An international team of astronomers has discovered a very massive stellar black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy, weighing 14 times more than our Sun. The black hole is located in the binary system GRS 1915+105 and feeds on a low-mass star through a steady flow of stellar material.
A new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that nitroglycerin relief does not accurately predict coronary artery disease, challenging the long-held assumption. The study found that only 28% of patients with heart disease experienced chest pain relief from nitroglycerin.
Researchers analyzed sound waves from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory to map the temperature and flow structure beneath sunspots. The study revealed fast-moving streams of hot plasma converging into a gigantic vortex that penetrates the solar surface.
The National Virtual Observatory will unite diverse astronomical databases, making it easier for researchers to access and analyze data. The project aims to streamline data analysis techniques and promote collaboration among institutions.
The National Virtual Observatory will unite various astronomical databases, taking advantage of computer technology and data storage techniques. This project aims to maximize scientific insights from data, making them accessible to professional researchers, amateur astronomers, and students.
At the American Astronomical Society meeting, NSF highlighted recent breakthroughs in adaptive optics, revealing a solar-system-sized disk around a massive protostar. The NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey also captured 300,000 faint galaxies over a vast area, creating the first three-dimensional map of the universe.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new imaging technique called ion microscopy, which offers high sensitivity for detecting isotopes of elements. This technique promises to open new avenues of cancer research by localizing anticancer drugs inside tumor cells.
The Dartmouth Flood Observatory uses satellite images from NASA's Terra spacecraft to pinpoint flooded areas and provide precise mapping accuracy, aiding United Nations World Food Program staff. The new composite surface images have been used to identify the worst-hit areas of the current flooding in Southeast Asia.
The Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, opening a new era of astronomical research. With its record-breaking capabilities, scientists will be able to study the universe in unprecedented detail, making groundbreaking discoveries and advancing our understanding of the cosmos.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.1 million research grant to the University of Alaska Museum to create the Arctic Archival Observatory, the first NSF-funded observatory of its kind in the U.S. The grant will enhance hands-on opportunities for graduate students and improve access to museum holdings.
Researchers are working together on the Pierre Auger Project to find the source of high-energy cosmic rays. The project aims to build two huge observatories in the southern and northern hemisphere to detect and measure extensive air showers produced by these particles.
Researchers have detected significant speed-ups and slow-downs in the rotation rate of gases at the inner edge of a spherical shell known as the convection zone. The discovery is believed to shed light on the physical dynamics of the 11-year solar cycle that affects Earth.
A newly discovered quasar has surpassed the previous record holder as the earliest known structure in the universe, with a red shift of 5.50 and light journeying 13 billion years to reach Earth. The quasar's discovery sheds light on cosmic evolution and matter distribution at earlier stages of history.
A 6.5m telescope mirror is transported from the US to Chile's Atacama Desert, renowned for its stable and dry atmosphere, to conduct astronomical observations. The mirror will be installed as part of the Magellan Twin Telescope project at the Las Campanas Observatory, enabling studies of the Milky Way, star formation, and the universe.
Cornell researchers use the Palomar High Angular Resolution Observer (PHARO) camera to take near-infrared images of Neptune, revealing a massive cloud and numerous smaller clouds. The camera's high spatial resolution allows for detailed analysis of the planet's clouds and atmospheric circulation.
A team of Williams College astronomers will conduct scientific experiments during the August 11 solar eclipse to study the coronal heating of the sun. The research, supported by grants from NASA and National Geographic, aims to observe rapid oscillations in the corona using advanced telescopes and optics.
Scientists have developed a non-invasive method to study the smallest components of living organisms using a nuclear magnetic resonance microscope. This technique enables real-time monitoring of cellular changes in response to environmental exposure, which will help researchers understand disease mechanisms and predict treatment outcomes.
An Australian-led team of astronomers has discovered a significant number of stray stars, potentially altering our understanding of the universe's composition. These findings suggest that there may be as many stars living in intergalactic space as those within galaxy clusters.
A team of astronomers has developed a 3-D globe-like image of the Helix nebula, allowing them to inspect it from all sides. The image reveals evidence that the nebula behaves like a double-headed garden sprinkler, with each side ejecting gas at similar structures.
Researchers from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory measured zinc in rivers downstream from a Spanish zinc mine's collapse, finding amounts comparable to the mine's annual output, causing environmental concerns about crop losses and fish populations.
The robotic telescope successfully mapped the southern sky in hydrogen-alpha light for a two-year project to identify low-surface-brightness phenomena within our own galaxy. The data will help decontaminate measurements of the cosmic microwave background from galactic emissions.
Astronomers have observed a significant increase in Triton's surface temperature, causing its thin atmosphere to thicken, and potentially leading to global warming. The moon is approaching an unusually warm summer season, with temperatures rising by 5% over the past nine years.
A large randomized phase III study confirmed the efficacy of paclitaxel plus carboplatin in treating non-small cell lung cancer. Patients who received paclitaxel/carboplatin experienced a greater response rate and improvement in quality of life compared to cisplatin/etoposide.
A team of astronomers from the University of Florida and Harvard University have discovered a star surrounded by a disk of dust that may be forming planets. The disk, known as HR 4796A, is about 220 light years from Earth and is thought to represent what Earth's solar system looked like in its infancy.
The SOAR telescope, a state-of-the-art facility in Chile, will enable researchers to study the universe like never before. It will collect 3,400 times more light than the original telescope, allowing for observations of dimmer objects and stars at greater distances.
The UNC-CH physics and astronomy department has launched a new program called SOLAR, which allows North Carolina public school teachers and students to use and remotely control the Morehead Observatory telescope. The program offers students access to real scientific data and the opportunity to capture their own images of the universe.
Researchers aim to understand how the sun's corona reaches temperatures of two million degrees Celsius despite the surface being only 6,000 degrees. The team will use various techniques, including comparing electronic images and searching for rapid oscillations, to gather data during the February 26 eclipse.
A new study by Ohio State University researcher Jay Frogel warns that El Niño events can change atmospheric data by up to 2 percent, affecting precise astronomical measurements. This alteration occurs due to the increased water content in the atmosphere during El Niño events.
Astronomers have discovered eta Carinae, a bright stellar object in the Milky Way, to be the most massive binary star system ever known. The two stars, each weighing about 70 times that of the sun, orbit each other every 5.5 years, causing predictable spectral changes.
A team of scientists is tracking El Niño changes using a remote cloud observatory in the Western Pacific. Continuous measurements are being collected to evaluate and develop cloud property and radiation algorithms for global climate models.
FORCAST, a new infrared camera, will be built at Cornell to image the universe in the infrared spectrum and study stars' neonatal environments. The instrument will fly aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and make observations that are impossible for ground-based telescopes.
New Arecibo radar images show no signs of ice in permanently shadowed areas at the moon's poles. Researchers believe rough surfaces from impact craters may be responsible for observed reflections instead.
Researchers found cyanogen gas in Comet Hale-Bopp, suggesting the same process controls its evolution regardless of distance from the sun. The discovery supports a key theory explaining how comets release this gas.
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope has taken its first look at the universe, demonstrating its novel design and paving the way for groundbreaking astronomical discoveries. The telescope's innovative design eliminates expensive features while tracking objects with precision, allowing for efficient and cost-effective large-scale observations.
The Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) is a fully robotic telescope that can track a given area of the sky for hours and detect objects 10,000 times fainter than other telescopes. KAIT will enable astronomers to conduct nightly studies of changing celestial objects remotely.
UC Berkeley's Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Astrophysics will take over day-to-day operations of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) observatory, fostering space science and technology innovation. The transfer aims to reduce costs and increase educational outreach through project-based learning experiences.
Researchers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory found that the Earth's inner core is rotating faster than the planet, completing its once-a-day rotation about two-thirds of a second faster than the entire Earth. The discovery was made by measuring changes in seismic wave speeds through the inner core.
A new theoretical study reproduces actual observations of the confirmed brown dwarf Gliese 229 B, providing insights into its atmosphere and formation. The research helps accelerate searches for brown dwarfs and giant extrasolar planets, shedding light on their composition and formation processes.
Researchers create first detailed map of convection zone, revealing temperature patterns and flow beneath the surface. The map shows no evidence of giant convection cells as predicted, but reveals narrow plumes of cooler gases streaming downward toward the boundary with the radiative layer.
The Arecibo Observatory has completed a $25 million upgrade, increasing its sensitivity by a factor of about 20 for radar studies of the solar system. The new system will allow scientists to listen into cellular phone calls on Venus and detect steel golf balls at moon distances.