A team of astronomers has observed the aftermath of a star violently ripped apart by a supermassive black hole, providing unprecedented detail and insights into these mysterious phenomena. The observations, made possible by NASA's TESS satellite, reveal new features of tidal disruption events (TDEs) that were previously unknown.
A new NASA visualization reveals how a black hole distorts space, creating a warped view of its surroundings like a carnival mirror. The extreme gravity bends light from the accretion disk, producing a misshapen appearance.
A pilot study by Desert Research Institute found high levels of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and butane at cannabis growing facilities in Nevada and California. These chemicals can contribute to ground-level ozone formation, posing health risks to workers and residents.
Suomi NPP's OMPS detects aerosols and smoke from fires in South America and Canada's Yukon Territories. High aerosol concentrations impact breathing, reproduction, climate, and visibility.
Astrophysicists detected gravitational wave 'tones' emitted by a merging black hole, validating the 'no-hair theory' and confirming Einstein's general relativity. The breakthrough comes 10 years earlier than expected and opens the era of understanding black holes and their properties.
Researchers analyzed 13,000 observations of the black hole from 133 nights since 2003 and found extreme variations in brightness, with one night seeing an area twice as bright as the next-brightest observation. The team is unsure whether this is an extraordinary singular event or a precursor to significantly increased activity.
Physicists detected the ringing of a newborn black hole for the first time, confirming Einstein's theory and the idea that black holes have no 'hair.' The findings support the notion that black holes are bald-faced giants with no extraneous properties.
A team of researchers has observed the rapid fuel consumption of eight quasars, revealing the role of strong gravity in feeding massive black holes. The study's findings provide new insights into the behavior of supermassive black holes at the center of quasars.
A new study finds that long-term exposure to all major air pollutants increases the risk of emphysema by roughly the equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 29 years. Ground-level ozone levels are rising due to climate change, and the US study suggests that this increase may lead to an increased risk of chronic lung disease.
Long-term exposure to ozone and other pollutants accelerates emphysema development, even among non-smokers. The study found a strong association between ozone levels and emphysema, with the strongest impact seen in people living in areas with high ozone concentrations.
This observational study found exposure to ozone, fine particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, and black carbon was associated with increased emphysema progression. Ambient ozone exposure also led to a decline in lung function, while other pollutants had no significant impact.
Researchers using ALMA observe a swirling disk of cold interstellar gas rotating around a supermassive black hole, NGC 3258. The study provides an unprecedented close-up view of the disk's rotation, allowing for the determination of the black hole's mass as 2.25 billion solar masses.
An international team detected a very hot, dense outflowing wind close to a black hole at least 25,000 light-years from Earth. The gas was emitted in bursts that repeated every 8 minutes, revealing unprecedented behavior around a black hole.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Drexel University aim to discover a simpler, less energy-intensive way to create ozone for water sanitation. The project seeks to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of ozonated water production.
A UCLA-led team, led by Andrea Ghez, has conducted the most comprehensive test of general relativity near a supermassive black hole. Their analysis confirms that Einstein's theory is still valid but also reveals its vulnerability in explaining gravity inside a black hole.
Researchers detected gravitational redshift in star orbiting Sagittarius A* black hole, consistent with general relativity. The findings provide a 'transformational change' in understanding supermassive blackholes and their physics.
A new study found that rising temperatures due to climate change will increase the number of days with high concentrations of ozone in the Mid-Atlantic region, posing significant health risks. The study, led by Cristina Archer, analyzed nearly 50 years' worth of data and found that near-ground ozone levels can exacerbate respiratory co...
Researchers developed a laser-based airborne lidar system that measures atmospheric gases with high accuracy and resolution, helping scientists better understand their impact on the climate. The new system can provide detailed gas profiles, overcoming limitations of existing methods and enabling more accurate climate predictions.
A new study suggests that reducing China's ozone pollution can prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths by 2050. The research found that climate change alone could cause a 11% increase in ozone pollution, leading to an additional 62,000 premature deaths.
A new study suggests that super volcanic eruptions could significantly impact ozone layer recovery, with estimated depletions ranging from 2.5% to 6.4%. The research used transport and chemistry-climate models to simulate the effects of super volcanoes on stratospheric ozone during different recovery periods.
When ozone and skin oils meet, they produce volatile gases and substances that can cause sensory irritations. People with asthma may be particularly vulnerable to ozone and its reaction products.
A new report reveals that ozone-driven climate change is having far-reaching impacts on the Earth's ecosystems, from weather patterns to sea mammal populations. The study found that warmer oceans are benefiting some species, while others are declining due to changes in ocean productivity and acidification.
Researchers used rare oxygen molecules trapped in air bubbles in old ice and snow to track ancient ozone levels, establishing a limit of 40% increase since 1850. This new data bolsters confidence in atmospheric chemistry models' ability to predict future changes.
Researchers used reverberation mapping to determine the mass of NGC 4395's black hole, finding it to be about 10,000 times the mass of our sun. This is the smallest black hole found via this technique and provides new insights into dwarf galaxies and their nuclear black holes.
Researchers create most detailed simulation of black hole, proving theoretical predictions about accretion disks. The inner-most region of an accretion disk aligns with its black hole's equator, solving a longstanding mystery from 1975.
Researchers have imaged a never-before-seen disk of cool, interstellar gas wrapped around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The disk is composed of phenomenally hot and comparatively cooler gases, with temperatures ranging from 10 million to 10 thousand degrees Celsius.
A University at Buffalo study found a strong association between chronic ozone exposure and progression of carotid artery thickening, as well as an increased risk of carotid plaque. The research suggests that air pollution may contribute to cardiovascular disease and stroke by accelerating arterial conditions.
A new research finding published in Nature has located the source region for about half of the new CFC-11 emissions, which are attributed to an increase of around 7000 tons per year in trichlorofluromethane added to the atmosphere since 2013. This is primarily linked to new production from eastern China.
A new study by an international team of scientists identified a significant increase in CFC-11 emissions in eastern China since 2013, posing a threat to the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer. The findings suggest that new production of CFC-11 has taken place in the region, primarily for building insulation and refrigerators.
ROZE, a NASA instrument discovered by accident, measures ambient levels of ozone with high precision, 100 times better than commercial instruments. This discovery is crucial for municipalities and states to understand the ozone budget and accurately model ozone movement.
Astronomers have discovered rapidly swinging jets from a black hole in V404 Cygni, behaving in a way never seen before. The jets are thought to be caused by the misalignment of the accretion disk and the black hole, resulting in a wobble-like motion.
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has captured the first direct visual evidence of a supermassive black hole, located 55 million light-years from Earth. The image reveals the black hole's mass is 6.5-billion times that of the Sun.
The first real image of a black hole, obtained by EHT telescopes, confirms the predictions made in Jean-Pierre Luminet's 1979 simulation. The image shows an extraordinary accuracy, with characteristics such as the Einstein effect and Doppler shift clearly visible.
Researchers analyzed data from Fresno and Bakersfield before, during, and after the California drought to understand its impact on ozone air quality. They found that severe drought conditions led to a 20% decrease in ozone production due to reduced isoprene concentrations and altered VOCs.
Scientists have captured the first-ever image of a black hole, which reveals the massive black hole at the center of the galaxy Messier 87. The image was achieved using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), an unprecedented Earth-sized virtual telescope linking telescopes around the globe.
The Event Horizon Telescope project has captured the first-ever image of a black hole, located at the heart of galaxy Messier 87. The image reveals a ring-like structure with a dark central region, confirming our understanding of general relativity.
Green roofs have been found to improve indoor air quality by reducing ozone levels, according to a PSU study. The research involved comparing air quality between a green roof and a conventional white membrane roof on a retail store in North Portland.
Astronomers have made the first direct image of a dusty, doughnut-shaped feature surrounding a supermassive black hole in Cygnus A, a galaxy 760 million light-years from Earth. The feature, known as a torus, helps explain why objects with similar properties appear differently when viewed from different angles.
Researchers at Kanazawa University have developed a plasma-assisted MnO2 filter that produces exhaust free of NOx and SOx. The filter augments the desulfurization properties of MnO2 with ozone from an atmospheric-pressure non-equilibrium plasma, improving NO2 elimination by over 99%.
Researchers demonstrated scrambling of information in a quantum computer, simulating the behavior of matter inside a black hole. They showed that entangled qubits could potentially be used to probe the mysterious interiors of black holes.
Astronomers have discovered an intermediate-mass black hole, 30,000 times the mass of the Sun, hidden within a gas cloud near the Galactic center. The finding provides new insight into black hole growth and evolution, suggesting that small black holes can merge to form larger ones.
Researchers have charted the environment surrounding a stellar-mass black hole using NASA's NICER payload. The study reveals changes in the environment's size and shape, including the corona contracting vertically from 100 to 10 miles at vast distances.
A study of air pollution and respiratory emergency room visits found associations between ozone, fine particulate pollution, and increased ER visits for asthma, COPD, and pneumonia, varying by age group and pollutant level. The study suggests that protecting vulnerable populations from air pollution is crucial.
A Northwestern University-led team captures the exact moment a star collapsed to form a compact object like a black hole or neutron star, revealing evidence of an accreting black hole or neutron star. The event, known as AT2018cow, was detected in the Hercules constellation and emitted remarkable bright glow.
Researchers detected periodic X-ray signal near black hole event horizon, estimating spin of 50% the speed of light. The discovery uses tidal disruption flare to estimate black hole spin for the first time.
Researchers detected 'echoes' within an X-ray burst from a black hole, suggesting the corona shrinks as it feeds. The corona, halo of highly-energized electrons, significantly contracts from 100km to 10km in just over a month.
Researchers used NASA's NICER payload to detect X-ray light from a small black hole (J1820) consuming material from a companion star. Light echoes revealed changes in the environment's size and shape, providing new insights into stellar-mass black holes' behavior.
A new study has discovered that oscillating X-rays from consumed stars can reveal the mass and spin of a black hole. By analyzing the quasi-periodic oscillation every 131 seconds, researchers found that the signal is representative of the physical properties of the black hole itself.
Researchers found that a reduction in PM 2.5 concentrations in eastern China has led to an increase in ground-level ozone pollution, particularly in large cities. The study suggests that extra efforts are needed to reduce NOx and VOC emissions to stem the tide of ozone pollution.
Summer surface ozone levels in China rose in four major cities between 2013 and 2017 due to decreasing particulate matter emissions. This increase can slow the natural cleanup of hydroperoxy radicals from aerosols, sparking concerns about anthropogenic ozone precursor emissions.
A new MIT study identifies chloroform as a significant threat to ozone layer recovery, with increased emissions in East Asia potentially delaying the process by four to eight years. The researchers found that production of products from chloroform is on the rise in the region, contributing to the growing problem.
A new study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers found that ozone depletion above Antarctica increases snowfall, partially offsetting the continent's ice sheet mass loss. However, the gains in snowfall are outpaced by an even greater ice loss rate due to warming oceans.
Researchers discovered a mechanism for how ice particles and certain molecules release harmful substances into the atmosphere. The study found that organic molecules attach to ice particle defects, leading to UV radiation-induced radicals that damage the ozone layer.
The LIGO and Virgo collaborations have detected 10 stellar-mass binary black hole mergers and one neutron star merger, with six of the black hole events previously reported. The new detections include GW170729, GW170809, GW170818, and GW170823, which are included in a new catalog of gravitational-wave events.
A team of astronomers used ALMA to observe a supermassive black hole in the Circinus Galaxy, finding that gas expelled from the center interacts with infalling gas to create a turbulent three-dimensional structure. This 'donut' structure is not rigid, but rather a complex collection of highly dynamic gaseous components.
The study reveals that gas clouds rapidly moving around a central black hole form the very heart of this quasar. The research is the first detailed observation outside of our galaxy of gas clouds whirling around a central black hole.
Analysis of Alpine ice shows tripled iodine levels since Second World War, partially balancing ozone production. Researchers now call for inclusion of iodine data in climate models to predict future environmental outcomes.
A new study by Duke University and the University of York estimates that long-term ozone exposure in Europe, the USA, and China led to 266,000 premature mortalities in 2015. The research uses observed air quality data instead of chemical transport models, finding smaller human-health impacts compared to prior modeling results.
Researchers have detected matter falling directly into a black hole for the first time, with gas spiraling in at 30% of the speed of light. The discovery sheds light on chaotic accretion and its implications for supermassive black holes.
Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences have made a breakthrough in binding the highly ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon Freon 11. They discovered that modified cyclic sugar molecules can effectively adsorb and detect Freon 11, preventing its release into the atmosphere.