News tagged with dwarf stars

Ultra-cool companion helps reveal giant planets

(Phys.org) -- An international team of astronomers led by David Pinfield of the University of Hertfordshire has found a brown dwarf that is more than 99% hydrogen and helium. Described as ultra-cool, it has ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created May 10, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Hubble observes a dwarf galaxy with a bright nebula

(Phys.org) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has made detailed observations of the dwarf galaxy NGC 2366. While it lacks the elegant spiral arms of many larger galaxies, NGC 2366 is home to a bright, ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created May 10, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

One supernova type, two different sources

The exploding stars known as Type Ia supernovae serve an important role in measuring the universe, and were used to discover the existence of dark energy. They're bright enough to see across large distances, ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created May 07, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 21 | with audio podcast

In distance space, a water world: Hubble reveals a new class of extrasolar planet

(PhysOrg.com) -- An international team of astronomers led by Zachory Berta of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) made the observations of the planet GJ 1214b.

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Feb 21, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (24) | comments 24 | with audio podcast

Astronomy team discovers nearby dwarf galaxy

(PhysOrg.com) -- A team led by UCLA research astronomer Michael Rich has used a unique telescope to discover a previously unknown companion to the nearby galaxy NGC 4449, which is some 12.5 million light years ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Feb 08, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (8) | comments 5 | with audio podcast

Black hole came from a shredded galaxy

(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found a cluster of young, blue stars encircling the first intermediate-mass black hole ever discovered. The presence of the star cluster ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Feb 15, 2012 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (13) | comments 13 | with audio podcast

Our galaxy might hold thousands of ticking 'time bombs'

(PhysOrg.com) -- In the Hollywood blockbuster "Speed," a bomb on a bus is rigged to blow up if the bus slows down below 50 miles per hour. The premise - slow down and you explode - makes for a great action ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Sep 06, 2011 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (22) | comments 25 | with audio podcast

Four white dwarf stars caught in the act of consuming 'earth-like' exoplanets

University of Warwick astrophysicists have pinpointed four white dwarf stars surrounded by dust from shattered planetary bodies which once bore striking similarities to the composition of the Earth. The scientists ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created May 03, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (12) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Swift narrows down origin of important supernova class

(PhysOrg.com) -- Studies using X-ray and ultraviolet observations from NASA's Swift satellite provide new insights into the elusive origins of an important class of exploding star called Type Ia supernovae. ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Mar 20, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Telescopes help solve ancient supernova mystery

(PhysOrg.com) -- A mystery that began nearly 2,000 years ago, when Chinese astronomers witnessed what would turn out to be an exploding star in the sky, has been solved. New infrared observations from NASA's ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Oct 24, 2011 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (11) | comments 8 | with audio podcast

Faraway Eris is Pluto's twin: Dwarf planet sized up accurately as it blocks light of faint star

(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers have measured the diameter of the dwarf planet Eris by catching it as it passed in front of a faint star. This was seen by telescopes in Chile, including the TRAPPIST telescope ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Oct 26, 2011 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (15) | comments 9 | with audio podcast

As cool as the human body: Wise mission discovers coolest class of stars

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists using data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have discovered the coldest class of star-like bodies, with temperatures as cool as the human body.

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Aug 24, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (20) | comments 18 | with audio podcast

Habitable planets and white dwarfs

(PhysOrg.com) -- The search for habitable planets similar to Earth has routinely focused around active nuclear burning stars. However, in a recently published paper by Eric Agol from the University of Washington, ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Mar 22, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (21) | comments 21 | with audio podcast report

'Ridiculously' dim bevy of stars found beyond Milky Way

(Phys.org) -- A team of American, Canadian and Chilean astronomers have stumbled onto a remarkably faint cluster of stars orbiting the Milky Way that puts out as much light as only 120 modest Sun-like stars. ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Apr 27, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (16) | comments 72 | with audio podcast

Blue stragglers: Astronomers discover how mysterious stars stay so young

(PhysOrg.com) -- Mysterious "blue stragglers" are old stars that appear younger than they should be: they burn hot and blue. Several theories have attempted to explain why they don't show their age, but, until ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Oct 19, 2011 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 2 | with audio podcast