Articles tagged with Observatories
Astronomers have discovered a rare and persistent rapid-fire fast radio burst source, sending out an occasional cosmic ping from over 3.5 billion light years away. The burst, named FRB 20190520B, has encountered far more gas in its host galaxy than expected, challenging previous assumptions about the intergalactic medium.
A new study by the POLARBEAR collaboration provides a new correction algorithm that allows for almost double the amount of reliable data on Cosmological Gravitational Waves (CGWs), produced during Inflation in the early Universe. This enhances our understanding of the signal and brings us closer to observing CGWs.
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has captured the first image of Sagittarius A*, a black hole at the center of the Milky Way, revealing a ring-like structure and shadow. The observation confirms Einstein's theory of general relativity and provides new insights into giant black holes.
The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission enables new measurements of cosmic X-ray sources, such as pulsars, black holes, and neutron stars. With its state-of-the-art telescopes and detectors, IXPE will provide high-quality polarization data of various sources, including supernova remnants, active galaxies, and blazars.
A team of researchers used the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to create a laboratory replica of galaxy-cluster plasmas, discovering strong suppression of heat conduction in these turbulent environments. The experiments provide insight into complex physics processes and raise additional questions that may be answered in future studies.
Astronomers have detected a new planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Solar System, with a mass comparable to that of Earth. The newly discovered planet, named Proxima d, orbits its star at just five days, within the habitable zone.
A team of astrophysicists has discovered a new method to measure the cosmic microwave background radiation's temperature at an early epoch of the universe. By observing HFLS3, a massive starburst galaxy, they found a cold water cloud that casts a shadow on the microwave radiation, revealing the Big Bang's relic temperature.
Researchers use ALMA and VLA to detect chaotic dust and gas streams caused by an intruder object interacting with the binary protostar. The study provides evidence of flyby events in nature, which can dramatically perturb circumstellar disks and impact planet formation.
Astronomers have discovered a binary system consisting of a rapidly spinning neutron star and the precursor to an extremely-low-mass white dwarf, dubbed a 'cosmic spider'. The system emits powerful gamma-rays and has been observed using the SOAR Telescope in Chile.
An international team of astronomers has found strong evidence for an ultra-low frequency signal, consistent with the expected characteristics of a gravitational wave background. The discovery was made using data from 65 millisecond pulsars, combining independent data sets from around the world.
Researchers have discovered a treasure trove of previously unknown globular clusters in the outer regions of Centaurus A, an elliptical galaxy. The study provides new insights into galaxy formation and the distribution of dark matter in the universe.
A sub-Neptune exoplanet named TOI-2257 b has been found to have an eccentric orbit around its host star, making it a candidate for further study. The planet's distance from the star allows for liquid water and potentially life-supporting conditions.
Researchers studied 15 unusual stars in the Milky Way galaxy, discovering that all have recently undergone a rare phase where one star engulfs another. The findings provide new insight into the sky's most dramatic phenomena and may help answer questions about how stars live and die.
The ngVLA received high priority for construction, with a dense core and signal processing center at the VLA site. The system will have greater sensitivity and resolving power than current facilities, complementing US-ELT and James Webb Space Telescope.
A new study suggests that black holes grow in lockstep with the expanding universe, a phenomenon called cosmological coupling. This idea improves the explanation for large black hole masses observed in gravitational wave observatories.
A recent international workshop aimed to turn plans for a crewed lunar observatory into reality. The workshop, led by Vanderbilt astrophysicist Karan Jani, brought together experts from GW science, planetary science, and lunar exploration to discuss the geophysical properties of the moon and opportunities for observation.
The cost of establishing laboratories to track antimicrobial resistance in Southeast Asian hospitals is substantial, making it challenging for many countries to implement such programs. Financial support is crucial to overcome these costs and provide effective antimicrobial resistance monitoring.
A new study by WMU Professor Michael Famiano and colleagues finds that high magnetic fields in neutron stars can alter the composition of ashes and affect electron capture rates. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of stellar environments and the formation of elements.
The discovery of ionized calcium on the exoplanet WASP-76b suggests that its atmospheric temperature is higher than previously thought or that it has very strong upper atmosphere winds. The research findings are from a multiyear project exploring the diversity of planetary atmospheres using high-resolution spectra obtained with Gemini ...
A new study by LIGO reveals a new type of mirror coating made of titanium oxide and germanium oxide reduces background noise in mirrors by a factor of two. This allows for an eight-fold increase in the volume of space that can be probed, enabling more frequent detection of gravitational waves.
Researchers used ALMA to observe distant galaxies and discovered two new, dusty galaxies near original targets, challenging our understanding of early galaxy formation. The discovery suggests that a significant portion of early galaxies may be hidden from view due to cosmic dust.
Researchers have discovered six early massive galaxies that have run out of fuel, contradicting expectations of the early Universe. The galaxies' cessation of star formation was not caused by inefficiency, but rather depletion or removal of gas reservoirs.
Researchers used gravitational lensing to observe the same exploding star in three different locations and predict a fourth image will appear in the sky by 2037. This study provides an opportunity to explore the expansion of our universe and sheds light on cosmological riddles, including the expansion rate.
Scientists at Carnegie Mellon and University of Washington are developing new software platforms to analyze the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) dataset. The open-source platforms will enable researchers to make sense of big data and address fundamental questions about the universe, such as dark matter and dark energy.
The Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) will be a key tool for answering important scientific questions in astrophysics, offering sensitivity and resolving power 10 times greater than the current VLA. Construction could begin by 2026 with early scientific observations starting in 2029.
Astronomer David Trilling is leading a project to increase readiness of minority researchers for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The $900,000 grant will support research programs for thousands of worldwide scientists, including those from underrepresented communities.
Researchers using ALMA data have observed gas re-accreting onto galaxies affected by ram pressure stripping, potentially slowing down their demise. This process creates unique structures resistant to ram pressure's effects, with mass and a sticky nature that holds onto material more tightly.
Karan Jani's Gravitational-Wave Lunar Observatory for Cosmology aims to analyze black hole and dark matter mergers with unprecedented sensitivity. The moon's environment offers an ideal backdrop for the observatory, lacking atmosphere and seismic noise, making it a crucial step towards discovering new physics.
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a new type of supernova, electron capture supernova, through observations of SN 2018zd. The discovery confirms a prediction made four decades ago and provides new insights into the life and death of stars.
Astronomers observed a massive protostar called Cep A HW2, revealing two distinct features: a wide-angle wind near the star and a highly-collimated jet at a greater distance. The discovery raises questions about the formation mechanisms of stars across different mass spectrums.
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery at the center of our galaxy, revealing an X-ray thread and hinting at a previously unknown interstellar energy source. The findings provide the clearest picture yet of a pair of X-ray-emitting plumes emerging from the region near the massive black hole.
The LISA-Taiji network can constrain the Hubble parameter within 1% accuracy in just 5 years, potentially beating existing errors. Gravitational wave signals from compact binary coalescence offer a novel window for Hubble parameter determination.
The LHAASO observatory detected 12 Ultra-high Energy gamma-ray sources, prompting the presence of active or recent PeVatrons. The team identified possible candidates, including pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants.
Three rapidly rotating brown dwarfs were discovered spinning around their axes once every hour, reaching speeds of about 350,000 kilometers per hour. This extreme rotation rate is ten times faster than Jupiter and poses a risk to the stability of these objects.
Two close quasar pairs are found in distant merging galaxies, separated by just over 10,000 light-years. This discovery provides crucial insight into the existence of supermassive black hole pairs and galaxy mergers in the early Universe.
A new view of the region closest to M87's supermassive black hole reveals important details of magnetic fields and hints at how powerful jets originate. The observations suggest strongly magnetized gas plays a key role in launching energetic jets.
Researchers using the New Vacuum Solar Telescope observed a significant acceleration of magnetic reconnection due to propagating disturbances caused by filament eruptions. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, found that these disturbances led to shorter and brighter current sheets with increased reconnection rates.
The HAWC Gamma Ray Observatory has discovered the origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays in the galaxy, which are traced to the Cygnus OB2 star-forming region. This breakthrough resolves a long-standing question in astrophysics and sheds light on the mechanisms that accelerate these particles to petaelectronVolt energies.
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory uses a one cubic kilometer block of ice in Antarctica to track high-energy particles called neutrinos. The observatory enables the detection of new cosmic events, such as a recent Glashow resonance event detected by IceCube, which validated the Standard Model of particle physics.
Researchers discovered three new FRBs with high dispersion measure from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), indicating they happened billions of years ago. The findings suggest there could be as many as 120,000 detectable FRBs arriving on Earth every day.
Research suggests star clusters like Cygnus Cocoon can accelerate particles to petaelectronvolts, defying supernova theory. Theoretical models propose proton acceleration and search for lower-energy counterpart emission using NASA telescopes.
The Cygnus Cocoon is found to be the most powerful of our galaxy's known natural particle accelerators, with photons recorded from energies up to one hundred teraelectronvolts. The HAWC observatory detected this phenomenon, suggesting that protons accelerated in stellar winds could be responsible for high-energy gamma photon emission.
The team has determined the mass of a rocky planet around the nearby star Gliese 486 using MAROON-X's spectrometer. The exoplanet, called Gliese 486 b, is roughly three times the mass of Earth and has a similar density.
The latest observations from Insight-HXMT have discovered the origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs), revealing they come from soft-gamma repeater (SGR) J1935+2154, a magnetar in our Milky Way. This discovery resolves the longstanding puzzle concerning the origin of FRBs.
Frank G. Schroeder, a University of Delaware assistant professor, has received the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship to study cosmic rays. His research aims to uncover the origins of nature's highest-energy particles, which have sparked upgrades at major cosmic ray observatories.
Astronomers have found a concentration of smaller black holes at the center of the globular cluster NGC 6397, contradicting the long-held assumption of an intermediate-mass black hole. The discovery was made using Hubble data and Gaia space observatory measurements.
Farfarout is the most distant known object in our Solar System, with an orbit taking it 175 au from the Sun at its farthest point. Its discovery provides insights into the history of the outer Solar System and the potential for future interactions with Neptune.
Astronomers have discovered the most distant quasar yet found, J0313-1806, which is 13 billion light-years away and powered by a supermassive black hole. The discovery provides valuable insights into how massive galaxies and their supermassive black holes formed in the early Universe.
The most distant quasar known has been discovered, powered by the earliest known supermassive black hole weighing over 1.6 billion times the mass of the Sun. This fully formed distant quasar is also the earliest yet discovered, providing insight into massive galaxy formation in the early Universe.
Astronomers using ALMA have observed a distant galaxy losing its ability to form stars after ejecting nearly half of its star-forming gas. The galaxy's gas ejection is happening at an alarming rate, equivalent to 10,000 Suns-worth per year.
The VENUS device simulates complex organic molecules in interstellar space conditions by replicating the strong vacuum and frigid temperatures found in space. This allows researchers to better understand how these molecules form and potentially identify prebiotic species involved in early life processes.
The new data includes exceptionally accurate measurements of the 300,000 stars within the closest 326 light years to the Sun. Researchers predict how the star background will change in the next 1.6 million years and confirm that the Solar system is accelerating in its orbit around the Galaxy.
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.
Scientists have confirmed that magnetars, extreme stars with strong magnetic fields, generate fast radio bursts (FRBs). The discoveries were made using four European radio telescopes and provide new insights into the origins of FRBs. The research aims to pin down how these extreme stars create brief blasts of radiation.
A team of astronomers has discovered the first cold brown dwarf using radio observations from the LOFAR telescope and Gemini North. The object, BDR J1750+3809, is a close cousin of Solar System planets like Jupiter and can be used to test theories predicting exoplanet magnetic fields.
The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) detected a weak correlation between fast radio bursts and soft gamma-ray repeater J1935+2154, suggesting a magnetar origin for FRBs. The study provides crucial clues to the generation of FRBs.
For the first time, astronomers have surveyed over 250 million stars in the Milky Way's bulge, measuring their chemical composition and gaining new insights into the galaxy's formation. The data will help scientists understand how the Milky Way formed its central bulge and gain a better understanding of other galaxies.
The team used adaptive optics on the Gemini South telescope to reveal a wealth of detail in the nebula, including unusual structures and evidence for a jet of material ejected from a newly-formed star. The image provides the sharpest view to date of how massive young stars affect their surroundings.
Researchers use NASA's IRIS mission to spot nanojets in the solar corona, revealing a potential coronal heating candidate: nanoflares. The observations confirm that nanojets are a telltale signature of magnetic reconnection and nanoflares contributing to coronal heating.
An international team of astronomers has reported the discovery of a planet, WD 1856 b, orbiting a white dwarf star, which is about seven times larger than the star. The planet's unusual orbit has confirmed previous theories of planetary migration from outer to inner solar systems.