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Unravelling the mystery of gamma-ray bursts

Researchers at Cardiff University are exploring a new method to detect the origins of gamma-ray bursts using giant space 'microphones' that can pick up gravitational waves created by black holes. By analyzing these waves, scientists may uncover information about the mass and collision history of star and black hole systems.

SourceCardiff University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateNov 20, 2014

A jettisoned black hole?

Researchers have identified an enigmatic object named SDSS1133, which could be a recoiling black hole ejected from its parent galaxy. The discovery, made using high-precision equipment and observations with the Hubble Space Telescope, presents a unique opportunity to study gravitational waves and their detection.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateNov 19, 2014

NASA's Swift mission probes an exotic object: 'Kicked' black hole or mega star?

Researchers analyzing decades of observations detect an unusual source of light in a galaxy, with properties suggesting it could be a supermassive black hole ejected from its home galaxy. Alternatively, the object might have been a rare type of star known as a Luminous Blue Variable that underwent prolonged eruptions.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateNov 19, 2014
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Research reveals the real cause of death for some starburst galaxies

Astronomers find compact, young galaxies shut down their prodigious star production due to a lack of cool dense gas, rather than supermassive black holes. The energy from the star formation itself creates a shortage of gas within the galaxy.

SourceUniversity of Kansas·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateNov 13, 2014

UCLA astronomers solve puzzle about bizarre object at the center of our galaxy

A team led by Andrea Ghez determined that G2 is most likely a pair of binary stars that had been orbiting the black hole in tandem and merged together into an extremely large star. The research suggests that many of the stars at the center of the galaxy are massive and mostly binaries.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateNov 3, 2014

Tremendously bright pulsar may be 1 of many

Astronomers have discovered a pulsar that emits an incredible amount of energy, shining brighter than previously thought possible. This find challenges the previous assumption that ultra-luminous X-ray sources are likely black holes.

SourceThe Kavli Foundation·JournalNature·DateOct 27, 2014

Lucky star escapes black hole with minor damage

Astronomers at Ohio State University have observed a star narrowly escaping capture by a supermassive black hole, releasing only a small portion of its mass. The event, known as a tidal disruption event (TDE), provides valuable insights into the growth and behavior of black holes in the universe.

SourceOhio State University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 23, 2014

Big black holes can block new stars

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that massive black holes can block the formation of new stars in mature galaxies. The study suggests that these jets of radio-frequency feedback streaming from central black holes prevent hot gas from cooling and collapsing into baby stars.

SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 21, 2014
Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

Inside the Milky Way

Researchers analyzed images from the Russian spacecraft RadioAstron and found small spots in the overall image, which they call substructure. This phenomenon can be used to infer the actual size of the underlying source, including the black hole's emission region.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateOct 13, 2014

Dead star shines on

Astronomers have discovered a pulsating, dead star beaming with the energy of about 10 million suns. Pulsars are dense stellar remnants leftover from supernovas, and this one is the brightest ever recorded.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory·JournalNature·DateOct 9, 2014

Hungry black hole eats faster than thought possible

Astronomers discovered a black hole named P13 that is consuming gas from a nearby star 10 times faster than previously thought possible. The black hole is ingesting a weight equivalent to 100 billion billion hot dogs every minute.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalNature·DateOct 8, 2014

NuSTAR discovers impossibly bright dead star

Astronomers using NASA's NuSTAR telescope have discovered a pulsar in the Cigar Galaxy, emitting energy about 100 times brighter than predicted. This finding challenges long-held assumptions about ultraluminous X-ray sources and may lead to re-evaluation of other objects previously thought to be black holes.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalNature·DateOct 8, 2014
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.

Finding hints of gravitational waves in the stars

Researchers have found that stars that oscillate at the same frequency as gravitational waves can absorb energy from those waves and brighten temporarily. This effect could provide scientists with another method to indirectly detect gravitational waves.

SourceAmerican Museum of Natural History·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateSep 22, 2014

Smallest known galaxy with a supermassive black hole

Researchers found a tiny galaxy, M60-UCD1, hosting a supermassive black hole with a mass of 21 million suns. The discovery suggests many ultracompact dwarf galaxies may contain huge black holes. The team used Gemini North and Hubble Space Telescope observations to estimate the black hole's mass.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalNature·DateSep 17, 2014
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Big surprises can come in small packages

Astronomers using Hubble have found the smallest known galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center. The galaxy, M60-UCD1, has a diameter of just 300 light-years and contains 140 million stars, yet it harbors a massive black hole weighing five times that of the Milky Way's central black hole.

SourceESA/Hubble Information Centre·JournalNature·DateSep 17, 2014

Mysterious quasar sequence explained

New research from Carnegie Institution solves a 20-year puzzle in quasar research by demonstrating that the Eddington ratio is the driving force behind the main sequence of quasars. The study also reveals the importance of an astronomer's line-of-sight orientation in observing fast-moving gas innermost to the black hole.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalNature·DateSep 10, 2014
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Fascinating rhythm: Light pulses illuminate a rare black hole

Astronomers have accurately measured a rare black hole about 400 times the mass of our sun in a galaxy 12 million light years from Earth. The finding confirms the existence of intermediate-mass black holes, which were previously disputed due to lack of data.

SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalNature·DateAug 17, 2014

All-you-can-eat at the end of the universe

Researchers propose a solution for the rapid growth of ancient quasars, where small black holes zigzagged through dense gas streams, pulling in material and feeding on it rapidly. This mechanism allowed the black holes to grow at an exponential rate, eventually leading to massive growth rates.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalScience·DateAug 11, 2014

Astrophysicists detect destruction of 3 stars by black holes

Researchers from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have reported detecting three possible occasions of star destruction by supermassive black holes at galaxy centers. Using data from X-ray orbiting observatories ROSAT and XMM-Newton, they identified three X-ray sources with significant dimming, suggesting the death of a star i...

SourceMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateAug 9, 2014
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Black hole trio holds promise for gravity wave hunt

Astronomers have discovered three closely orbiting supermassive black holes in a galaxy over four billion light years away. The system's tight configuration suggests that these closely-packed black holes are far more common than previously thought.

SourceUniversity of Oxford·JournalNature·DateJun 25, 2014

Swiftly moving gas streamer eclipses supermassive black hole

An international team of astronomers discovered a clumpy gas stream flowing quickly outward and blocking 90 percent of the X-rays emitted by the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy NGC 5548. The researchers believe this activity provides new insights into the interaction of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalScience·DateJun 19, 2014

Swiftly moving gas streamer eclipses supermassive black hole

Researchers have discovered a rapidly moving gas streamer blocking X-rays from the galaxy's nucleus, indicating a significant decrease in radiation. This phenomenon may regulate the growth of both the supermassive black hole and its host galaxy.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalScience·DateJun 19, 2014
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Swiftly moving gas streamer eclipses supermassive black hole

Researchers detected a clumpy gas stream flowing quickly outwards and blocking X-rays emitted by the supermassive black hole. The discovery provides direct evidence for the shielding process that accelerates powerful gas streams, offering insights into how black holes interact with their host galaxies.

SourceESA/Hubble Information Centre·JournalScience·DateJun 19, 2014

Black hole 'batteries' keep blazars going and going

Astronomers have found evidence that two classes of blazars represent different sides of the same cosmic coin, with one class being a gas-guzzling car and the other an energy-efficient electric vehicle. The team's redshift survey revealed that FSRQs began to decline while BL Lacs increased in numbers around 5.6 billion years ago.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJun 3, 2014
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Clues about black hole formation

Researchers have detected circularly polarized light from a recently formed black hole, confirming a theoretical model. The discovery was made using the VLT telescope and is considered an extraordinary event due to its high degree of polarization.

SourceUniversidad del País Vasco·JournalNature·DateMay 7, 2014

Nearest bright 'hypervelocity star' found

Astronomers have found the closest, second-brightest hypervelocity star, speeding at 1 million mph. The star probes the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center and the halo of mysterious dark matter, providing insights into the galaxy's structure.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMay 6, 2014

Astronomers observe corkscrew nature of light from a distant black hole

Researchers measured circular polarisation in the bright flash of light from a dying star collapsing to a black hole, giving insight into an event that occurred 11 billion years ago. This discovery challenges current understanding of Gamma-ray Bursts and suggests a more complex mechanism for their formation.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalNature·DateApr 30, 2014
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Entire star cluster thrown out of its galaxy

Researchers found a runaway star cluster named HVGC-1 in the M87 galaxy, moving at over two million miles per hour. The cluster was likely flung out of the galaxy by supermassive black holes at its core.

SourceCenter for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateApr 30, 2014

Cosmic slurp

Cosmic slurp: Researchers used NSF XSEDE supercomputers to simulate tidal disruptions of stars by supermassive black holes, predicting their observational signatures. This will help advance our understanding of galactic physics and properties of supermassive black holes.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center·DateApr 14, 2014

Watching for a black hole to gobble up a gas cloud

Researchers at Northwestern University are observing the closest approach between Sgr A*, a supermassive black hole, and gas cloud G2, which could reveal insights into black hole growth. The data from Chandra X-ray Observatory and Very Large Array may provide clues about the feeding habits of these massive objects.

SourceNorthwestern University·DateApr 3, 2014

Simple, like a neutron star

Researchers at SISSA have discovered that neutron stars can be described with just three parameters: mass, angular momentum, and quadrupole moment, independent of the equation of state. This finding has major implications for understanding these complex objects.

SourceInternational School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 25, 2014

Plugging the hole in Hawking's black hole theory

Physicist Chris Adami has solved the information paradox in Hawking's black hole theory by introducing the concept of stimulated emission. According to Adami, the information swallowed by a black hole is copied and preserved outside the event horizon through stimulated emission.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalClassical and Quantum Gravity·DateMar 24, 2014
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

New fast and furious black hole found

Astronomers have found a new superpowered small black hole named MQ1 in galaxy M83, which is classed as a microquasar with jets that heat and sweep away surrounding gas. The discovery sheds light on early universe evolution and provides insight into the growth of quasars.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalScience·DateFeb 27, 2014

RXTE reveals the cloudy cores of active galaxies

Astronomers using data from NASA's RXTE satellite discovered a dozen cloud events where gas clouds moved across the line of sight, dimming X-ray light produced by supermassive black holes in active galaxies. The study triples previous cloud event counts and provides new insights into the environments around supermassive black holes.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 19, 2014

Clouds seen circling supermassive black holes

Astronomers have observed huge clouds of gas circling supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, revealing a previously unknown phenomenon. These clouds can intermittently dim X-ray sources, providing evidence for their existence and confirming predictions made by recent models.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 19, 2014

When a black hole shreds a star, a bright flare tells the story

Researchers used computer simulations to explore the destruction of a star by a black hole, finding that hydrogen lines are highly ionized and don't appear in spectra. The study provides new insights into the origin of emission lines in tidal disruption events and sheds light on the role of accretion disks.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Cruz·DateFeb 18, 2014

First 2014 Golden Goose Award to physicist Larry Smarr

Larry Smarr, a physicist at the University of California, San Diego, has been awarded the first 2014 Golden Goose Award for his work on black hole collisions that led to a US supercomputing revolution. His team's creation of NCSA Mosaic, a precursor to web browsers, enabled modern graphical Web browsing.

SourceAssociation of American Universities·DateFeb 15, 2014
Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

New study finds early universe 'warmed up' later than previously believed

A Tel Aviv University study suggests that cosmic heating occurred later than previously believed, allowing astronomers to detect the earliest black holes by searching for radio waves in space. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of the universe's origins and the history of cosmic expansion.

SourceAmerican Friends of Tel Aviv University·JournalNature·DateFeb 5, 2014

'Spooky action' builds a wormhole between 'entangled' quantum particles

Researchers at the University of Washington and Stony Brook University have discovered a potential link between quantum entanglement and wormholes. The study suggests that entangled particles may be connected by hypothetical features of space-time that could facilitate faster-than-light travel.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 3, 2013

Fast, furious, refined: Smaller black holes can eat plenty

A team of astronomers has made a surprising finding about smaller black holes, discovering they can eat matter in an orderly fashion. The black hole in question is surprisingly lightweight and swallows its material at close to its theoretical limits, producing high-energy X-rays.

SourceGemini Observatory·JournalNature·DateNov 27, 2013
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

NSF supports extreme black hole research at RIT with $525,000 grant

Scientists at Rochester Institute of Technology will simulate extreme black holes with support from a $525,000 grant. Their contributions will help advance the international effort to confirm the existence of gravitational waves and black holes, anticipating new field discoveries.

SourceRochester Institute of Technology·DateNov 25, 2013

Black hole jets pack a powerful punch

Researchers have found evidence of iron and nickel in the jets from a typical black hole, revealing that these heavy atoms carry more energy than lighter particles. This discovery suggests that black holes' accretion disks power jets, which could generate detectable gamma rays and neutrinos.

SourceCSIRO Australia·JournalNature·DateNov 24, 2013

Black hole birth captured by cosmic voyeurs

Los Alamos scientists observed an extraordinary cosmic event, a black hole birth, with advanced telescopes that yielded detailed data on the event's energy levels and 'afterglow.' The rare occurrence tested long-held assumptions about the universe, revealing higher-than-theoretically-possible energy levels for gamma rays.

SourceDOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory·JournalScience·DateNov 21, 2013
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Cosmic finding ushers in 'new age of astronomy'

Researchers at the University of Delaware part of an international team that observed 28 high-energy particle events coming from cosmic accelerators, possibly exploding stars or accreting black holes. The discovery marks the first solid evidence of neutrinos originating from sources outside our solar system.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalScience·DateNov 21, 2013

Astronomers reveal contents of mysterious black hole jets

A team of astronomers discovered that black hole jets contain ordinary atoms, including nickel and iron, which provide the positive charge. The jets are accelerated to high speeds, with some moving at 66% of the speed of light, revealing new insights into their formation.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalNature·DateNov 13, 2013

From 1 collapsing star, 2 black holes form and fuse

Researchers propose a new model for supermassive black hole growth involving 'seed' black holes formed from early stars. A single collapsing star can produce a pair of black holes that merge, resolving the issue of their rapid formation in the young universe.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 6, 2013
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Suzaku study points to early cosmic 'seeding'

Researchers found iron concentration is uniform across Perseus Galaxy Cluster, indicating widespread dispersal of heavy elements in the early universe. The team attributes this to supernova explosions and active black holes, suggesting a period of intense cosmic activity.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalNature·DateOct 31, 2013

Gravitational waves 'know' how black holes grow

A recent study using gravitational wave data from the Parkes radio telescope has challenged existing theories on supermassive black hole growth. The researchers tested four models of black-hole growth against observational data, effectively ruling out one model and pushing others to re-evaluate their predictions.

SourceCSIRO Australia·JournalScience·DateOct 22, 2013

Gravitational waves help understand black-hole weight gain

Researchers used gravitational wave data to test models of supermassive black hole growth, ruling out one model and leaving three others as possibilities. The study provides new insights into the growth of massive black holes, shedding light on a long-standing astronomical question.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalScience·DateOct 17, 2013
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Do black holes have hair?

According to a new hypothesis, black holes may have distinct features, dubbed 'hair', which are influenced by the surrounding matter. This concept contradicts the traditional 'bald' model proposed by Roy Kerr in 1963.

SourceInternational School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 30, 2013

NASA's Hubble and Chandra find evidence for densest nearby galaxy

Astronomers have found the most crowded galaxy in our part of the universe, M60-UCD1, packed with an extraordinary number of stars. The ultra-compact dwarf galaxy is estimated to be about 10 billion years old and has a density of stars about 15,000 times greater than Earth's neighborhood.

SourceChandra X-ray Center·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateSep 24, 2013