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Texas astronomers discover strangely massive black hole in Milky Way satellite galaxy

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.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateDec 1, 2021

High-speed propeller star is fastest spinning white dwarf

Astronomers have detected a white dwarf star that spins at an incredible rate of once every 25 seconds, completing one rotation faster than Earth. The star is thought to be the size of the Earth but massive enough to pull material from its companion star, creating a magnetic propeller system.

SourceUniversity of Warwick·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters·DateNov 22, 2021

Dwarf planet Vesta a window to the early solar system

Researchers have successfully sampled Vesta's mantle using meteorites derived from the dwarf planet, resolving the 'missing mantle problem' and providing a record of the earliest era in solar system formation. This breakthrough pushes back our knowledge to just two million years after the beginning of solar system formation.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 6, 2021

Teardrop star reveals hidden supernova doom

Astronomers have discovered a rare teardrop-shaped star system that will eventually become a Type Ia supernova. The system, HD265435, is comprised of a hot subdwarf and a white dwarf star orbiting each other closely, with the white dwarf being as heavy as our Sun but slightly smaller than Earth's radius.

SourceW. M. Keck Observatory·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJul 12, 2021

A white dwarf living on the edge

Astronomers have identified a white dwarf so massive that it may collapse. The discovery provides an example of what can happen after the phase where two less massive white dwarfs merge into one. This process boosts the magnetic field and speeds up rotation compared to progenitors.

SourceW. M. Keck Observatory·JournalNature·DateJun 30, 2021

Resolving the red sky paradox

A study proposes three resolutions to explain the red sky paradox, where FGK dwarfs are not apparent in the sky despite being five times more common than Sun-like stars. Red dwarfs have a lower probability of emerging intelligent life, a shorter available time window for complex life evolution, and a lower occurrence of habitable worlds.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 21, 2021

Sensing suns

Red supergiants are extremely bright but difficult to study due to their complex upper atmospheres. Astronomers have now developed a new technique to estimate their surface temperatures using iron absorption lines. By combining these temperatures with accurate distance measurements, researchers found consistent results with theory.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 28, 2021

Red light put moths in the mood

A new study published in Frontiers in Genetics shows that dim red light enhances the mating and egg-laying behaviors of yellow peach moths by selectively activating a genetic pathway related to olfaction. This increase in sensitivity is made possible due to the unique properties of odorant binding proteins secreted by auxiliary cells s...

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Genetics·DateFeb 24, 2021

Vaporised crusts of Earth-like planets found in dying stars

University of Warwick astronomers detect lithium and potassium in the atmospheres of four nearby white dwarf stars, revealing remnants of rocky planet crusts. The chemical composition of these crusts is similar to Earth's continental crust, providing a glimpse of the planets that may have orbited these dying stars billions of years ago.

SourceUniversity of Warwick·JournalNature Astronomy·DateFeb 11, 2021

Blast from the past

A team of astronomers using Gemini North's GNIRS instrument discovered that CK Vulpeculae, a bright new star in 1670, is approximately five times farther away and has ejected gas at much higher speeds than previously reported. The new findings suggest the explosion was far more violent, releasing roughly 25 times more energy than a nova.

SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateNov 24, 2020