Astrophysicists have calculated the original mass and size of a dwarf galaxy torn apart in a collision with the Milky Way billions of years ago. The reconstructed galaxy's stars now stream through the Milky Way, carrying information about its gravitational field.
Researchers created a new sample catalog of over 24 million stars to decipher the chemical history of the Milky Way Galaxy. The catalog provides detailed information on elemental abundances, distances, motions, and ages of individual stars, allowing for a better understanding of the galaxy's formation and evolution.
Researchers discover nearly 1,000 mysterious filaments stretching up to 150 light years long, found in pairs and clusters, with magnetic fields amplified along the filaments. The study sheds new light on the origins of these structures, which are likely related to past activity of the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole.
Researchers have found the Milky Way to be significantly lighter than previously thought, with a total mass of 500-800 billion solar masses. This new estimate is based on high-precision data from Gaia EDR3 and advanced dynamical modeling methods.
A team of researchers led by Alexis Andrés analyzed 15 years' worth of data from NASA's Swift Observatory to find that Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, flares irregularly both day-to-day and in the long term.
A unique stellar structure in the Milky Way, C-19, has been found to consist of stars with extremely low metallicity, challenging current understanding of star formation models. This discovery provides a direct window into the earliest ages of star formation and the development of stellar structures in the distant past.
Researchers have discovered at least 70 new free-floating planets, each roughly the mass of Jupiter, in a nearby region of the Milky Way. The discovery was made using observations and archival data from several observatories, including NSF's NOIRLab facilities.
An international team of astronomers has created a new map of the Milky Way's outer disc, showing remains of tidal arms excited from interactions with satellite galaxies in the distant past. The map reveals numerous previously unknown filamentary structures at the edge of the disc.
Researchers studied 15 unusual stars in the Milky Way galaxy, discovering that all have recently undergone a rare phase where one star engulfs another. The findings provide new insight into the sky's most dramatic phenomena and may help answer questions about how stars live and die.
An international team of astronomers has created a new map of the Milky Way's outer disc using data from the Gaia space mission. The findings reveal many previously unknown coherently rotating filamentary structures at the edge of the disc.
A team of astronomers has made the most precise measurements yet of the motions of stars around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The research, using cutting-edge facilities like Gemini Observatory and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, shows that nearly all of the mass c...
A mini-jet has been found near the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, indicating periodic outbursts. The discovery was made using multi-wavelength observations from various telescopes and suggests that the black hole is not a sleeping monster but rather dynamically variable.
Astronomers at UT Austin's McDonald Observatory have discovered a massively dense black hole at the center of dwarf satellite galaxy Leo I, revealing an unprecedented mass ratio between the galaxy and its central black hole. This finding shakes up our understanding of galaxy evolution and dark matter distribution.
New astronomical models suggest the Magellanic Stream could be just 20 kiloparsecs from Earth, potentially colliding with the Milky Way and fueling new star formation. The revised distance may also affect estimates of the stream's mass and density, which could require revision.
Exposure to artificial light at night impairs crickets' activity cycles, disrupting their nocturnal chirping and potentially affecting reproduction. The study, conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University and the Open University, highlights the need to reduce artificial light pollution to protect environmental behaviors.
Researchers have solved the 900-year-old mystery of the Chinese supernova of 1181AD by identifying a matching nebula and star in the Milky Way. The Pa30 nebula, surrounding Parker's Star, matches the profile, location, and age of the historic supernova.
New research reveals that the Milky Way's environment is not evenly mixed with metals and dust, contrary to previous models. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.
Researchers from Osaka University and NASA discovered that cold planets exist throughout the Milky Way, even in the Galactic bulge, a region previously thought to be inhospitable to planet formation. The study used gravitational microlensing to determine the distribution of planets across the galaxy.
A supercomputer simulation reveals that interstellar frontal collisions lead to the maturation of young galaxies. The study shows how these chaotic galaxies eventually form stable spiral galaxies with similar populations of stars as the Milky Way.
Astronomers studied a piece of supernova shrapnel to understand how it ended up moving fast out of the galaxy. The metal-rich star's slow rotation rate suggests it survived a massive explosion, shedding light on the original two-star system.
Using nearly a decade of satellite data, researchers at CSU have detected the elusive ‘milky seas’ – a rare display of bioluminescence in the ocean. The study reveals that milky seas are not adequately explained by previous hypotheses and proposes new theories for their formation.
Researchers from IAC and STScI discovered transverse rotation in three dwarf spheroidal galaxies using Gaia satellite data, shedding light on their evolutionary history. This finding supports the idea that these galaxies may have formed through the agglomeration of smaller systems.
Astronomers have detected previously unseen tracers of massive star formation in the Milky Way, including compact regions of hydrogen gas and radio emission from methanol molecules. The survey more than doubled the number of supernova remnants found in the region.
A team of astronomers has made detailed observations of a large tidal flow around the Sombrero galaxy, revealing its strange morphology and shedding light on its possible merger history. The study's findings suggest that the galaxy's unusual shape may be due to cannibalism by a satellite dwarf galaxy.
Researchers have found evidence of a 'magneto-rotational hypernova', a previously unknown type of cataclysm that could explain the presence of high amounts of uranium and zinc in ancient stars. The discovery, published in Nature, reveals a new pathway for the formation of heavy elements in the infant universe.
Using numerical simulations, researchers showed that satellite galaxies can retain gas and experience new episodes of star formation after passing close to their parent galaxy. This process is driven by the satellite's reserve of cold gas and minimum distance from its parent galaxy.
A new study suggests that carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen cosmic rays travel through the galaxy toward Earth in a similar way, but iron arrives differently. Scientists believe this could indicate unique sources or propagation methods for different elements.
The Milky Way's galactic bar has slowed down its spin by at least 24% since its formation, according to a study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dark matter acts as a counterweight slowing the spin.
Researchers have discovered a unique 'blinking giant' binary star system, where a giant star is eclipsed by an unseen orbital companion every few decades. The system has been spotted near the centre of the Milky Way, more than 25,000 light years away.
A team of astrophysicists led by Luke Bouma has confirmed that one of these streams of stars, NGC 2516, extends at least 1,600 light-years -- 500 parsecs -- from tip to tip.
Roman will study thousands of type Ia supernovae across vast distances to pin down dark energy and understand the universe's expansion history. The mission aims to clarify discrepancies in measurements of the Hubble constant, which describes the current expansion rate.
New study questions precession in the Milky Way's warp, suggesting it could disappear or become slower over time. Researchers used Gaia Mission data to analyze stars' positions and velocities.
The discovery of UGC 10738 reveals that galaxies with similar structures and properties are likely common. The galaxy's thick disc consists mainly of ancient stars, while its thin disc stars are more recent and contain more metal.
Researchers discovered a galaxy with a spiral structure 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang using ALMA data. The galaxy's estimated mass is roughly equal to that of the Milky Way and contains a large amount of dust, making it difficult to study in visible light.
The Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) has discovered 201 pulsars using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), including many very faint and millisecond pulsars. The survey reveals more electrons in the Milky Way's spiral arms than previously known.
LHAASO's discovery opens up an era for UHE gamma astronomy, prompting scientists to rethink high-energy particle acceleration and propagation mechanisms. The observatory detected 12 stable gamma ray sources with energies up to 1 PeV, revealing the Milky Way is full of PeVatrons.
Researchers have dated the oldest stars in our galaxy with unprecedented precision by combining data from their oscillations with information about their chemical composition. The team found that these ancient stars were originally part of a satellite galaxy called Gaia-Enceladus, which collided with the Milky Way early in its history.
Using new methods in astronomy, researchers have identified the most precise ages of red giant stars in the galaxy, shedding light on the timing of the early Milky Way's formation. The study suggests that the merger with the satellite galaxy Gaia-Enceladus occurred around 10 billion years ago.
Astronomers used ALMA to discover a rotating baby galaxy, providing insights into the early Universe. The galaxy, RXCJ0600-z6, is about 1/100th the size of the Milky Way and has a mass of 2-3 billion times that of our Sun.
Astronomers have released a new all-sky map of the Milky Way's outer halo, revealing a massive reservoir of dark matter. The map also shows a wake of stars stirred up by the Large Magellanic Cloud, set to collide with the Milky Way in about 2 billion years.
A new species of aquatic snail, Travunijana djokovici, was discovered in Montenegro's karstic springs. The snail is adapted to live in the underground habitats of the Dinaric karst and has a milky-white shell.
Researchers detect first evidence of ultrahigh-energy gamma rays spread across the Milky Way, providing proof of cosmic ray superaccelerators. The discovery confirms the existence of PeVatrons and opens new avenues for understanding cosmic ray origins.
Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum found that flashlight fish use blink patterns resembling Morse code to communicate in schools. The frequency and intensity of these signals affect the animals' behavior, with faster blinking associated with increased attraction to group members.
The LAMOST survey has identified 1534 low-α metal-rich member stars of the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus galaxy, challenging previous understanding of the merging process. The newly discovered component extends from a previously detected metal-poor region and suggests that these stars were formed during subsequent evolution.
The Tibet ASgamma experiment has discovered gamma rays beyond 100 TeV from a supernova remnant, suggesting that cosmic-ray nuclei are accelerated up to PeV energy and collide with a nearby molecular cloud. This discovery identifies the first candidate object in the Milky Way that can accelerate cosmic rays up to 1 PeV.
Researchers from the GLOBE Institute at University of Copenhagen found that water may be present during planet formation, applicable to Earth, Venus, and Mars. The study suggests that planets with similar building blocks and temperature conditions as Earth may have oceans and continents.
The latest observations from Insight-HXMT have discovered the origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs), revealing they come from soft-gamma repeater (SGR) J1935+2154, a magnetar in our Milky Way. This discovery resolves the longstanding puzzle concerning the origin of FRBs.
A new study using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) has refined the distance to Cygnus X-1 and found its black hole mass to be approximately 21 solar masses, exceeding current stellar evolution models. This massive black hole suggests that lower mass loss through stellar winds during progenitor star evolution may have occurred.
A student astronomer has developed a method to track down the Milky Way's missing matter using distant galaxies as 'locator pins'. The technique detects radio sources that have passed through a cold clump of gas, revealing a massive, invisible cloud about 10 light years from Earth.
The Roman mission will use microlensing to detect exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy, uncovering thousands of worlds similar to those in our solar system. The survey will also reveal extreme planets and planet-like bodies, including hot Jupiters and brown dwarfs, thanks to their gravitational tug on stars.
Two giant radio galaxies have been discovered in a small patch of sky, exceeding the size of the Milky Way. The discovery was made possible by the MeerKAT International Gigahertz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) survey, which revealed these cosmic beasts with unprecedented sensitivity.
A team of astronomers has created the most complete 3D map of cool brown dwarfs in the Sun's local neighborhood, cataloging over 500 objects including 38 new discoveries. The results provide evidence that the Sun's immediate neighborhood is unusually diverse relative to other parts of the Milky Way Galaxy.
The most distant quasar known has been discovered, powered by the earliest known supermassive black hole weighing over 1.6 billion times the mass of the Sun. This fully formed distant quasar is also the earliest yet discovered, providing insight into massive galaxy formation in the early Universe.
Researchers measured pulsar accelerations to clock star motions, revealing tiny accelerations at a few centimeters per second. This opens a new window into galactic dynamics and provides clues in the search for dark matter.
Researchers found a fossil fragment of one of the giant stellar clumps that formed the central region of the Milky Way approximately 12 billion years ago. Liller 1 is composed of two stellar populations with dramatically different ages, one as old as the Milky Way and the other much younger.
A graduate student developed an open-source code called BADASS, which provides a way to fit stellar motions simultaneously with other components in astronomical spectra. The code is versatile enough to fit not just active galactic nuclei but also normal galaxies, and can be used for any kind of spectroscopy.
A new 3D survey of the Milky Way has revealed a wide range of structures within the galaxy, from individual star-forming clumps to giant molecular clouds. The study provides unprecedented detail on the inner structure and dynamics of the galaxy, shedding light on its star formation processes.
A new study using VERA data has revised Earth's velocity around the Galactic Center from 220 km/s to 227 km/s, making it faster. The revised calculation places Earth approximately 2000 light-years closer to the supermassive black hole at the Galaxy's center.
A recent study reveals that the Milky Way galaxy is being warped and twisted by the gravitational force of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a smaller galaxy that crossed its boundary 700 million years ago. The effects are still being witnessed today and should force a revision of how our galaxy evolved.
A team of astrophysicists has created a complete family tree of the Milky Way, revealing a previously unknown galaxy collision that permanently altered its appearance. The researchers used advanced computer simulations and artificial intelligence to study the merger history of the galaxy.