023. The post Japanese Startup is Working on a Reusable Rocketplane to Carry Passengers to Space, as Early as 2023 appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Cassini Data Has Revealed a Towering Hexagonal Storm at Saturn’s Northern Pole
2018-09-07
Cassini Data Has Revealed a Towering Hexagonal Storm at Saturn’s Northern Pole Data from the Cassini mission has revealed a massive hexagonal shaped storm high in the stratosphere of Saturn’s north pole. The post Cassini Data Has Revealed a Towering Hexagonal Storm at Saturn’s Northern Pole appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →
Almost 500 explosions found in galaxy cores
2018-09-07
Apart from a billion Milky Way stars, ESA’s Gaia spacecraft also observes extragalactic objects. Its automated alert system notifies astronomers whenever Gaia spots a transient event. A team of astronomers have found out that by tweaking the existing automated system, Gaia can be used to detect hundreds of peculiar transients in the centres of galaxies. They found about 480 transients over a period of about a year. Their new method will be implemented in the system as soon as possible allowing astronomers to determine the nature of these events. The findings will be published in the November issue of the Monthly Notices of the RoyalRead More →
