Exploding stars may seem like an unlikely yardstick for measuring the vast distances of space, but astronomers have been mapping the universe for decades using these stellar eruptions, called supernovas, with surprising accuracy.
Astronomy
Dec 8, 2015
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Scientists have developed a technique to use quasars – powerful sources driven by supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies – to study the universe's history and composition. To demonstrate the new method, based ...
Astronomy
Dec 4, 2015
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Less than 20 years ago the world learned that the universe is expanding ever faster, propelled by dark energy. The discovery was made possible by Type Ia supernovae; extraordinarily bright and remarkably similar in brightness, ...
Astronomy
Nov 5, 2015
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A longstanding mystery about the tiny stars that let loose powerful explosions known as Type Ia supernovae might finally be solved.
Astronomy
Aug 19, 2015
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What are the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that seem to account for so much of our Universe? Why is the Universe expanding? For the past 30 years, most cosmologists have looked to the 'standard model' to answer ...
Astronomy
Jul 8, 2015
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Sharp images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope confirm that three supernovae discovered several years ago exploded in the dark emptiness of intergalactic space, having been flung from their home galaxies millions or ...
Astronomy
Jun 4, 2015
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When we look up at the night sky, it's easy to feel as though the stars we see have always been, and always will be, there. But just like ourselves, stars are born and die.
Astronomy
May 22, 2015
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An automated software system developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory played a key role in the discovery of supernova iPTF 14atg and could provide insight, a virtual Rosetta stone, into future supernovae and their underlying ...
Astronomy
May 21, 2015
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Type Ia supernovae, one of the most dazzling phenomena in the universe, are produced when small dense stars called white dwarfs explode with ferocious intensity. At their peak, these supernovae can outshine an entire galaxy. ...
Astronomy
May 20, 2015
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A University of Arizona-led team of astronomers found that the type of supernovae commonly used to measure distances in the universe fall into distinct populations not recognized before; the findings have implications for ...
Astronomy
Apr 10, 2015
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