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Astronomy news
Galactic center visualization delivers star power
Want to take a trip to the center of the Milky Way? Check out a new immersive, ultra-high-definition visualization. This 360-movie offers an unparalleled opportunity to look around the center of the galaxy, from the vantage ...
Ultra-sharp images make old stars look absolutely marvelous
Using high-resolution adaptive optics imaging from the Gemini Observatory, astronomers have uncovered one of the oldest star clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy. The remarkably sharp image looks back into the early history of ...
Astronomers discover a companion of the nearby star HD 118475
Giant X-ray 'chimneys' are exhaust vents for vast energies produced at Milky Way's center
The center of our galaxy is a frenzy of activity. A behemoth black hole—4 million times as massive as the sun—blasts out energy as it chows down on interstellar detritus while neighboring stars burst to life and subsequently ...
OSIRIS-REx spies on the weird, wild gravity of an asteroid
Research led by the University of Colorado Boulder is revealing the Alice in Wonderland-like physics that govern gravity near the surface of the asteroid Bennu.
The rise and fall of Ziggy star formation and the rich dust from ancient stars
Researchers have detected a radio signal from abundant interstellar dust in MACS0416_Y1, a galaxy 13.2 billion light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. Standard models can't explain this much dust in a galaxy this ...
Fermi Satellite clocks 'cannonball' pulsar speeding through space
Astronomers found a pulsar hurtling through space at nearly 2.5 million miles an hour—so fast it could travel the distance between Earth and the Moon in just 6 minutes. The discovery was made using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray ...
Which habitable zones are the best to actually search for life?
Looking to the future, NASA and other space agencies have high hopes for the field of extra-solar planet research. In the past decade, the number of known exoplanets has reached just shy of 4000, and many more are expected ...
Carbon monoxide detectors could warn of extraterrestrial life
Carbon monoxide detectors in our homes warn of a dangerous buildup of that colorless, odorless gas we normally associate with death. Astronomers, too, have generally assumed that a build-up of carbon monoxide in a planet's ...
Energy loss gives unexpected insights in evolution of quasar
An international team of astrophysicists observed for the first time that the jet of a quasar is less powerful on long radio wavelengths than earlier predicted. This discovery gives new insights in the evolution of quasar ...
IGR J17503-2636 may be a supergiant fast X-ray transient, study finds
Spiraling giants: Witnessing the birth of a massive binary star system
Scientists from the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research in Japan, Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the University of Virginia in the USA and collaborators have made observations of a molecular cloud that ...
A new Einstein cross is discovered
This study, which has combined images from the Hubble Space Telescope with spectroscopic observations from the GTC, has confirmed the existence of a new example of a gravitational lens, a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein's ...
Earth is a less volatile version of the Sun, study finds
ANU scientists have found that Earth is made of the same elements as the Sun but has less of the volatile elements such as hydrogen, helium, oxygen and nitrogen.
Bright X-ray galactic nuclei
All massive galaxies are believed to host supermassive black holes (SMBH) at their centers that grow by accreting mass from their environment. The current picture also imagines that the black holes grow in size as their host ...
Cooking up alien atmospheres on Earth
Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are cooking up an alien atmosphere right here on Earth. In a new study, JPL scientists used a high-temperature "oven" to heat a mixture of hydrogen ...
SDSS J1430+1339: Storm rages in cosmic teacup
Fancy a cup of cosmic tea? This one isn't as calming as the ones on Earth. In a galaxy hosting a structure nicknamed the "Teacup," a galactic storm is raging.
New 3-D map will help solve long-standing cosmic mysteries
A new study led by ANU has created a 3D map of the magnetic field in a small wedge of the Milky Way galaxy, paving the way for future discoveries that will improve our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe.
ESO's Cosmic Gems Programme captures the Cosmic Bat's dusty clouds
Hidden in one of the darkest corners of the Orion constellation, this Cosmic Bat is spreading its hazy wings through interstellar space two thousand light-years away. It is illuminated by the young stars nestled in its core — despite ...
Astronomers investigate a recently reactivated radio magnetar
Quasar jets confuse orbital telescope
Astrophysicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LPI RAS), and NASA have found an error in the coordinates of active galactic nuclei measured ...
Strong planetary magnetic fields like Earth's may protect oceans from stellar storms
A study by scientists at ANU on the magnetic fields of planets has found that most planets discovered in other solar systems are unlikely to be as hospitable to life as Earth.
ALMA observes the formation sites of solar-system-like planets
Researchers have spotted the formation sites of planets around a young star resembling the sun. Two rings of dust around the star, at distances comparable to the asteroid belt and the orbit of Neptune in the solar system, ...
Astronomers discover 83 supermassive black holes in the early universe
Astronomers from Japan, Taiwan and Princeton University have discovered 83 quasars powered by supermassive black holes in the distant universe, from a time when the universe was less than 10 percent of its present age.
Researchers confirm massive hyper-runaway star ejected from the Milky Way Disk
A fast-moving star may have been ejected from the Milky Way's stellar disk by a cluster of young stars, according to researchers from the University of Michigan who say the star did not originate from the middle of the galaxy, ...
Large area solar flares are the likely source of puzzling millimeter emission
Solar flares are sudden explosive processes that convert the energy of the magnetic field into the kinetic energy of electrons and ions. Since the beginning of the century, millimeter observations of solar flares became routinely ...
Neural networks predict planet mass
To find out how planets form, astrophysicists run complicated and time-consuming computer calculations. Members of the NCCR PlanetS at the University of Bern have now developed a totally novel approach to speed up this process ...
Astronomers detect X-ray emitting clumps ejected from the binary PSR B1259–63/LS 2883
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, astronomers have spotted X-ray-emitting clumps being ejected with high velocities from the gamma-ray binary PSR B1259–63/LS 2883. The findings were presented in a paper published ...
What scientists found after sifting through dust in the solar system
Just as dust gathers in corners and along bookshelves in our homes, dust piles up in space too. But when the dust settles in the solar system, it's often in rings. Several dust rings circle the Sun. The rings trace the orbits ...
Jupiter's magnetic field could be moving Europa's ocean
A pair of researchers, one with École Normale Supérieure, the other Laboratory for Studies of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres has found evidence that Jupiter's magnetic field could be causing a jet ...
Collaboration enables investigation of the origin of heavy elements
A team of experts in atomic physics, nuclear fusion, and astronomy has computed high-accuracy atomic data for analyzing light from a kilonova, a birth place of heavy elements. They found that their new data set could predict ...
Massive twin star discovered snuggling close to its stellar sibling in its cradle
Astronomers have discovered a binary star system with the closest high-mass young stellar objects ever measured, providing a valuable "laboratory" to test theories on high mass binary star formation.
New study uncovers insights about the nature of the ultraviolet-bright star Barnard 29
Analyzing data from spectroscopic instruments, astronomers have reported fundamental properties of Barnard 29, an ultraviolet-bright star in globular cluster Messier 13. Results of the analysis, presented in a paper published ...
Hubble's dazzling display of two colliding galaxies
Located in the constellation of Hercules, about 230 million light-years away, NGC 6052 is a pair of colliding galaxies. They were first discovered in 1784 by William Herschel and were originally classified as a single irregular ...
Stars exploding as supernovae lose their mass to companion stars during their lives
Stars over eight times more massive than the sun end their lives in supernovae explosions. The composition of the star influences what happens during the explosion.
Measurements yield precise atomic masses for nuclear reactions in the stars
Matter is composed of chemical elements mainly created in stars via nuclear reactions and complex nuclear reaction networks. To understand these processes, we need to know properties of participating nuclei, such as their ...
Millisecond pulsar PSR J0740+6620 has a white dwarf companion with helium atmosphere, study suggests
A new study published February 28 on arXiv.org suggests that a millisecond pulsar known as PSR J0740+6620 has a stellar companion. The research provides evidence indicating that this object is most likely accompanied by an ...
Hubble and Gaia accurately weigh the Milky Way
In a striking example of multi-mission astronomy, measurements from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the ESA Gaia mission have been combined to improve the estimate of the mass of our home galaxy the Milky Way: 1.5 ...
'Goldilocks' stars may be 'just right' for finding habitable worlds
Scientists looking for signs of life beyond our solar system face major challenges, one of which is that there are hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy alone to consider. To narrow the search, they must figure out: ...
Gamma ray telescopes could detect starships powered by black hole
In the course of looking for possible signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI), scientists have had to do some really outside-of-the-box thinking. Since it is a foregone conclusion that many ETIs would be older and more ...
Finding dark matter in the dark
Dark matter is the mysterious material that holds the Universe together, yet no one has seen it; or heard, smelled, tasted or touched it either.
Chances for life expand when passing stars push binaries together
Planetary systems can be harsh environments in their early history. The young worlds orbit suns in stellar nurseries, clusters of stars where violent encounters are commonplace. None of this makes it easy for life to get ...
Study shows how electricity-eating microbes use electrons to fix carbon dioxide
New research from Washington University in St. Louis explains the cellular processes that allow a sun-loving microbe to "eat" electricity—transferring electrons to fix carbon dioxide to fuel its growth.
X-rays reveal termites' self-cooling, self-ventilating, self-draining skyscrapers
Many species of termites, whose societies are built on hierarchies of kings, queens, workers, and soldiers, live in towering nests that are ventilated by a complex system of tunnels.
Radioactive material detected remotely using laser-induced electron avalanche breakdown
Physicists at the University of Maryland have developed a powerful new method to detect radioactive material. By using an infrared laser beam to induce a phenomenon known as an electron avalanche breakdown near the material, ...
Coffee-based colloids for direct solar absorption
Solar energy is one of the most promising resources to help reduce fossil fuel consumption and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions to power a sustainable future. Devices presently in use to convert solar energy into thermal ...
New approach to molecular modeling may accelerate the development of new organic materials for electronics
Organic electronics have the potential to revolutionize technology with their high cost-efficiency and versatility compared with more commonly used inorganic electronics. For example, their flexibility could allow companies ...
Chemicals induce dipoles to damp plasmons
The light scattered by plasmonic nanoparticles is useful, but some of it gets lost at the surface and scientists are now starting to figure out why.
NASA instruments image fireball over Bering Sea
On Dec. 18, 2018, a large "fireball—the term used for exceptionally bright meteors that are visible over a wide area—exploded about 16 miles (26 kilometers) above the Bering Sea. The explosion unleashed an estimated 173 ...
Paleontologists report world's biggest Tyrannosaurus rex
University of Alberta paleontologists have just reported the world's biggest Tyrannosaurus rex and the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Canada. The 13-metre-long T. rex, nicknamed "Scotty," lived in prehistoric Saskatchewan ...
Tall ice-cliffs may trigger big calving events—and fast sea-level rise
Glaciers that drain ice sheets such as Antarctica or Greenland often flow into the ocean, ending in near-vertical cliffs. As the glacier flows into the sea, chunks of the ice break off in calving events. Although much calving ...
Optical 'tweezers' combine with X-rays to enable analysis of crystals in liquids
Understanding how chemical reactions happen on tiny crystals in liquid solutions is central to a variety of fields, including materials synthesis and heterogeneous catalysis, but obtaining such an understanding requires that ...
Hears the pitch: Research team invents a new mode of photoacoustic imaging
Did you know that music and diagnostic imaging have something in common? Sounds have a lower or higher pitch depending on the size of the object that creates them. Tubas and double basses are big and produce deep low-pitch ...
Scientists argue for more comprehensive studies of Cascade volcanoes
The string of volcanoes in the Cascades Arc, ranging from California's Mt. Lassen in the south to Washington's Mt. Baker in the north, have been studied by geologists and volcanologists for over a century. Spurred on by spectacular ...
Not all stem cells are created equal, study reveals
Researchers from the University of Toronto's Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) and the Donnelly Centre have discovered a population of cells – dubbed to be "elite" – that play a key role in ...
Many sharks closer to extinction than feared: Red List
Human appetites are pushing makos and other iconic sharks to the brink of extinction, scientists warned in a new assessment of the apex predator's conservation status.
Climate change affecting fish in Ontario lakes, study reveals
Warmer temperatures are having a ripple effect on food webs in Ontario lakes, according to a new University of Guelph study.
Treasure trove of marine fossils from 'Cambrian explosion' found in China
A team of researchers from Northwest University and Guizhou University, both in China and one from the U.S., has found and partially excavated a new treasure trove of marine fossils from the "Cambrian explosion" in southern ...
EPA adviser is promoting harmful ideas, scientists say
The Trump administration's reliance on industry-funded environmental specialists is again coming under fire, this time by researchers who say that Louis Anthony "Tony" Cox Jr., who leads a key Environmental Protection Agency ...
New computational tool could change how we study pathogens
A sophisticated new analysis tool developed by Florida State University scientists may signal a new era in the study of population genetics.
Are natural fibres really better for the environment than microplastic fibres?
Researchers from the University of Nottingham have found a much higher percentage of 'natural' fibres than microplastic fibres in freshwater and atmospheric samples in the UK.
The taming of the light screw
DESY and MPSD scientists have created high-order harmonics from solids with controlled polarization states, taking advantage of both crystal symmetry and attosecond electronic dynamics. The newly demonstrated technique might ...
4-D-printed materials can be stiff as wood or soft as sponge
Imagine smart materials that can morph from being stiff as wood to as soft as a sponge—and also change shape.
Male fish can thank genes for colourful looks
Striking traits seen only in males of some species – such as colourful peacock feathers or butterfly wings – are partly explained by gene behaviour, research suggests.
Spacewalking astronauts swap out space station's batteries (Update)
Changing batteries in orbit took some huffing and puffing and some intricate maneuvering by two spacewalkers Friday. But in the end, it went almost as smoothly as doing the chore back on Earth.
What can machine learning reveal about the solid Earth?
Scientists seeking to understand Earth's inner clockwork have deployed armies of sensors listening for signs of slips, rumbles, exhales and other disturbances emanating from the planet's deepest faults to its tallest volcanoes. ...
Chemists show that sodium can be safely used for cross-coupling reactions
A trio of chemists at Okayama University has published a paper in the journal Nature Catalysis outlining the manner in which sodium can be safely used for cross-coupling reactions. In their paper, Sobi Asako, Hirotaka Nakajima ...
Research team develops material to separate oil and water for environmental remediation and wastewater treatment
It's a popular phrase used to describe people, things, and ideas that just don't mix—"like oil and water." Except it's not entirely true. Oil and water can mix, and can be very difficult to completely separate when brought ...
A social bacterium with versatile habits
Related individuals of a soil bacterial species live in cooperative groups and exhibit astonishing genetic and behavioural diversity. ETH researchers recently published these findings in Science .
Chemical tracers untangle natural from agricultural methane emissions
With natural gas booming across the Front Range, drilling rigs may operate within feet from cattle farms. That shared land use can confound attempts to understand trends in methane, a greenhouse gas and air pollutant—the ...
ATLAS experiment finds evidence of three massive vector boson productions
The ATLAS Experiment at CERN has just released evidence for the simultaneous production of three W or Z bosons in proton–proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The W and Z bosons are the mediator particles ...
Ancient birds out of the egg running
The ~125 million-year-old Early Cretaceous fossil beds of Los Hoyas, Spain, have long been known for producing thousands of petrified fish and reptiles (Fig. 1). However, researchers have uncovered an extremely rare, nearly ...
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