A new study in Nature Astronomy finds that ancient blue crystals trapped in meteorites show evidence of the early Sun's intense activity, including more eruptions and a stronger stream of charged particles. The crystals, formed over 4.5 billion years ago, preserved chemical records of the young Sun's interactions with its surroundings.
Astronomers at Georgia State University have discovered a thin gap on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, indicating where stars transition from being larger and mostly convective to smaller and fully convective. This finding reveals information about the interior structures of low-mass stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The Republic of Korea has become a full Participant in the International Gemini Observatory, allowing Korean astronomers to access the twin 8-meter telescopes. This partnership is expected to yield new scientific discoveries and collaborations with other international partners.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a massive galaxy, M32p, in Andromeda's outer stellar halo, shedding light on the evolution and survival of disk galaxies. This discovery helps explain the formation of Andromeda's enigmatic M32 satellite galaxy.
A breakthrough in the search for cosmic particle accelerators has been made by tracing a single neutrino back to a galaxy over three billion light years away. The discovery was made using an internationally organized astronomical dragnet and confirms that high-energy cosmic rays are produced in cosmic particle accelerators.
The VERITAS array has confirmed the detection of high-energy gamma rays from a supermassive black hole located in a distant galaxy, TXS 0506+056. This detection is significant as it provides evidence that nearby and faraway galaxies with supermassive blackholes at their centers are actively creating high-energy cosmic rays.
Astronomers have identified a blazar, TXS 0506+056, as the probable source of a high-energy neutrino detected by IceCube. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) provided clues about the blazar's radio emission.
A team of University of Alabama professors, led by Dr. Marcos Santander, have discovered evidence of an active galaxy emitting neutrinos, which could revolutionize our understanding of the universe. The findings were published in the journal Science and mark a significant breakthrough in multimessenger astronomy.
Researchers using NSF's IceCube Neutrino Observatory data confirmed a single neutrino's origin as a previously known blazar, providing the first definitive evidence of proton acceleration by black holes. This discovery sheds light on cosmic ray origins and supports multi-messenger astronomy.
A Drexel University astrophysicist and her colleagues have proven the origin of high-energy particles called neutrinos, revealing they come from blazars with spinning supermassive black holes. This discovery opens up new avenues for understanding the universe's formation and evolution.
Scientists used the Very Long Baseline Array to capture a quasar nearly 13 billion light-years away, revealing details about its composition and potential jet expansion. The bright object is thought to be one of the brightest radio emitters at an early age, offering insights into the first galaxies in the universe.
A research team led by astronomers at the University of Warwick observed a jet of material streaming out from a merged star, confirming a key prediction about the aftermath of neutron star mergers. The observations were made using the Hubble Space Telescope and reveal that every neutron star merger likely creates a gamma-ray burst.
Astronomers have directly observed the magnetism in Supernova 1987A, a dying star that appeared thirty years ago. The detection reveals a degree of order in the magnetic field, contrary to chaotic expectations.
Researchers Corey Howard, Ralph Pudritz and William Harris use supercomputer simulations to re-create star cluster formation. The study shows that massive star clusters are the natural outcome of large gas collections, and can be used to reverse-engineer galaxy conditions.
An international team of astronomers detected molecules on an exoplanet, allowing it to be visualized. The technique reveals the planet's surface composition and temperature, providing new insights into planetary atmospheres. Future spectrographs will enhance this method, enabling more accurate characterization of planets.
A team of researchers at Cardiff University has discovered that tiny crystals of carbon, nanodiamonds, are likely the source of a mysterious microwave glow emanating from star systems in the Milky Way. The discovery was made by studying infrared light from protoplanetary disks surrounding newly formed stars.
A team of astronomers has performed one of the highest resolution observations in astronomical history of a pulsar 6,500 light-years away, observing two intense regions of radiation around a rapidly spinning star. The observation could provide clues to the nature of Fast Radio Bursts, which may be amplified by plasma lenses.
A new map for a birthplace of stars provides unprecedented detail of the structure of the Orion A molecular cloud. The maps will help researchers calibrate star formation models for extragalactic studies and better understand how fast and efficiently stars form in the region.
A team of international astronomers predicts the sun will turn into a planetary nebula, marking the end of its active life. The new model shows that low-mass stars like the sun can form bright planetary nebulas, solving a long-standing scientific puzzle.
A Northwestern University research team has developed a new semiconductor device that can detect gamma rays and identify radioactive isotopes at room temperature. The device, made of cesium lead bromide, offers high spectral resolution and can be scaled up for widespread use in biomedical imaging, astronomy, and spectroscopy.
A new international study has found that galaxies grow bigger and more ordered with age, with stars moving in all directions. The research team measured the movement of stars in 843 galaxies using an instrument called SAMI on the Anglo-Australian Telescope.
Astronomers have confirmed the presence of hydrogen sulfide in Uranus's cloud tops using sensitive spectroscopic observations. This discovery sheds light on questions about the planets' formation and history, particularly regarding the early Solar System's balance between nitrogen and sulfur.
Planets in short-period binary star systems are at risk of being ejected due to tidal forces, which slow down stellar rotations and expand orbital periods. This process removes at least one planet in 87% of multiplanet circumbinary systems, making them less suitable for habitability studies
New observations suggest dark matter may only interact through gravity, contradicting previous findings. Researchers used the Atacama Large Millimetre Array to study a galaxy cluster and found no separation between dark matter and its surrounding galaxy.
Researchers have discovered the farthest individual star ever seen, Icarus, 9 billion light years away, by magnifying its brightness with the gravity of a larger object. This breakthrough study uses gravitational lensing to exclude the possibility that dark matter is made up mostly of large black holes.
Researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison used Hubble Space Telescope to analyze Leading Arm of Magellanic Stream, identifying it as coming from Small Magellanic Cloud. The study helps refine models of galaxy orbit and formation, shedding light on mysterious gas clouds surrounding Milky Way.
Astronomers have discovered that all galaxies rotate at the same rate, with a sharp edge containing older stars, gas, and young stars. This regularity helps understand galaxy mechanics, enabling more efficient observations and reduced processing power.
A team of astronomers has detected the fingerprints of the earliest stars in the universe, revealing a wealth of information about their formation and evolution. The detection provides the first evidence for the oldest ancestors in our cosmic family tree, born just 180 million years after the universe began.
Researchers found that the chemical compositions of halo stars match those of outer disk stars, suggesting they originated from the galaxy's own disk. This discovery reveals a more complex dynamics of the Milky Way, indicating that groups of stars in the disk can be relocated to distant realms within the galaxy.
Astronomers have created the first high-resolution map of magnetic field lines around a black hole at the center of our galaxy. The map, produced using CanariCam infrared camera, reveals intricate details about gas and dust swirling around the supermassive black hole.
Researchers observed CO gas associated with the galactic disk, but found it unaffected by the strong ionized gas outflow from the galactic center. This challenges the widely accepted idea that radiation from galactic centers influences molecular gas and star formation activities.
Keivan Stassun, a renowned astrophysicist, has been awarded the 2018 AAAS Mentor Award for his dedication to mentoring underrepresented minority students. The award recognizes his innovative mentoring models that have led to the growth of numerous Ph.D. graduates in physics and astronomy.
Researchers have discovered that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are roughly the same size, with Andromeda being 800 billion times heavier than the Sun. This finding challenges previous estimates of dark matter in the Andromeda galaxy and suggests that scientists may need to revise their understanding of the local group.
Recent publications by Dr. Joseph Michalski and colleagues cast doubt on the idea of surface life evolving on Mars due to extremely cold and dry climate conditions. However, they suggest subsurface life is a promising option, focusing exploration on hydrothermal deposits.
Researchers have shed new light on the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, revealing that all seven planets are mostly made of rock and contain up to 5% water. The study also found that five planets lack a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere, similar to Neptune or Uranus.
A team of scientists has solved a puzzle in astrochemistry by developing a way to measure magnetic fields in space using methanol. The new method, published in Nature Astronomy, gives astronomers a new tool to investigate how massive stars form.
Professor James Hough receives the Gold Medal for his seminal contribution to gravitational waves, while Professor Robert White is awarded for a lifetime of distinguished achievement in solid Earth geophysics. The awards recognize significant achievements in astronomy and geophysics across various fields.
Researchers gained new understanding of relativistic jets' behavior through advanced supercomputer simulations, revealing how space-time is dragged into the rotation of rotating black holes. The study confirms that tilted disks lead to precessing jets that periodically change their direction in the sky.
Researchers used two radio telescopes and several optical telescopes to study the complex mechanisms fueling jets in Centaurus A, a nearby radio galaxy. They found evidence of a galactic wind and stars existing further out than previously thought.
Astronomers find two giant galaxies from the Big Bang era, forming stars at record rates and surrounded by massive dark matter halos. Their rapid star formation is triggered by close encounters with smaller companions.
Australian scientist Dr. Tobias Westmeier has created the most detailed map ever of high-velocity gas clouds in the Universe, revealing over 13% of the sky is covered by these mysterious clouds. The map shows gas clouds moving at speeds of up to a few hundred kilometers per second and provides new clues about their origin.
The first known interstellar visitor, 'Oumuamua, is a rapidly rotating and dimly bright object similar to Kuiper Belt objects and organic-rich comets. It was discovered in October and observed using the Gemini Observatory before fading from view due to its increasing distance.
The Zwicky Transient Facility's (ZTF) new survey camera captures hundreds of thousands of stars and galaxies in a single shot, taking its first image of the sky, dubbed 'first light.' ZTF aims to discover objects and events varying in brightness over time, including explosive supernovae, hungry black holes, and asteroids/comets.
The UW Department of Astronomy is joining the ZTF team to develop new methods for identifying celestial objects in the night sky. The ZTF's massive real-time data stream will impact studies of stars, our solar system, and the evolution of our universe.
New observations reveal previously undetected regions where shocks accelerated subatomic particles, causing radio emission. Astronomers believe a North-South and East-West collision occurred, with possible third collision still to be analyzed.
University of Utah researchers create a new component for ultra-high-speed communications and computing using perovskite, a mineral discovered in Russia. The technology uses the terahertz spectrum to transmit data a thousand times faster than current systems.
The CALET experiment has successfully measured the cosmic-ray electron spectrum up to 3 TeV, providing insight into the origin and acceleration of cosmic rays. The findings suggest the presence of nearby astrophysical sources, such as pulsars or dark matter annihilation.
Astronomers conclude that Saturn's seven moons - Pan, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Epimetheus, Mimas, and Janus - work together to contain the A ring. The moon's gravitational influence slows down the spreading ring's momentum, creating an edge.
A team of scientists from around the world detected gravitational waves and visible light from the collision of two neutron stars. The discovery marks a new era in multimessenger astronomy, allowing researchers to learn more about the universe through different kinds of electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves.
The LIGO-Virgo Collaboration observed the merger of two neutron stars, producing gravitational waves and a gamma-ray burst, marking the birth of multi-messenger astronomy. This discovery confirms kilonova formation, providing insight into the universe's heaviest elements.
RIT researchers played a significant role in the groundbreaking detection of colliding neutron stars by LIGO. This event marked the first time both gravitational waves and light were detected from the same cosmic collision.
Researchers from the J-GEM collaboration observed a kilonova explosion, a phenomenon predicted to create heavy elements through rapid neutron capture reactions. The first-ever confirmed kilonova was detected using a network of telescopes worldwide, providing insight into the universe's heavy element production.
Astronomers have made the first-ever observations of a merging neutron star, detecting both gravitational waves and a brilliant explosion of visible light. The discovery has opened a new window into understanding neutron star physics and could resolve a long-standing question about the origins of heavy elements.
For the first time, scientists have detected the collision of two neutron stars using both gravitational waves and light. The historic discovery ushers in a new era in astronomy with multi-messenger astronomy, confirming theoretical predictions and providing new mysteries to understand.
Researchers confirm neutron star collision using electromagnetic radiation detected by NASA's Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer. The event provided a complete picture of compact object mergers, marking a major breakthrough in astronomy.
Scientists at Tel Aviv University utilize Nobel-winning research to detect gravitational waves produced by the merger of two ancient neutron stars. This discovery combines gravitational waves with light, producing a detailed model of the emission for the first time.
Astronomers using the VLBA have directly measured the distance to a star-forming region on the opposite side of the Milky Way, nearly doubling the previous record. This achievement allows for the accurate mapping of the Galaxy's structure and spiral arms.
The Dunlap Institute has received $23 million in funding to develop innovative astronomical technology, including a radio astronomy data centre and an infrared spectrograph. These projects will position Canada at the forefront of next-generation astronomy research.
Researchers found that atomic hydrogen makes up a majority of gas in younger galaxies, contradicting expectations. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the early Universe and the role of cold gas in star formation.
Scientists suggest that life began on Earth when meteorites splashed down and leached essential elements into warm little ponds. The 'warm little ponds' concept has been proven plausible through extensive research and calculations.