A new study resolves the Galactic bar paradox by proposing that the central region of the Milky Way is connected to the spiral arm in a 'cosmic dance', causing contradictory estimates of motion. The bar's size and rotational speed fluctuate rapidly, making it appear larger and slower at certain times.
Researchers have discovered a dense, cold gas ejected from the centre of the Milky Way, which could impact star formation and galaxy stability. The finding raises new questions about what's happening in the galactic centre, particularly with regards to the massive black hole at its heart.
Astronomers using ALMA have discovered the most distant Milky Way look-alike galaxy, SPT0418-47, which is surprisingly unchaotic and appears as a ring of light in the sky. The discovery challenges our understanding of how galaxies form and gives new insights into the past of the Universe.
Astronomers have found a strange dismembered star cluster at the galaxy's edge, with lower quantities of heavier elements than other globular clusters. The discovery poses significant problems for current ideas on globular cluster origins.
A team of astronomers discovered a stellar stream composed of the remnants of an ancient globular cluster torn apart by the Milky Way's gravity 2 billion years ago. The Phoenix Stream is distinct from other globular clusters and suggests that there may be no minimum abundance of heavier elements required for their formation.
Researchers found that some desert mosses in the Mojave Desert grow under translucent quartz pebbles, using them as natural sunshades to retain moisture and reduce heat. This unique adaptation allows these mosses to thrive in extremely dry conditions.
Researchers analyzed the magnetic field of Milky Way-like galaxy NGC 4217 and discovered unique structures such as X-shaped fields, helices, superbubbles, and giant loops. These findings suggest a connection between star formation and supernovae explosions in shaping the galaxy's magnetic field.
Researchers use VLA radio telescope to image galaxy NGC 4217's magnetic field, extending far beyond the galaxy's disk. The dynamo theory suggests that this massive magnetic field is generated by plasma motion within the galaxy's disk.
A team of scientists from the University of Warwick has discovered a white dwarf star that survived a partial thermonuclear supernova explosion. The star, SDSS J1240+6710, is traveling at an incredible velocity of 900,000 km/h and has a low mass consistent with the loss of mass during the explosion.
Researchers from Caltech and institutions like Northwestern University used deep learning and supercomputing to identify Nyx, a product of a long-ago galaxy merger. The discovery provides the first indication that a dwarf galaxy merged with the Milky Way disk.
Researchers measured gas motions throughout the Milky Way and a nearby galaxy, finding that cold molecular gas motions appear to fluctuate in velocity, reminiscent of ocean waves. The team discovered that equidistantly spaced structure shows distinctive pattern, with periodic spacing likely resulting from gravitational instability.
A new study reveals that low-mass stars become white dwarfs, producing carbon essential for life, challenging previous theories. The findings place a minimum mass threshold of 1.5 solar masses for star-induced carbon enrichment.
A new study published in Nature Astronomy sheds light on the origin of carbon in the Milky Way, revealing that dying stars play a crucial role in its synthesis. The research team found that low-mass stars shed more massive remnants than previously thought, breaking a linear trend in star formation and planetary evolution.
A team of researchers has discovered a 'scientific red flag' in the center of the Milky Way, revealing new clues about the fundamental source of its power. The study uses optical light to analyze ionized gas, finding that at least 48% of hydrogen gas is ionized by an unknown source.
Researchers estimate that there may be as many as one Earth-like planet for every five Sun-like stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. This number could lead to new insights into planet formation and evolution theories, optimizing future exoplanet missions.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, found that there are more stars like the Sun than expected in these groups, increasing the chances of finding Earth-like planets. These 'magma ocean planets' are easier to detect near stars like the Sun and emit heat that can be observed with next-generation infrared telescopes.
Astronomers have measured the Fermi Bubbles, two enormous outflows of high-energy gas emanating from the Milky Way, using the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper telescope. The findings refine our understanding of these mysterious blobs and provide new opportunities to study the galaxy's central region.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that the halo surrounding the Milky Way galaxy is much hotter than initially thought, with temperatures reaching up to 10 million degrees Kelvin. This new discovery could help astronomers understand how galaxies form and grow, as well as the elements that contribute to these halos.
Researchers at Radboud University and Uppsala University have discovered a new type of magnetic behavior in neodymium, where atomic spins form patterns that whirl like a helix but constantly change. This phenomenon, known as a self-induced spin glass, could pave the way for new materials for artificial intelligence.
Astronomers have captured an image of a super-rare type of galaxy with a 'ring of fire' structure, existing 11 billion years ago. This discovery is expected to shake up theories about the earliest formation of galactic structures and how they evolve.
Astronomers have created the most detailed evolutionary history of the Milky Way up to now, combining apparent luminosity with measured distance and accurate star models. The study reveals well-defined periods of great activity in star formation, including dramatic episodes that stimulated new star creation.
Astronomers using ALMA have spotted quasi-periodic flickers in millimeter-waves from the center of the Milky Way, suggesting a rotating radio spot circling a supermassive black hole. The findings provide insight into space-time with extreme gravity and may shed light on the behavior of gas around the black hole.
Astronomers used ALMA to discover a massive rotating disk galaxy, DLA0817g, which challenges traditional models of galaxy formation. The galaxy formed primarily through the steady accretion of cold gas, indicating alternative growth processes dominated over violent mergers.
A new study by University of Arkansas astrophysicist Daniel Whitmire contradicts a previous theory that giant elliptical galaxies are more likely to host technological civilizations. The study suggests that galaxies like the Milky Way, where most stars and planets reside, are more likely to harbor intelligent life.
The Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled a breathtaking portrait of a firestorm of starbirth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. This iconic image, nicknamed the 'Cosmic Reef,' showcases the telescope's enduring legacy and transformative impact on modern astronomy.
Researchers have discovered the first pulsar in Globular Cluster M92 using FAST telescope. The pulsar, PSR J1717+4307A, is an eclipsing binary millisecond pulsar in a circular orbit with a companion star. This discovery provides insights into pulsars and their role in probing dense stellar cores.
Researchers used satellite galaxies Draco and Fornax to test the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) model, which explains diverse dark matter distributions. SIDM produces novel signatures in subhalos that differ from the prevailing Cold Dark Matter theory.
Researchers have found a connection between the size and structure of galaxies and dark matter halos, using observations of faint galaxies around the Milky Way. They also discovered more evidence for the existence of Large Magellanic Cloud satellite galaxies, predicting an additional 150 or more very faint satellites awaiting discovery.
A new study from the University of Michigan and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found no evidence that sterile neutrinos are dark matter. The research team used archival data from the XMM-Newton space X-ray telescope to search for signs of dark matter in the Milky Way galaxy, but their analysis yielded no results.
Researchers used XMM-Newton space telescope data to search for a 3.5 keV X-ray emission line, a predicted signature of dark matter decay. No evidence was found, ruling out the signal strength by over an order of magnitude and challenging previous interpretations.
Astronomers have discovered a one-sided pulsator in the Milky Way, with citizen scientists providing crucial clues. The star's unusual single-sided pulsation is caused by its location in a binary star system with a red dwarf companion.
A team of scientists using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope has detected radio waves from exoplanets interacting with their star's magnetic field, which can heat and erode a planet's atmosphere. The discovery paves the way for novel ways to probe exoplanet environments and determine habitability.
The Breakthrough Listen Initiative has released nearly 2 petabytes of data from the most comprehensive survey yet of radio emissions from the Milky Way Galaxy and its central black hole. A new analysis of nearby stars that could see Earth transiting the sun was conducted, but no technosignatures were found.
Researchers found over a dozen massive black holes in dwarf galaxies that were previously thought too small to host them. The study revealed that most black holes were located at the outskirts of galaxies rather than centers.
A team of researchers used a single star affected by the Milky Way-Gaia-Enceladus collision to determine its age and date the event to approximately 11.5 billion years ago. The study provides insights into the impact of galaxy collisions on their evolution.
Astronomers have discovered a new class of bizarre objects at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, which resemble gas and behave like stars. The objects are thought to be binary stars that merged due to the strong gravitational force of the supermassive black hole, with four additional objects found in the same orbit.
Astronomers have pinpointed an early galactic merger that helped shape the Milky Way, occurring 11.5 billion years ago when Gaia-Enceladus slammed into what then existed of the galaxy. This discovery provides important insights into the accretion process that formed the Milky Way.
A team of scientists has used data from the TESS satellite and ground-based telescopes to determine an ancient collision between our galaxy and Gaia-Enceladus occurred early in its history. The study reveals new insights into the history of the Milky Way, providing a timeline for the collision.
Astronomers have cataloged signs of 9 heavy metals in supergiant and giant stars, allowing researchers to study the chemical composition and evolution of galaxies. By analyzing these elements, scientists can reconstruct the history of galaxies, including events like binary neutron star mergers that affected the Milky Way.
Astronomers at Harvard University have discovered a giant, wave-shaped gaseous structure made up of interconnected stellar nurseries in the Milky Way galaxy. The 'Radcliffe wave' stretches over trillions of miles and challenges traditional views of nearby stellar nurseries as an expanding ring.
LSU astronomers predict that binary star V Sagittae will become the brightest in the Milky Way galaxy, outshining Sirius and Venus, around 2083. The star is currently faintly visible but will brighten rapidly due to its rapid orbital decay.
Astronomers have discovered a flock of young stars on the outskirts of the Milky Way, suggesting that material from nearby dwarf galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds, is forming new stars. The discovery implies that a stream of gas extending from the galaxies is closer to crashing into the Milky Way than previously thought.
Astronomers have localized a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) to a region approximately seven light years across in the Milky-Way-like galaxy, making it one of the closest yet seen. This discovery enables more detailed study and may help narrow down possible explanations for FRBs.
The gigantic spiral galaxy UGC 2885 is 2.5 times wider than the Milky Way and contains 10 times as many stars, with modest ongoing star birth at half the rate of our galaxy.
Thirteen massive black holes have been discovered in dwarf galaxies less than a billion light-years from Earth, with an average mass of 400,000 times that of the Sun. These findings suggest that half of these massive black holes are wandering in the outskirts of their galaxies, indicating galaxy mergers earlier in their history.
Astronomers using the GMRT have discovered a massive ring of hydrogen gas surrounding a galaxy, with a diameter of 380,000 light-years. The origin and formation mechanism of such rings remain unknown, despite previous thought that they are associated with galaxy-galaxy collisions.
A new image of the Milky Way's center captures a colorful composite of giant molecular clouds, with details on radio filaments and star factories. Scientists use GISMO data to observe microwaves at large scales, making detailed observations for the first time.
The Goddard-IRAM Superconducting 2-Millimeter Observer (GISMO) instrument has mapped the inner Milky Way, revealing a feature resembling a cosmic 'candy cane' with two prominent radio filaments. The image showcases the galaxy's central zone, highlighting areas of star formation and high-speed electron spirals.
Astronomers used ESO's VLT to observe the Milky Way's central region, revealing a burst of star formation that occurred around one billion years ago. This intense event resulted in over 100,000 supernova explosions and is similar to 'starburst' galaxies.
A team of scientists used data from NASA's Kepler telescope to calculate that the thick disc of the Milky Way is about 10 billion years old. This finding resolves a long-standing question about the age distribution of stars in the disc.
The James Webb Space Telescope will study dwarf galaxy companions to the Milky Way and Andromeda, gaining insights into galaxy formation and dark matter. By measuring star motions, researchers hope to determine if some galaxies are grouped in a flat plane, which would have significant implications for understanding their formation.
A radio telescope in the Western Australian outback has captured a new view of the Milky Way's centre, revealing remnants of 27 massive stars that exploded as supernovae. The data comes from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA survey, which used low-frequency radio waves to map the sky.
Astronomers discovered ultrafast star S5-HVS1, ejected by supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* five million years ago. The star travels ten times faster than most stars in the Milky Way, with a speed of 6 million km/h.
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has begun testing its capabilities, capturing light from distant galaxies and preparing to map 35 million galaxies across 1/3 of the sky. DESI aims to study 10 million stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, tackling one of physics' most profound problems: the nature of dark energy.
Researchers at University of California, Riverside discover that Milky Way is undergoing a massive merger with its largest satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. Several ultrafaint dwarfs and relatively bright satellite galaxies were likely stolen from LMC.
Astronomers used Hubble data to find a surplus of incoming gas in the Milky Way, with unknown sources contributing to the excess. The galaxy's balance regulates star and planet formation.
A massive explosion occurred in the center of the Milky Way 3.5 million years ago, creating two enormous 'ionisation cones' that sliced through the galaxy and impacted the Magellanic Stream. The blast was so powerful it lasted for 300,000 years and was triggered by nuclear activity associated with the black hole.
Researchers have discovered that the galaxy Andromeda has eaten several smaller galaxies over the last few billion years, leaving behind remnants in large streams of stars. The study found faint traces of even earlier consumed galaxies, possibly dating back to 10 billion years ago.
Astronomers have uncovered two historic events in the Andromeda Galaxy, with evidence suggesting major changes to its structure occurred a few billion years ago and much earlier. The findings provide insights into the evolution and formation of both the Andromeda Galaxy and our own Milky Way.
Molecular clouds in distant galaxies have higher mass, density, and internal turbulence than those in nearby galaxies, producing more stars. The international team used ALMA to detect clouds in a Milky Way progenitor 8 billion light-years away.