(Phys.org) -- Unfortunately, stars don't have birth certificates. So, astronomers have a tough time figuring out their ages. Knowing a star's age is critical for understanding how our Milky Way galaxy built itself up over ...
Astronomy
May 30, 2012
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(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.
Astronomy
Mar 20, 2012
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Last year's discovery of the nearest Type Ia supernova in decades – captured only 11 hours after it exploded – allowed astronomers to finally cinch the identity of the stars behind these explosions, which have become ...
Astronomy
Jan 11, 2012
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Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia's) are the extraordinarily bright and remarkably similar "standard candles" astronomers use to measure cosmic growth, a technique that in 1998 led to the discovery of dark energy – and 13 years ...
Astronomy
Dec 14, 2011
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(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 Spitzer Space ...
Astronomy
Oct 24, 2011
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(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 now, scientists ...
Astronomy
Oct 19, 2011
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(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 movie plot, and ...
Astronomy
Sep 6, 2011
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In December 2010, a pair of mismatched stars in the southern constellation Crux whisked past each other at a distance closer than Venus orbits the sun. The system possesses a so-far unique blend of a hot ...
Astronomy
Jun 29, 2011
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers may now know the cause of an historic supernova explosion that is an important type of object for investigating dark energy in the universe. The discovery, made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, ...
Astronomy
Apr 26, 2011
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White dwarfs are dead stars that pack a Sun's-worth of matter into an Earth-sized ball. Astronomers have just discovered an amazing pair of white dwarfs whirling around each other once every 39 minutes. This is the shortest-period ...
Astronomy
Apr 6, 2011
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