Very Large Telescope sees signs of planet birth

Observations made with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) have revealed the telltale signs of a star system being born. Around the young star AB Aurigae lies a dense disc of dust and gas ...

Herschel finds a hole in space

(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA's Herschel infrared space telescope has made an unexpected discovery: a hole in space. The hole has provided astronomers with a surprising glimpse into the end of the star-forming process.

SPHERE reveals fascinating zoo of discs around young stars

The SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile allows astronomers to suppress the brilliant light of nearby stars in order to obtain a better view of the regions surrounding them. This collection of new ...

Cool Stars Have Different Mix of Life-Forming Chemicals

(PhysOrg.com) -- Life on Earth is thought to have arisen from a hot soup of chemicals. Does this same soup exist on planets around other stars? A new study from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope hints that planets around stars ...

Astronomers map mysterious element in space

A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has provided an important clue to the origin of the element ytterbium in the Milky Way, by showing that the element largely originates from supernova explosions. The groundbreaking ...

Pin-pointing water in space

(PhysOrg.com) -- Water is regarded as a key ingredient for life - and water exists plenty in the universe. Now scientists have found the precious element in a disk around a young star, similar to our Sun. This disk, supposedly ...

Writing the history of the 'Cosmic Dark Ages'

For millions of years after the Big Bang, there were no stars, or even galaxies to contain stars. During these "Cosmic Dark Ages," neutral hydrogen gas dominated the universe. When clouds of primordial hydrogen gas started ...

Sharpest view ever of dusty disc around aging star

As they approach the ends of their lives many stars develop stable discs of gas and dust around them. This material was ejected by stellar winds, whilst the star was passing through the red giant stage of its evolution. These ...

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