Articles tagged with Observatories
The ESA and NASA's SOHO mission recently observed comet 96P in two separate sessions, offering valuable insights into its composition and interactions with the solar wind. By combining polarization measurements from both missions, scientists can gain a better understanding of the comet's tail particles.
The ALMA discovery reveals two dust belts surrounding Proxima Centauri, one extending four hundred million kilometres from the star and another even farther out. These findings suggest a complex planetary system with multiple planets and potentially offer insights into the formation of the Earth.
A proposed NASA mission employs lobster-eye optics to locate the source of gravitational waves, a key feature in understanding cosmic ripples. The Transient Astrophysics Observatory on the International Space Station aims to characterize and alert other observatories to these events.
Researchers found that spots on the surface of Zeta Puppis, a supergiant star, create large-scale spiral structures in its stellar wind. The team observed periodic signals in the star's light and wind behavior, indicating a link between surface variations and wind clumping.
The Los Alamos team used supercomputers to analyze gravitational wave data from a neutron star merger, confirming the formation of heavy elements beyond iron. The observation also provided the first direct detection of gravitational waves in gamma rays, confirming Einstein's prediction.
For the first time, scientists have detected both gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from the merger of two neutron stars, creating a new black hole. The detection marks the beginning of a new era in multi-messenger space exploration.
An international team detected radio frequency emission from colliding neutron stars, providing the longest-lasting electromagnetic signature. The discovery uses a new VHF/UHF receiver system and VLITE instrument to track the source's evolution.
The Pierre Auger Observatory detects a large-scale anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above 8×10^18 eV, indicating their extragalactic origin. Researchers believe the source region may be located near the Milky Way galaxy.
The Columbia team will use machine learning and advanced techniques to filter out extraneous data and aid in the detection of gravitational waves. With a $1 million NSF grant, they aim to contribute to LIGO's historic breakthroughs and advance understanding of the cosmos.
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.
The Cherenkov Telescope Array's (CTA) updated science case outlines the observatory's major science themes and potential discoveries in astrophysics and fundamental physics. CTA will explore extreme environments, probe cosmic voids, and search for dark matter, with the potential for unexpected breakthroughs.
A decade-long study by the Pierre Auger Collaboration has found six percent greater rate of extragalactic cosmic rays from one side of sky than other, suggesting acceleration sites are outside Milky Way. The observatory's detection provides compelling evidence for extragalactic origin of ultra-high energy cosmic particles.
Research detects 30,000 high-energy particles with energies a million times greater than the LHC, finding that flux from certain regions of the sky is approximately 6% higher than uniform, indicating an extragalactic origin. The Pierre Auger Observatory detects these particles and analyzes their arrival directions.
The Pierre Auger Collaboration has discovered an anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above 8 × 10^18 eV, indicating extragalactic origin. This discovery sheds light on the nature of cosmic rays and their possible sources, with further studies underway to pinpoint the locations.
Researchers have gained a better understanding of the structure of hot jets and accretion disks surrounding black holes at the center of galaxies. They compared data from radio interferometry and Gaia space observatory, discovering discrepancies in object positions that revealed bright jets emitting visible light in many quasars.
A significant solar flare occurred on September 10, 2017, peaking at 12:06 p.m. EDT, causing disturbances in the atmosphere where GPS and communications signals travel. The X8.2-class flare is part of a series of flares from Active Region 2673, which was identified on August 29.
For the first time, astronomers have measured how a galaxy's spin affects its shape, finding that faster-spinning galaxies are flatter and spiral galaxies with faster spins have more circular disks. The study used a new instrument, SAMI, to analyze data from 845 galaxies.
Two significant solar flares were captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on September 6, 2017, with the largest flare peaking at an X9.3 classification. This event had a significant impact on Earth's atmosphere and GPS signals.
A mid-level solar flare was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on September 4, 2017. The M5.5 class flare may cause disturbances in the atmosphere where GPS and communications signals travel.
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 have discovered a unique lensing system that provides the best view yet of blobs of hot gas streaming from supermassive black holes. The discovery allows scientists to see these clumps closer to the central engine of the black hole and in greater detail than before.
The study found that gas-rich galaxies in a cluster are located in the outer part of the cluster. This is the first time such a location differentiation has been observed in a galaxy cluster. The researchers believe that gas loss prevents star formation, leading to a decline in stellar birthrate over time.
A team of scientists from the Lomonosov Moscow State University has successfully detected polarization of intrinsic optical radiation of a gamma-ray burst, providing evidence of a powerful magnetic field around a rapidly rotating black hole. This achievement marks a major breakthrough in understanding these cosmic events.
Researchers use ALMA to capture intricate 3-D rendering of newly formed molecules inside the supernova remnant, revealing previously undetected molecules such as formyl cation and sulfur monoxide. The study provides new insights into the physical instabilities inside a supernova and its impact on the surrounding interstellar space.
A team of scientists has detected the smallest ever recorded movement of an object across the sky, known as angular motion, in a giant galaxy with two supermassive black holes at its center. The movement is thought to be the result of one black hole orbiting around the other over a period of 30,000 years.
Researchers used ALMA to map the magnetic field surrounding a young protostar, finding it was surprisingly weak and wildly disorganized. This discovery suggests that the impact of magnetic fields on star formation is more complex than previously thought.
Astronomers using ALMA have detected the rotation of a massive baby star's outflow, shedding light on how rotational momentum is dissipated. The observation confirms the 'magnetocentrifugal disk wind model,' which suggests that gas in the rotating disk moves outward and upward to form outflows.
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.
Researchers found turbulence caused by colliding galaxy clusters creates hot gas between them, about three times hotter than the sun's core. The team used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio astronomy facility to study the phenomenon.
LIGO has made its third detection of gravitational waves, revealing a new population of black holes with masses up to 49 times that of the sun. The detected black holes were formed by merging pairs and provide clues about their spin directions, which may be non-aligned compared to their orbital motion.
The James Webb Space Telescope is being tested at NASA's Chamber A, a massive thermal vacuum testing chamber that previously tested Apollo moon mission hardware. The chamber has undergone major upgrades to reach extremely low temperatures and conduct precise optical testing.
A team of NASA scientists is using LISA Pathfinder's advanced technology to map the distribution of tiny dust particles in space. By analyzing the spacecraft's response to microscopic dust impacts, they aim to refine models used in various studies, including planet formation and impact risks for spacecraft.
Astronomers have discovered a distant galaxy, MACS1423-z7p64, which is about 13.1 billion years old and falls within the 'Epoch of Reionization.' The team used a giant lens in the sky to magnify its brightness and analyze its spectrum.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images of three mid-level solar flares on April 2-3, 2017. The flares had M-class intensities, with the largest being an M5.8 flare.
Researchers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory detected a brief, intense X-ray flare from a small galaxy 10.7 billion light years away. The source is thought to be either a gamma-ray burst not directed towards Earth or the destruction of a white dwarf star, but its exact nature remains unknown.
A team of scientists has discovered large-scale planetary waves on the Sun, which may influence space weather and offer a new source of predictability. The discovery uses data from multiple satellites to identify and track coronal bright points, revealing bands of magnetized activity that propagate slowly across the Sun.
Researchers directly observed two Milky Way-like galaxies when the universe was eight percent of its current age, surrounded by massive hydrogen gas halos. The galaxies are forming stars at moderate rates and already rotating, similar to today's giant spiral galaxies.
A massive protostar underwent an intense growth spurt, reshaping its surroundings and emitting nearly 100 times more light. This event supports the theory that young stars can experience dramatic growth spurts, which may be triggered by star-forming gas crashing onto their surfaces.
Alan Dressler, chair of the AURA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Beyond Committee, received the 2017 Carl Sagan Memorial Award for his leadership in research and policies advancing exploration of the Cosmos. The award recognizes the committee's influential report that led to the development of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Researchers are developing micro-optical systems to efficiently rearrange starlight and enable high-precision measurements of cosmic objects. The technology targets use on large telescopes to search for earth-like planets and determine atmospheric composition.
Caltech's Stan Whitcomb, a key figure in LIGO's development, will share insights into the project's groundbreaking discovery. He'll discuss how the detection confirmed Einstein's general theory of relativity and opened up new avenues for astronomy. The talk also touches on the technical challenges faced by LIGO detectors.
The Reference Catalog of Galaxy SEDs (RCSED) contains value-added information about 800,000 galaxies, derived from the elaborated data analysis. The catalog presents properties such as stellar composition, brightness at various wavelengths, and galaxy spectra obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
Astrophysicist Hai Fu aims to study the late stages of merging galaxies and observe supermassive black holes' accretion using a large chunk of the night sky. The research project will use radio-emission maps and optical observations to confirm findings.
Researchers have mapped gases in three dark rings around a distant star, indicating the presence of planets that are clearing dust and gas from the outer rings. However, one inner ring remains mysterious, with more carbon monoxide than expected, leaving scientists to investigate alternative explanations for its formation.
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.
Astronomers using Kepler and Swift missions discover 18 stars that rotate rapidly, producing X-ray emissions at more than 100 times the sun's level. These stars are believed to have formed from the merger of two sun-like stars in close binary systems.
A rare triple-star system has been discovered by a University of Oklahoma-led research team using ALMA observations, providing insights into the formation of young binary and multiple star systems. The team found that the disk surrounding the tri-star system appeared susceptible to fragmentation, leading to the creation of newborn stars.
Scientists have observed a young stellar system fragmenting into multiple stars, supporting two theories on star formation: disk fragmentation and cloud instability. The discovery was made using ALMA and VLA observations of the L1448 IRS3B system in the Perseus constellation.
Scientists have tracked a particular kind of solar wave as it swept upward from the sun's surface through its atmosphere, adding to our understanding of how solar material travels throughout the sun. The study provides a novel tool for scientists to study the atmosphere of the sun and sheds light on the coronal heating problem.
Astronomers have detected a 'hot molecular core,' a cocoon of molecules surrounding a newborn massive star, for the first time outside our Galaxy. This discovery reveals significantly different chemical compositions compared to similar objects in our own Galaxy, suggesting potential difficulties in producing large organic species.
Researchers at Southwest Research Institute successfully demonstrated a low-cost miniature solar observatory on a six-hour high-altitude balloon mission. The SwRI Solar Instrument Pointing Platform (SSIPP) collected data on solar soundwaves, which are undetectable by ground-based observatories due to their high frequency.
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.
An international team of astronomers has found a huge region around the centre of the Milky Way devoid of young stars, indicating a lack of star formation. This 'Cepheid desert' stretches for thousands of light years and challenges our understanding of the Galaxy's formation and evolution.
Astronomers have observed a water 'snowline' in a protoplanetary disk using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope. The snowline marks the transition point where temperatures and pressures are low enough for water ice to form, and its distance from the star was found to be approximately 40 astronomical units.
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.
Data from Japan's Hitomi X-ray satellite shows that supermassive black holes play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies, regulating their growth by releasing energy that keeps plasma hot. This heat prevents galaxies from forming new stars and becoming even larger.
Sweden's biggest contribution yet to the SKA has passed a major milestone with the delivery of an advanced feed horn for testing in Canada. The sensitive instrument will help astronomers map out the history of the universe and make measurements surpassing today's radio telescopes.
A team of astronomers used ALMA to observe a cluster of towering intergalactic gas clouds raining in on the supermassive black hole at the center of an elliptical galaxy. The new findings reshape our understanding of how supermassive black holes feed, revealing a previously unknown process known as cold, chaotic accretion.