Researchers have discovered two candidate planets orbiting white dwarfs, which are the remnants of dead stars. The team used a combination of telescopes to detect these planets, which could provide clues about the solar system's formation and the presence of life in the galaxy.
The LISA mission will detect low-frequency gravitational waves from the merger of compact objects like stellar-size black holes and neutron stars. By measuring tiny changes in the motion of freely falling test masses, scientists can study these events with unprecedented precision.
Researchers used FUSE data to detect spectrum of ultraviolet light in region with no star, revealing light scattering from dust near bright star. The team hopes to use high spectral resolution to study diffuse background radiation and understand the nature of interstellar dust.
A team of researchers uses the Keck laser system to observe distant galaxies in unprecedented detail, finding that some systems exhibit old stars despite recent mergers. This discovery challenges prevailing theories of galaxy formation and may help explain the existence of large galaxies with little young star population.
Researchers have discovered FK Comae Berenices, a rare fast-rotating yellow giant with high levels of coronal magnetic activity. The star's rotation is roughly 200 miles per second, making it an 'extreme case' of sun-like magnetic activity.
The discovery reveals a quasar with an extreme redshift of 2.11 found within the center of an active spiral galaxy called NGC 7319. This finding casts doubt on the idea that quasars are extremely distant objects and could impact our understanding of cosmology.
Researchers at JILA have developed an efficient method to measure and control atomic energy levels with extremely high accuracy. The technique uses ultrafast pulses of laser light to record in real-time the energy required to boost atoms' outer electrons, enabling fine-tuning with lower power lasers.
Researchers found stable ring-shaped magnetic field configurations in magnetic A-stars, White Dwarf stars, and neutron stars, supporting the 'fossil field' hypothesis. These fields can persist for hundreds of millions of years, surviving the star's life span.
The University of Colorado at Boulder has proposed a system to map planetary systems around other stars and detect exo-solar planets as small as Earth's moon. The New Worlds Imager concept uses a giant 'pinhole camera' in space to capture images of distant planets, including their oceans, continents, and atmospheres.
The National Science Foundation has awarded $9.7 million to the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center to install a Red Storm system from Cray, Inc., capable of approximately 10 teraflops. The system will enable researchers to explore high-performance computing capabilities and demonstrate its potential for various scientific applications.
Astronomers have detected high-energy gamma rays emanating from the center of the Milky Way galaxy, sparking debate about the nature of these mysterious emissions. The observation suggests a giant supernova explosion as the possible source, which could accelerate cosmic gamma rays to unprecedented energies.
Astronomers launch RoboNet, a global network of robotic telescopes using intelligent software to rapidly observe sudden changes in astronomical objects. The project aims to discover Earth-like planets and study Gamma Ray Bursts, exploiting the large size of the telescopes and sensitive instrumentation.
Researchers use joint ESA/NASA satellite data to form two rival theories on 'coronal heating'. The strong magnetic field is believed to be the culprit behind this phenomenon. Sophisticated computer simulations and observations from SOHO provide crucial evidence for these explanations.
Astronomers have discovered a Jupiter-sized gas giant orbiting a star located 500 light-years from Earth. The newly found world circles its star every 3.03 days at a distance of only 4 million miles, much closer and faster than Mercury in our solar system.
Scientists have discovered a distant planet using the transit technique and spectroscopy, revealing key findings about TrES-1's atmosphere and orbit. The discovery marks the first extrasolar planet found by a dedicated survey of thousands of relatively bright stars.
The Quantum Universe report outlines nine fundamental questions in response to research funding agency requests, focusing on particle physics' role in understanding dark matter, dark energy, and more. The report emphasizes new knowledge from particle physics is needed to answer exciting scientific questions of this century.
Researchers used ESO's Very Large Telescope to identify four massive elliptical galaxies at a redshift of 1.6-1.9, dating back to around 3,500 million years ago. These galaxies have ages between 1,000 and 2,000 million years and masses in excess of one hundred thousand million solar masses.
The Space Simulator, a $500,000 Beowulf cluster, has achieved remarkable performance in astrophysics simulations, calculating the evolution of the Universe and studying massive star explosions. Its low cost and scalability make it an ideal tool for specific research applications.
Researchers found a blazar, an enormous source of energy from a supermassive black hole, which is one billion years old. The discovery sheds light on the formation of stars and galaxies, offering insights into the universe's early evolution.
Astrophysicists have found a solution to the long-standing problem of dwarf galaxies in supercomputer simulations, validating the cold dark matter theory. The new simulations suggest that small dwarf galaxies could have been more massive in the past and formed stars before being consumed by larger galaxies.
A new theory by Jason Tumlinson and colleagues reconciles two conflicting pieces of evidence on the nature of the first stars. The theory suggests that these early stars were smaller than previously thought, with masses between 20-100 times that of the sun.
A team of astronomers has discovered hundreds of hidden supermassive black holes in the distant universe, invisible to optical telescopes. The new observations combined data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope, revealing objects that were previously thought to be missing.
Astronomers have observed features of nearby galaxy M33 using infrared pictures from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, revealing details hidden to the human eye. The galaxy is a gigantic laboratory where dust is created in novae and supernovae, being distributed in giant star winds and reborn in new stars.
Astronomers using the European AVO Virtual Observatory have discovered a whole population of obscured, powerful supermassive black holes in the GOODS survey fields. The team found thirty objects, which they believe were underestimated by a factor of two to five.
The study reveals that strong magnetic fields accelerate particles near the speed of light, radiating as gamma rays. The research suggests a new mechanism for gamma-ray burst formation, potentially resolving long-standing scientific debates.
A team of astronomers at Penn State used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope to detect a cometlike body falling onto a massive, very young star. The infall, which occurred about 3200 years ago, provided dramatic spectral variations in the star's light. This discovery sheds light on planetary formation and the evolution of massive star systems.
Jonathan I. Lunine, a renowned planetary scientist, will testify before the President's Commission on Implementation of U.S. Space Exploration Policy about detecting other Earths around nearby stars. He suggests developing medium-sized optical and infrared space telescopes, the Terrestrial Planet Finder, which could discover habitable ...
Astronomers successfully measured the size of Sagittarius A*, the mysterious object at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, using the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope. The black hole has a mass nearly four million times that of the Sun and would fit easily inside Earth's orbit.
The Kavli Institute for Brain Science at Columbia University will focus on analyzing and deciphering neural signaling in complex brain systems. Dr. Eric Kandel, a Nobel laureate, is the first director of the institute.
Researchers watched the inner regions of an accretion disk, just miles from a neutron star's surface, change its structure in real-time. The observation provides new insight into the flow of a neutron star's accretion disk and could help study black holes and distant quasars.
Two researchers, Bahcall and Davis, will share an award for their groundbreaking work on neutrino physics, a field that revolutionized our understanding of the universe. Dr. Sack will receive an award for his crucial role in ensuring the reliability of nuclear weapons, thereby contributing to national security.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has received a significant National Science Foundation (NSF) award for its plasma research, enabling the development of new computational infrastructure and innovation. The NSF funding will support key areas of research, including fusion energy, astrophysics, and space weather.
Researchers studied two binary star systems, predicting regular flare cycles similar to the Sun's magnetic cycle. The team used continuous monitoring of radio waves to discover patterns in flare strength, indicating active and inactive cycles every 50-120 days.
The study provides strong support for the popular cold dark matter model of the universe, suggesting that galaxies are surrounded by massive, three-dimensional halos. The team measured the shapes of over 1.5 million distant galaxies using weak gravitational lensing, revealing that dark matter halos extend far beyond visible stars.
The DEEP2 Redshift Survey has produced the first detailed maps of galaxy distribution in the early universe, revealing large-scale structures and differences in galaxy clustering. These maps show similar structures to those seen in the local universe but at an earlier stage of development.
The AMANDA II Telescope has produced a preliminary map of the high-energy neutrino sky, providing astronomers with their first glimpse of very high energy neutrinos. The map represents one year of data and shows that the detector works at the same sensitivity as telescopes used to detect gamma rays.
Scientists found that galaxies and extremely massive black holes seem to grow together, with rapidly growing black holes fueling faster galaxy growth. This discovery sheds light on an astrophysical mystery and reveals a crucial link between the two cosmic phenomena.
A team of researchers has discovered twenty gassy galaxies with vast discs of hydrogen weighing over a billion suns. The galaxies have few stars, and scientists are unsure why they haven't transformed their gas into stars like other galaxies.
The AMANDA II Telescope has produced the first neutrino sky map, revealing tantalizing glimpses of high-energy neutrinos and their potential origins. The preliminary map represents one year of data, with future analysis expected to define the structure of the sky and confirm or disprove signals.
Leading climate scientists endorse the position on climate change and greenhouse gases taken by AGU in 1998, stating that natural factors cannot fully explain recent warming. They argue that proxy data must be assessed for temperature variability and hemispheric mean temperature should be distinguished from regional temperature anomalies.
The gamma ray burst, discovered by the ROTSE (Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment) collaboration, has an intensity 100 times greater than previously observed. Its proximity to Earth allows for detailed study of its decaying light.
Researchers have found evidence of high-speed winds blowing copious amounts of gas from the cores of quasar galaxies, powered by black holes. The winds may regulate black hole growth and create new stars, with a wind transporting substantial amounts of carbon, oxygen, and iron into the interstellar medium.
Researchers found a correlation between fluence and duration for both short and long bursts, but the degree of this relationship is statistically different at a 4.5 sigma significance level. This suggests that short bursts may originate from fundamentally different physical processes than long bursts.
Researchers discovered that giant solar loops can erupt explosively, releasing massive amounts of plasma and heat. The longer the loop, the more likely it is to erupt, posing a threat to satellites and space weather.
The Kavli Institute will bring together top minds in particle astrophysics and cosmology to tackle fundamental questions about the universe. The institute will focus on areas like dark matter, black holes, and hidden space-time dimensions.
Scientists have developed a new theory explaining the formation of large-scale magnetic fields in galaxies, which twist and expand like elastic ribbons. The theory resolves a long-standing problem in astrophysics by showing how turbulence creates opposing small-scale fields that eventually suppress growth.
A team of Colorado researchers has discovered a large population of 'proplyd' objects in the Carina Nebula, located 7,300 light-years from Earth. The newly found proplyds are roughly 100 times the diameter of our solar system and are puzzling for several reasons.
The TAOS Project will search for comets by monitoring the brief eclipses of background stars as these objects pass between the telescopes and their light source. This innovative method allows scientists to detect small, faint objects that are too far away to be seen in reflected sunlight.
A previously unseen band of stars beyond the edge of the Milky Way galaxy has been discovered, approximately 120,000 light years in diameter. The discovery supports the theory that at least part of our galaxy was formed by many smaller or dwarf galaxies mixing together.
Researchers challenge the long-held idea of a warm, wet Mars with evidence from large asteroid and comet impacts. These events created short-lived but intense periods of rain and flooding on the planet's surface, leading to the formation of rivers and valleys.
Researchers tracked a star's orbit around a suspected black hole in the Milky Way, revealing its massive gravitational pull. The observation provides key evidence for the existence of a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center.
The NASA Living With a Star program aims to understand the dynamics of the Earth-Sun system. The Stanford-led SDO mission will study the Sun's magnetic fields, creating 3D images of solar magnetic regions and surface fields, to predict destructive flares and solar storms.
Researchers have developed a computer model to visualize gravitational waves produced by black-hole mergers, providing insight into Einstein's theory of general relativity. The model predicts that the waves will be relatively weak until moments before the merger, culminating in a thunderous impact.
The quasar APM 08279+5255 has a three times larger iron fraction than our solar system, contrary to expectations. This suggests an unknown efficient way of producing iron or the universe may be older than expected.
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Astronomers at Penn State have discovered three faint dwarf stars orbiting nearby bright stars, marking a new era in imaging faint objects. The discovery uses an infrared camera with a specially shaped pupil mask, allowing for improved contrast and revealing the dim companions.
Astronomers have found evidence for dark dwarf galaxies that support the theory of cold dark matter. The study analyzed gravitational lensing effects on distant galaxies, revealing the presence of hundreds of invisible dwarf galaxies surrounding large galaxies.
Researchers may use a super-fast laser pulse to observe and control nuclear reactions, potentially slowing or accelerating fission. The lasetron concept could also briefly produce massive magnetic fields, opening new experiments in astrophysics.
A national consortium led by Cornell University is proposing a 20-mile-long linear collider to detect the Higgs boson and explore supersymmetry and antimatter. The collider would accelerate beams of electrons and positrons at high energies, providing fundamental details about the origin of the universe.
Researchers have discovered a new class of objects in two nearby galaxies, NGC 1023 and NGC 3384. These 'faint fuzzies' are thought to be about the same age as globular clusters but look and act differently, with sizes ranging from 50 to 100 light-years across.