Researchers at Lund University found that toothpaste fluorine is formed in stars similar to our sun, supporting a theory about its origins. By analyzing light emitted by stars, they calculated the amount of fluorine present and compared it with predictions.
Dallas high school students Dominik Fritz and Jason Barton discovered five new variable stars as part of the SMU QuarkNet program, analyzing data from a telescope in New Mexico. The discoveries have been accepted into the VSX catalog and will be forever linked with their students' names.
A team of astronomers has created new maps of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way, revealing clues about the composition and distribution of mysterious complex molecules. The findings could provide insights into how stars form and the conditions that lead to their creation.
Researchers at the University of Warwick found that white dwarf stars crashing into neutron stars could be responsible for the loneliest supernovae. The team used observations from the Very Large Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope to rule out other explanations, such as binary systems or massive stars.
Astronomers discovered a young binary star system with wildly misaligned planet-forming disks, providing the clearest picture yet of protoplanetary disks around a double star. The system's unique configuration suggests that planets may be influenced by the gravitational pull of a second star, leading to unusual orbits.
Astronomers have observed a unique transformation of a binary system containing a rapidly spinning neutron star. The system, known as AY Sextantis, underwent a dramatic change in behavior, with the pulsar's radio beacon vanishing and its gamma-ray emission increasing fivefold.
Astronomers have used a new technique to measure the ages of 22 Sun-like stars, revealing properties similar to our Sun. The study's lead author found 'solar twins' that can be studied to predict planetary system evolution.
Researchers used extensive observations to develop the first high-resolution 3D model of the Homunculus Nebula, confirming features like arm-like protrusions and trenches. The new model suggests intense interactions between Eta Carinae's stars played a significant role in shaping the nebula.
A team of 20 scientists monitored the 'heartbeats' of young stars using data from two space telescopes. They found that emerging stars pulsate slowly at first, then faster as they near ignition, revealing insights into their internal structures and ages.
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-like planet in a binary star system, expanding the search for habitable planets. The planet orbits one of the stars at almost exactly the same distance from which Earth orbits the sun, but is much colder due to its host star's dimmer light.
Astronomers have developed a method to distinguish between infant and adolescent stars based on their sound waves, with 'young' stars vibrating slower. This technique uses ultrasound technology similar to medical applications, offering new insights into star formation and evolution.
New observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveal small galaxies are responsible for forming a significant number of the universe's stars. This finding supports a decade-long investigation into the relationship between a galaxy's mass and its star-forming activity, providing new insights into the early universe's history.
Two low-cost, car battery-sized Canadian nanosatellites are part of the BRITE-Constellation project, monitoring brightness and color variations of brightest stars. The satellites will uncover clues about star origins, including our Sun and Earth.
Scientists detect the first Thorne-Żytkow object, a bizarre type of hybrid star formed from red supergiant and neutron stars. The discovery provides evidence for a new model of stellar interiors and offers insights into heavy element production in the universe.
A team of astronomers has identified a Wolf-Rayet star as the probable progenitor of a recently exploded supernova using flash spectroscopy. This technique allows for rapid identification of pre-explosion stars at greater distances than previously possible.
Astronomers have found the closest, second-brightest hypervelocity star, speeding at 1 million mph. The star probes the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center and the halo of mysterious dark matter, providing insights into the galaxy's structure.
Astronomers confirm first self-lensing binary star system, where the closer star's mass is measured by its magnifying effect on light from its companion. This discovery improves research on white dwarfs and galaxy age, using gravitational lensing to reveal new insights into these celestial objects.
Researchers at SISSA have discovered that neutron stars can be described with just three parameters: mass, angular momentum, and quadrupole moment, independent of the equation of state. This finding has major implications for understanding these complex objects.
New research from UT Arlington suggests that F-type stars may be a good place to look for habitable planets due to their wider habitability zone. The study found encouraging results, with some damage estimates similar to those on Earth, if an atmosphere is assumed.
Dr. Ed Cackett has received a $550,000 NSF CAREER Award to study neutron stars and accretion in binary systems. He will also develop a program to bring solar telescopes to local schools, enhancing hands-on science education.
A team of astronomers discovered mature galaxies at a record-breaking distance, containing 100 billion stars each. These galaxies formed rapidly over 1 billion years, with star formation rates hundreds of times higher than observed today.
The spiral galaxy ESO 137-001 is zooming through the Norma cluster at nearly 4.5 million miles per hour, stripping gas from its home and forming new stars in intergalactic space. Astronomers hope that studying this galaxy can help them understand how galaxies form stars and evolve over time.
The study provides new insights into stellar nurseries, showing that high-mass stars form in groups rather than alone and that these seeds can be fragmented into individual star seeds early in the formation process.
Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute detected a stream of stars in Andromeda II, revealing a remnant of a merged dwarf galaxy. The findings provide insight into the rare event of low-mass galaxy mergers, which are expected during galaxy formation.
Researchers found that strongly interacting binary stars are necessary for powerful, bipolar jets of gas and dust to form in planetary nebulae. The jets are produced by accretion processes that provide fuel for the outflows.
The discovery of the oldest known star in the Universe allows scientists to study its chemistry, providing a clearer idea of the early universe. The ancient star is around 6,000 light years from Earth and formed shortly after the Big Bang.
Circumbinary planets are thought to have formed far from their binary star systems before migrating to their current location. Researchers used computer simulations to model the early stages of planet formation around Kepler-34(AB)b and found that the majority must have formed much further away.
Scientists discovered that massive galaxies in the early universe were formed by explosive star formation triggered by galaxy collisions. This theory contradicts the traditional view that galaxies grew larger over time through constant star formation and mergers.
A team of researchers has confirmed a long-standing puzzle about the birth of massive stars, showing that dense filamentary structures absorb ultraviolet radiation and shield surrounding gas. The findings provide new insights into how massive stars form and influence their host galaxies.
Researchers found that star radiation can push matter out of galaxies, accounting for the missing galactic mass in previous calculations. The FIRE simulations demonstrate that feedback from stars alters galaxy growth and history in a dramatic way.
Astronomers are studying the newly formed stars in M83 using citizen science project STAR DATE: M83. The project aims to estimate ages for approximately 3000 star clusters. Citizen scientists analyze the image to identify objects such as supernova remnants and foreground stars, shedding light on stellar birth and death.
An international team of astronomers has discovered a surprising new class of hypervelocity stars moving fast enough to escape the gravitational grasp of the Milky Way galaxy. The new stars are relatively small and have different ejection mechanisms than previously discovered hypervelocity stars.
Scientists discovered previously unseen binary companions to young protostars using upgraded VLA capabilities. The findings support the disk-fragmentation idea, which suggests double stars form when a gas and dust disk fragments, forming a new star in orbit with the first.
A study of massive stars confirms the Milky Way has four spiral arms, contradicting previous findings from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The researchers used data from radio telescopes in Australia, USA and China to analyze the distribution of massive stars across the galaxy.
Astronomers have successfully imaged individual stars in a nearby binary star system using a new instrument that combines adaptive optics and interferometry.
The discovery of HD 106906 b, a giant planet orbiting its star at 650 times the average Earth-Sun distance, has puzzled astronomers. The planet's unusual orbit and mass throw doubt on existing planet formation theories, leaving scientists searching for alternative explanations.
Astronomers have discovered the youngest known neutron-star binary, Circinus X-1, which is approximately 4,600 years old. The team used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to determine the age of this record-breaking pair, revealing a unique opportunity to study matter under extreme conditions.
Astronomers Alice Quillen and her team developed a mathematical model to understand the movement of stars in the galactic bulge, finding that peanut-shell shaped orbits are consistent with observed effects. The new research aims to improve our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.
SPIRou, a near-infrared spectropolarimeter and high-precision velocimeter, will detect habitable Earth twins orbiting nearby red dwarf stars and study the formation of Sun-like stars and their planets. The instrument's advanced technology will reveal the existence of liquid water on planetary surfaces.
Astronomers at Queen's University Belfast have found that small and dense neutron stars with gigantic magnetic fields power the most luminous supernovae. Contrary to existing theories, these stars' findings suggest a new explanation for the brightest exploding stars in the universe.
Astronomers observe a unique protostar, IRAS 20324+4057, shaped like a cosmic caterpillar due to intense ultraviolet radiation. The star is still collecting material from its surrounding gas envelope, which is being eroded by nearby stars.
Astronomers have observed the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) producing an outflow of molecular gas, curtailing its ability to form new stars. The galaxy's starburst region is shedding massive amounts of gas, with a total mass estimated to be nine times that of our Sun each year.
Researchers at Montana State University have discovered a universal relation among three intrinsic properties of neutron stars: moment of inertia, Love number, and quadrupole moment. This finding enables astrophysicists to infer the shape and degree of deformation without detailed internal structure knowledge, aiding gravitational wave...
Research led by Aomawa Shields found that planets orbiting cool stars absorb near-infrared light, warming the planet. In contrast, hotter stars' visible light is reflected by ice, cooling the planet. This interaction affects planetary habitability and may prioritize planets around cooler stars for life detection.
Astronomers have tracked the orbital motion of 33,000 stars in one of the Galaxy's oldest globular clusters, offering new insights into the formation of the Milky Way. The study reveals two distinct generations of stars within globular cluster 47 Tucanae, differing in age by 100 million years.
Researchers used Hubble to analyze the motion of over 30,000 stars in 47 Tucanae, linking their orbital motion to age for the first time. The study found two distinct populations of stars, with ages differing by less than 100 million years.
Mercedes Richards, a professor at Penn State University, is being recognized for her groundbreaking research on interacting binary stars. She uses computer models and movies to illustrate how these stars interact, and has made both 2D and 3D images of the gravitational flow of gas between stars in any interacting binary-star system. Ri...
Astronomers found two planets smaller than Neptune orbiting Sun-like stars in the dense star cluster NGC 6811. The discovery shows that planets can form and survive even in crowded clusters.
The Cat's Paw Nebula is forming stars at an unprecedented rate of 200,000 suns' worth of material, with over 2,000 extremely young and still trapped inside their dusty cocoons. The cause of this 'mini-starburst' remains unclear, but its proximity to Earth makes it an ideal target for detailed study.
Researchers found that 70% of stars in a globular cluster do not undergo the final nuclear burning and mass-loss phase, contradicting previous theories. The team discovered that these stars have low levels of sodium, suggesting a link between sodium content and stellar evolution.
A study published in Nature found that 70% of stars with high sodium content fail to reach the final red giant phase. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the life cycle of low-mass stars, including our Sun.
A University of Alberta physicist collaborated with amateur astronomers to confirm the periodic bursts of light from a binary star, SS Cygni, 370 light years away. The team re-examined an established theory and confirmed its accuracy using data from ground-based radio telescopes and optical observations.
Astronomers have observed a neutron star system known as Circinus X-1, where one of the companion stars is a compact neutron star. The system flared twice during observation, with KAT-7 capturing detailed radio images of the event.
Researchers have found evidence of building blocks for Earth-sized planets in the atmospheres of two burned-out stars called white dwarfs. The silicon and low levels of carbon in these dead stars suggest that asteroid-like debris is falling onto them, potentially creating rocky planet assembly around stars.
Astronomers have found signs of rocky material in the atmospheres of two dead stars, suggesting that terrestrial planets may still exist. The debris detected around these white dwarfs is thought to be the remains of asteroids that were shredded by the star's gravity.
Researchers have confirmed Einstein's theory of general relativity by observing a unique binary star system with a massive neutron star and a white dwarf. The study found that the system's gravitational waves match exactly what Einstein's theory predicts, providing strong evidence for the validity of the theory.
Using the characterization by proxy method, Sarah Ballard infers the properties of small, cool stars like Kepler-61, which is too far away to be directly measured. This allows for a better understanding of planets orbiting these stars, including the recently discovered planet Kepler-61b.
Astronomers discovered a rare galaxy that turns gas into stars with near 100% efficiency, outperforming even the most efficient engines. This highly tuned galaxy forms stars at a rate hundreds of times faster than our Milky Way, with the majority of its starlight emitted by a small region.
Researchers recalculated the commonness of Earth-sized planets in habitable zones of low-mass stars, finding nearly three times as many planets as previous estimates. The average distance to the nearest potentially habitable planet is about seven light years.
Astronomers have uncovered a mysterious infant star with strobe-like flashes, revealing insights into the early stages of star formation. The flashes are thought to be caused by periodic interactions between two newly formed stars in a binary system.