Researchers detected Freon-40, a stable organohalogen molecule, around infant star system IRAS 16293-2422 and comet 67P/C-G using ALMA and Rosetta. This finding suggests that organohalogens may be an important element in the origin of life, rather than indicators of existing life.
A team of astronomers has detected titanium oxide in the atmosphere of WASP-19b, an exoplanet with a temperature of 2000 degrees Celsius. The discovery was made using ESO's VLT and allows for more accurate modeling of exoplanet atmospheres.
The ALMA study reveals dense shock waves and vast turbulent reservoirs of cool, low-density gas surrounding starburst galaxies. These reservoirs are thought to be driven by galactic winds, extending the starburst phase instead of quenching it.
A team of astronomers has created the first two-dimensional velocity map of a star's atmosphere using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The study reveals turbulent, low-density gas much further from the star than predicted, challenging current theories on convection.
A team of astronomers used the MUSE instrument on the VLT to study how gas can be stripped from galaxies, focusing on extreme jellyfish galaxies. Six out of seven jellyfish galaxies were found to host a supermassive black hole feeding on surrounding gas.
Astronomers using ALMA have found the complex organic molecule methyl isocyanate in the disk of a young Sun-like star, providing new insights into the formation of life. The discovery suggests that these protostars are well-suited for Earth-sized planets to form and may hold clues to understanding how life emerged on our planet.
The VISTA survey has imaged millions of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, revealing surprising results about star formation history and structure. Most SMC stars formed relatively recently, unlike those in larger galaxies.
Astronomers have discovered a super-Earth orbiting a quiet red dwarf star, LHS 1140, in the habitable zone where liquid water can exist. The exoplanet's large size and dense iron core suggest it may have retained an atmosphere long after its star calmed down.
Astronomers have observed stars forming within powerful outflows of material blasted out from supermassive black holes. The discovery provides new insights into galaxy properties and evolution, shedding light on how galaxies obtain their shapes and become enriched with heavy elements.
A team of astronomers found that distant galaxies were dominated by normal matter, with dark matter playing a smaller role. The study used the KMOS and SINFONI instruments to measure galaxy rotation velocities and created an average rotation curve, which also showed a decreasing velocity trend away from the centers of the galaxies.
Astronomers have discovered the youngest and most distant galaxy ever seen, containing an abundance of interstellar dust formed by earlier star deaths. This discovery provides new information on when the first supernovae exploded and sheds light on the early Universe.
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of seven small planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1, with sizes similar to Earth and temperatures comparable to those of Venus, Earth, and Mars. The inner six planets are likely rocky in composition and potentially harbor liquid water.
A spinning supermassive black hole destroyed a Sun-like star, causing the most luminous supernova ever recorded. The observation is attributed to a tidal disruption event rather than an extraordinary bright supernova.
A team of astronomers from institutions around the world has processed images from the Kilo Degree Survey to make one of the most precise measurements ever made of cosmic shear, a subtle variant of weak gravitational lensing. The results suggest that dark matter in the cosmic web is less clumpy than previously believed.
Researchers have detected linear polarisation in the light passing through the vacuum surrounding a neutron star, suggesting that strong magnetic fields can affect the properties of empty space. This finding provides experimental support for predictions made 80 years ago about vacuum birefringence.
Researchers have discovered complex systems of concentric rings surrounding young stars, formed by the interaction between protoplanetary discs and growing planets. These findings provide new insights into planet formation, shedding light on the dynamics of innermost disc regions.
A team of astronomers used the MUSE instrument to study the effects of nearby massive star radiation on the pillars of the Carina Nebula. The research found a clear correlation between the radiation and the dissipation of the pillars, suggesting that photoevaporation plays a key role in shaping these structures.
Researchers found a dozen previously unknown RR Lyrae stars at the center of the Milky Way, indicating that galactic bulges may have formed through merging ancient globular clusters. The discovery provides strong evidence for an important theory of galactic evolution.
Scientists detect a potentially habitable exoplanet, Proxima b, orbiting Proxima Centauri every 11 days. The planet's surface temperature may allow for liquid water and life support, making it an exciting target for future observations.
Astronomers have discovered a unique white dwarf binary system, AR Scorpii, exhibiting powerful radio pulses that are unlike anything seen before from a white dwarf. The system's rapidly spinning white dwarf accelerates electrons, releasing radiation in a lighthouse-like beam that affects its cool red dwarf companion.
A team led by Lucas Cieza has made the first resolved observations of a water snow line in a protoplanetary disc using ALMA's long baselines. The discovery pushes the water snow line out to a distance of around 40 au, significantly impacting our understanding of planetary formation models.
A new image of the Orion Nebula reveals an unexpected abundance of low-mass objects, including brown dwarfs and planetary-mass objects, providing insight into star formation history. This discovery challenges current theories and suggests a higher proportion of low-mass objects than previously thought.
Researchers use SPHERE instrument to image first planet in wide orbit inside a triple-star system, suggesting such systems may be more common than thought. The planet, HD 131399Ab, has an unstable orbit and is estimated to be around 16 million years old, making it one of the youngest exoplanets discovered.
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has observed oxygen in a galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang, providing evidence for cosmic reionisation. The findings suggest that many brilliant stars have formed in the galaxy, emitting intense ultraviolet light to ionise gas.
A new ALMA observation reveals that cold dense clouds can coalesce from hot intergalactic gas and feed a galaxy's central supermassive black hole. This challenges previous views of how supermassive black holes acquire mass, indicating a chaotic and dynamic feeding process.
A team of astronomers has discovered three planets with sizes similar to Earth's orbiting the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, which may possess habitable regions. The planets' orbits are extremely close to their host star, receiving four times and twice less radiation than Earth.
A team of astronomers has discovered a unique rocky body in the Oort Cloud, a region surrounding the Sun like a giant soap bubble. The object, dubbed a Manx comet due to its tailless nature, is believed to be one of the potential building blocks of rocky planets like Earth.
Astronomers have captured the most detailed image yet of a protoplanetary disc around the young star TW Hydrae, revealing concentric dusty bright rings and dark gaps. The new ALMA images show intriguing features that may indicate a planet with an Earth-like orbit is forming in the disc.
A team of astronomers using HARPS spectrograph detected the motion of bright spots on Ceres, suggesting they are composed of volatile materials that evaporate in sunlight. The study revealed unexpected variations in the spots' brightness due to the action of solar radiation.
Researchers used ALMA to study W2246-0526, the most luminous galaxy known, finding it's ejecting its star-forming gas due to intense infrared radiation. This turbulence could lead to the galaxy evolving into a traditional quasar.
A team of astronomers used data from the VLT to study the remains of an asteroid around a stellar remnant -- a white dwarf. They discovered an orbiting disc of gaseous material and found that it is lopsided and has not yet become circular.
A team of astronomers has used data from the VVV survey to discover a previously unknown component of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The new component is a thin disc of young stars across the galactic bulge, which was buried behind thick clouds of dust.
Researchers have detected lithium in material ejected by a nova, resolving a long-standing puzzle about its abundance in young stars. The finding sheds light on the chemical evolution of the Milky Way and could inform models of the Big Bang.
A team of astronomers using ALMA has detected the faint glow of ionised carbon in a galaxy just over 800 million years after the Big Bang. This finding reveals new details about the assembly of galaxies in the early universe and provides valuable information on the interstellar medium and star formation processes.
A Brazilian-led team has discovered a planet with a mass similar to Jupiter's, orbiting a Sun-like star at almost the same distance. The planet's host, HIP 11915, is also similar in mass and age to our Sun, with a composition that hints at possible rocky planets.
A study reveals that a massive star's collapse may power ultra-long gamma-ray bursts with the help of magnetars, rewriting our understanding of these cosmic events. Researchers observed a rare case where a supernova was linked to an ultra-long GRB, finding evidence of a magnetar at the source.
Astronomers have captured the most detailed view of star formation in a distant galaxy using ALMA's Long Baseline Campaign. The observations reveal giant versions of the Orion Nebula producing thousands of new stars, with clumps of star formation visible down to 200 light-years.
Astronomers have detected strong magnetic fields near the event horizon of a supermassive black hole using ALMA. The findings provide new insights into the mysterious mechanisms driving jet formation, with magnetic fields playing a crucial role in matter escape.
Astronomers observed 22 massive elliptical galaxies using the VLT and Hubble Space Telescope, revealing that star formation in their centers stopped around three billion years ago. The newly discovered inside-out nature of this shutdown may be due to a galaxy's central supermassive black hole or lack of fresh gas.
Researchers observed four colliding galaxies and found a lag between dark matter and its associated galaxy, suggesting that dark matter interacts with forces other than gravity. This discovery could be the first evidence for rich physics in the dark sector, helping scientists better understand dark matter's nature.
Astronomers have detected large amounts of complex organic molecules, including methyl cyanide, in the protoplanetary disc surrounding young star MWC 480. This discovery suggests that these molecules are common in the universe and may be delivered to environments nurturing life.
A team of astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope has observed a dusty cloud, known as G2, passing close to the supermassive black hole at the galactic center. The observations confirm that the cloud survived its closest approach and is likely a compact object surrounding a dense core.
A team of astronomers using APEX and other telescopes revealed that the star that appeared in the sky in 1670 was a rare stellar collision, not a nova. The team discovered a cool gas rich in molecules with an unusual chemical composition, which was too great to be explained by a nova explosion.
Scientists have estimated that Mars once had a massive ocean covering 19% of its surface, which would have made the planet habitable for longer. The new research uses detailed observations of water in Mars' atmosphere to determine the amount of water lost over time.
A team of astronomers discovered a young and remote galaxy with dust levels similar to mature galaxies like the Milky Way, defying expectations. The galaxy, A1689-zD1, was observed using ALMA and VLT instruments and found to be emitting radiation in the far infrared, indicating significant star formation.
A team of astronomers has discovered the most massive pair of white dwarf stars yet found, which will merge in the future to form a runaway thermonuclear explosion leading to a Type Ia supernova. This discovery provides new insights into astronomical distances and dark energy, shedding light on the expansion of the Universe.
The VISTA telescope has mapped the central regions of the Milky Way in infrared light, revealing a pair of newly discovered classical Cepheid variables beyond the galactic bulge. The stars were detected at a distance of about 37,000 light-years and have a period of eleven days.
Astronomers have discovered a 'wheel in a wheel' of dust and gas in the GG Tau-A binary star system, revealing a sustaining lifeline between the two discs. This finding supports planet formation by providing a mechanism for material to be transferred from the outer disc to the inner disc.
The study reveals two distinct families of exocomets in the Beta Pictoris system: old and recent ones. The old family has weak activity with low gas production rates, while the second family is more active and likely originates from a single object's breakup.
Astronomers using ALMA observed a binary star system with two protoplanetary discs, finding that the discs are mutually misaligned. The discs' misalignment suggests that planets forming in such systems can end up in highly eccentric and tilted orbits.