Innovative instrument probes close binary stars, may soon image exoplanets
Astronomers have successfully imaged individual stars in a nearby binary star system using a new instrument that combines adaptive optics and interferometry.
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Figures of 8 and peanut shells: How stars move at the center of the Galaxy
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.
SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateNov 27, 2013
From 1 collapsing star, 2 black holes form and fuse
Researchers propose a new model for supermassive black hole growth involving 'seed' black holes formed from early stars. A single collapsing star can produce a pair of black holes that merge, resolving the issue of their rapid formation in the young universe.
New tool may unveil inhabitable worlds
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.
Queen's University scientists shed new light on star death
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.
Researchers find that bright nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple
Astronomers have confirmed that nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple star system. The discovery was made using precise movements and spectroscopic measurements of astrometric data, revealing a third smaller star in the vicinity. The stars are separated by 5.5 degrees, but their gravitational pull keeps them bound together.
NASA's Hubble and Chandra find evidence for densest nearby galaxy
Astronomers have found the most crowded galaxy in our part of the universe, M60-UCD1, packed with an extraordinary number of stars. The ultra-compact dwarf galaxy is estimated to be about 10 billion years old and has a density of stars about 15,000 times greater than Earth's neighborhood.
NASA's Hubble sees a cosmic caterpillar
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.
Pulsating star sheds light on exoplanet
A team of researchers has developed a new method to measure the internal properties of stars, enabling more accurate assessments of their orbiting planets. By using asteroseismology, they were able to determine the mass and rotation rate of a pulsating star, confirming the existence of an exoplanet in its orbit.
Montana scientists discover surprising importance of 'I Love Q' for understanding neutron stars
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...
The limits to galactic growth
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.
Starburst to star bust
Researchers using ALMA discovered that Sculptor Galaxy is expelling massive concentrations of cold gas through galactic winds, depriving the galaxy of fuel for new stars. This phenomenon may explain why few high-mass galaxies are observed in the cosmos, as starburst-driven winds recycle rather than remove star-forming material.
NASA's Hubble shows link between stars' ages and their orbits
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.
Stars' orbital dance reveals a generation gap
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.
A warmer planetary haven around cool stars, as ice warms rather than cools
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.
Astrophysicist Mercedes Richards is Woman Physicist of the Month for July 2013
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...
Feeding galaxy caught in distant searchlight by international research team
A team of astronomers has spotted a distant galaxy consuming nearby gas, which fuels star formation and drives rotation. This discovery supports the theory that galaxies pull in material to grow and form stars.
First transiting planets in a star cluster discovered
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.
Solar splashdown
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured spectacular images of June 7, 2011 solar eruption and splashdown. The event provided an 'up close' view of what happens on distant stars during accretion. Astronomers can now learn about young star growth by analyzing ultraviolet light emission.
Colliding galaxy pair takes flight
The colliding galaxy duo Arp 142 features a star-forming spiral galaxy NGC 2936 with a compressed gas core triggering new star formation. The elliptical companion NGC 2937 is warped by the encounter, but shows little effect from gravitational pull.
Cat's Paw Nebula 'littered' with baby stars
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.
NASA Chandra, Spitzer study suggests black holes abundant among the earliest stars
A study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Spitzer Space Telescope data suggests that black holes are responsible for at least 20% of the cosmic infrared background. This finding indicates intense activity from black holes feeding on gas during the epoch of the first stars.
Low-sodium 'diet' key to a stellar old age
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.
Low sodium diet key to old age for stars
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.
Hubble finds dead stars 'polluted' with planetary debris
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.
SourceESA/Hubble Information Centre·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMay 9, 2013
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope finds dead stars 'polluted with planet debris'
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.
SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMay 9, 2013
Astronomer studies far-off worlds through 'characterization by proxy'
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.
Rare galaxy found furiously burning fuel for stars
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.
Massive star factory churned in universe's youth
Astronomers have uncovered a massive star factory in the universe's youth, producing stars at a rate 2,000 times that of our Milky Way. The galaxy, HFLS3, has a reservoir of gas and dust, with over 40 billion stars and 100 billion tons of gas.
How to build a very large star
A team of astronomers at the University of Toronto propose a mechanism for forming very large stars, where baby stars are fed gas from surrounding older stars, allowing them to grow in mass. They observed evidence of this phenomenon in the Westerhout 3 cloud, located 6,500 light years from Earth.
Earth-sized planets in habitable zones are more common than previously thought
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.
Measuring the universe more accurately than ever before
A team of astronomers has measured the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud with unprecedented accuracy, pinning down its value at 163,000 light-years. This breakthrough improves distances for Cepheid variable stars and the Hubble Constant, enabling more precise surveying of the Universe.
Red explosions: The secret life of binary stars is revealed
Researchers have discovered a way to identify and explain the luminosity generated during common envelope events involving binary stars. The events result in bright red outbursts, similar to recently discovered Luminous Red Novae. Natalia Ivanova's analysis provided new insights into these celestial phenomena.
Cheating to create the perfect simulation
Researchers at Jena University have developed a new theory to simulate the strong atomic nuclear interactions that govern neutron stars. By intelligently modifying nuclear forces and solving the stacking problem of atoms, they have enabled the calculability of these complex systems.
A cloudy mystery
The G0.253+0.016 cloud defies conventional wisdom on star formation, with a dense gas content 25 times higher than the Orion Nebula but only producing small stars. The cloud's high velocities and presence of silicon monoxide suggest it may be two colliding clouds, preventing star formation due to its dynamic nature.
Asteroid belt found around Vega
Researchers have found an asteroid belt surrounding Vega, a star similar to the Sun, and believe multiple planets are orbiting it. The discovery was made using Infrared Space Telescopes, which detected infrared light emitted by warm and cold dust in discrete regions around the stars.
Earth-size planets common in galaxy
A team of astronomers analyzed Kepler mission data and found that 17% of sun-like stars have planets one to two times the diameter of Earth, orbiting close to their host stars. These planets may be rocky and habitable within the Goldilocks zone.
At least 1 in 6 stars has an Earth-sized planet
Researchers using NASA's Kepler spacecraft have found that about 17% of stars have an Earth-sized planet in an orbit closer than Mercury. This means there are at least 17 billion possible Earth-like planets in the Milky Way, with 50% of stars having a planet of Earth-size or larger in a close orbit.
Wide binary stars can wreak havoc in planetary systems
A recent study found that wide binary stars in planetary systems can lead to dramatic events over time. In one hypothetical system, at least one of four giant planets was ejected in almost half of the simulations. The researchers also discovered substantial evidence that this process occurs regularly in known extrasolar planetary systems.
Detecting dusty clouds and stars in our galaxy in a new way
Farhad Zadeh has discovered a new tool for detecting dusty clouds and stars using radio waves, allowing astronomers to image exotic features in the galaxy's center. The technique reveals dark features that indicate interactions between cold gas clouds and hot radiation fields.
Astrophysicists find wide binary stars wreak havoc in planetary systems
Astrophysicists found that wide binary stars have a significant impact on planetary systems, causing violent disruptions and scattering planets. The researchers conducted computer simulations and found that planets in these systems are often ejected to interstellar space.
How stars look young when they're not: The secret of aging well
The study reveals differences in the speed of evolution among globular clusters, with fast-aging clusters experiencing core collapse within a few hundred million years. In contrast, slow-aging clusters would take several times the current age of the universe to undergo core collapse.
Successful solo rock/pop stars twice as likely to die early as those in a band
Research reveals successful solo rock/pop stars are twice as likely to die early as those in equally famous bands. Adverse childhood experiences are also significantly more common among those who died from drug and alcohol misuse.
Stars reveal the secrets of looking young
Researchers used the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope and Hubble Space Telescope to study 21 globular clusters, finding that a few were young with blue stragglers distributed throughout, while others were old with the stars clumped in the centre. This reveals big differences in the speed of evolution from cluster to cluster.
When the first stars blinked on
A team of researchers at MIT analyzed light from a quasar, which is the most distant object known, to study the era of the first stars and galaxies. They found no evidence of heavy elements in the surrounding gaseous cloud, suggesting that the quasar dates back to an era nearing the universe's first stars.
Search for life suggests solar systems more habitable than ours
Researchers found that planets in solar systems with similar stars may be warmer and more dynamic, potentially hosting microbial life. This could expand the habitable zone around those stars, making them more suitable for life.
Super-rare, super-luminous supernovae are likely explosion of universe's earliest stars
Researchers find two super-luminous supernovae at high redshifts, consistent with pair-instability supernova mechanism. The explosions are thought to have occurred in massive stars that formed in the early universe.
Galaxy halos are produced by orphan stars, findings indicate
Researchers from UC Irvine and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have discovered that galaxy halos are likely caused by orphan stars ejected from galaxies during violent mergers. The team used data from the Spitzer Space Telescope to study the patterns of diffuse light, finding that it is too strong to be explained by earlier theories.
Astronomers report that dark matter 'halos' may contain stars, disprove other theories
Researchers suggest that small numbers of stars kicked to the edges of space during galaxy collisions may explain infrared light 'halos'. This theory proposes that only one-tenth of 1 percent of stars are distributed like dark matter, producing fluctuations in the cosmic background.
Quasar may be embedded in unusually dusty galaxy
Astronomers discovered a quasar hidden behind a dusty galaxy, where no starlight is visible due to intense dust blocking. The James Webb Space Telescope will help detect the underlying stars, which were not seen by Hubble.
Disk galaxies formed gradually, astronomers find from images, computer simulations, and spectra
New observations of distant galaxies reveal that internal motions were more disordered in the past, and the Hubble sequence of well-ordered disk galaxies evolved from earlier chaotic forms. This challenges the long-held assumption about disk galaxy formation, finding they evolved gradually over 8 billion years.
X-ray satellites monitor the clashing winds of a colossal binary
Two O-type stars in the Cygnus OB2 #9 binary system emit intense X-rays as their stellar winds collide during closest approach. The interaction reveals details about the stars' masses, luminosity, and orbits, shedding light on star formation and galaxy evolution.
Planets can form in the galactic center
Astronomers found a cloud of hydrogen and helium plunging toward the galactic center, which represents the remains of a planet-forming disk. The discovery suggests that planets can still form near black holes due to stars in a ring orbiting the galaxy's central black hole.
Seeing the birth of the universe in an atom of hydrogen
Researchers at Tel Aviv University develop method to observe stars that formed when the universe was 180 million years old. By detecting radio waves from hydrogen atoms, they reveal patterns in the sky indicating early galaxies, providing insight into the universe's origins.
Space-warping white dwarfs produce gravitational waves
A team of astronomers has detected gravitational waves at optical wavelengths in light from a pair of eclipsing white dwarf stars. The effect, predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, causes the stars to inch closer together and orbit each other faster.
SourceCenter for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateAug 28, 2012
UT Southwestern named the official health care team of the Dallas Stars
UT Southwestern Medical Center has been named the official healthcare team of the Dallas Stars, marking a significant expansion of their longstanding relationship with the club. The team will oversee the health needs of players, including injury evaluation and treatment, and promote healthy messages through initiatives such as "Hockey ...
Hubble watches star clusters on a collision course
Astronomers using Hubble data observe two massive star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud that may be in early stages of merger. The discovery sheds light on the origin of large star clusters and helps scientists understand galaxy formation.
Turbulent relationship among massive stars
Researchers from University of Bonn discover most massive stars form double systems, with over three-quarters orbiting a companion. The study reveals material transfer and merging between stars, challenging previous assumptions about single stars.
The brightest stars don't live alone
A study using the VLT found that 75% of O-type stars are in binary systems, with a higher proportion of interacting pairs than previously thought. This discovery has profound implications for galaxy evolution, as these heavyweights play a key role in shaping galaxies through violent phenomena such as stellar mergers and gamma-ray bursts.
Superfast evolution in sea stars
Researchers found that two closely related sea star species diverged around 6,000-22,000 years ago, ruling out slow genetic changes over time. The boundary between cold and warm water in the Coral Sea may have isolated a small population of ancestral sea stars.