Articles tagged with Celestial Bodies
A team of astronomers has discovered an extremely bright and red spot in the early universe, which they believe is a mashup of a black hole and a star. The object, dubbed a 'black hole star,' would help solve the mystery of other mysterious 'little red dots' found in deep-space images.
Astronomers have discovered the earliest known 'black hole star,' which may explain how billion-solar-mass black holes formed in the early Universe. The object, dubbed MoM-BH*-1, exhibits properties normally associated with stars, resolving a long-standing challenge in understanding mysterious 'little red dots'.
Researchers from Kyushu University found that low-density gas contributes to hub growth through direct inflow and by replenishing nearby dense filaments, substantially underestimating the material available for massive star formation. The study's combined analysis of dense and diffuse gas increased estimated material flowing onto hubs ...
The study provides the largest, most uniform spectroscopic follow-up of X-ray sources ever assembled, capturing tens of thousands of X-ray-emitting galaxy clusters. It reveals that rapidly growing giant black holes were surprisingly common in the early Universe and more 'hidden' black holes have been uncovered.
Researchers developed a method to detect water ice on the moon using seismic waves, which can travel faster through frozen soil. This discovery is critical for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to send crewed landings to the moon's south polar region in 2028.
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has released its 20th data set, featuring over three million spectra of stars and galaxies, as well as 18 new value-added catalogs. This release marks a significant expansion of the survey's efforts, integrating full all-sky panoptic spectroscopy across both hemispheres.
Researchers used machine learning to identify seven rare quasar candidates from a list of 800,000 quasars. The discovery offers an opportunity to expand knowledge of how quasars and their host galaxies work, as well as understanding our own galaxy's evolution.
Researchers reveal that missing ordinary matter exists in diffuse clouds surrounding galaxy groups, extending beyond predicted distances. The findings suggest stronger and more violent star activity and black hole jets, pushing matter to larger scales.
Researchers analyze the 'ringdown' phase of black hole collisions to test Einstein's theory of General Relativity and uncover secrets about these mysterious objects. Future observatories may reveal fresh evidence for new physics and challenge current models.
Astronomers have detected an atmosphere on a rocky planet, LHS 1140 b, in the habitable zone of its host star, which is consistent with conditions for liquid water and potentially life. The discovery was made using the WINERED spectrograph on the Magellan Clay telescope and reveals helium escaping from the upper atmosphere.
Researchers directly observed four white dwarf stars orbiting double star systems in our cosmic backyard. The new results revealed that each system had a red dwarf companion, which was hiding the white dwarf's light. This discovery allows researchers to update the local white dwarf census within 20 parsecs of Earth.
A team of researchers from Kyushu University and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have detected ambipolar diffusion in a prestellar core, weakening magnetic support and leading to gravitational collapse. This finding provides insight into early star formation and the creation of stellar systems like our own.
Researchers have discovered two rare 'super-puff' planets with densities lower than candy floss, orbiting an F7-type dwarf star. The study provides a unique laboratory for understanding how these planets form and evolve, offering insights into their extremely low densities.
Astronomers have detected the [O I] 145 µm emission line in four typical star-forming galaxies, which serves as a clear tracer of neutral gas. This detection provides unprecedented detail on the physical and chemical conditions of star-forming material in these distant galaxies.
The discovery reveals a surprisingly mature black hole at just 850 million years old, with an accretion disk resembling a flat pancake. This challenges the understanding of how supermassive black holes can grow and mature in a short amount of cosmic time.
Researchers have discovered the most distant dormant black hole yet detected, located over 10 billion light years away. The black hole's mass is approximately 6 billion times that of the sun, providing unprecedented insights into black holes in the early universe.
A team of astronomers used JWST to detect the motion of stars near a galaxy's center affected by a dormant black hole's gravity. The findings suggest that densest galaxies were sites of rapid black hole growth early in cosmic history.
Researchers have discovered the fastest wind near a supermassive black hole at ultraviolet wavelengths, driven by the quasar's surrounding matter disc. The wind's velocity is up to 30% the speed of light, making it unlike any hurricane on Earth.
Researchers at Texas A&M University are designing how humans will build and survive on the moon, focusing on sustainable construction using lunar regolith. The institution's efforts aim to reduce costs associated with shipping materials to the moon, making it possible to produce rocket propellant locally.
Researchers use helioseismology to track sound waves inside the Sun, finding a gradual change in structure just beneath the surface that spans multiple cycles. This discovery reveals a shift towards more tightly confined magnetic activity near the surface, with implications for space weather predictions.
The GWTC-5.0 catalog includes 161 new gravitational wave events detected between April 10, 2024 and January 28, 2025, bringing the total number of confirmed events to 390.
False-negative results may lead to overlooking environments that could harbor life beyond current detection capabilities. Researchers emphasize the need for targeted research strategies, combining laboratory experiments with modeling research and fieldwork to address these risks.
Researchers at MIT and Europe create model predicting gravitational wave patterns from black holes in dark matter environments, detecting possible imprints on LVK data. The study offers a new way to screen gravitational-wave signals for hints of dark matter.
Researchers found amino acids are consistently more diverse and evenly distributed in biological samples than abiotic ones, while fatty acids show the opposite pattern. This fundamental principle of life may be detectable in data collected by space missions.
A team of astronomers has produced the most detailed map of the cosmic web, tracing its network of galaxies back to one billion years old. The COSMOS-Web survey, conducted with the largest JWST survey, reveals a more informative large-scale structure than earlier maps.
An international team of astronomers, led by Daniela Calzetti, has observed the 'natal clouds' surrounding young star clusters for the first time. The study reveals that massive star clusters disperse their gaseous shroud faster and light up their galaxy earlier than smaller ones.
A team of researchers at Kyoto University used NICER and Hisaki to study a superflare on the star UX Arietis, finding that photoionization is the dominant mechanism behind the iron Kα line. This discovery provides a diagnostic tool for astronomers to infer flare locations on stellar surfaces.
The new facility enables scientists to observe and measure detonation forces in unprecedented detail, shedding light on industrial safety risks and potential breakthroughs. Researchers aim to develop safer designs and protocols by examining detonation disasters like the Buncefield Fire.
Researchers detected ink and diamond fragments in Martian meteorites, highlighting the need to improve sample preparation protocols. The study proposes remedial actions to minimize contamination and ensure accurate characterization of extraterrestrial materials.
A study suggests that self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) can explain unusual gravitational effects observed in various astrophysical environments. Dense clumps of SIDM can account for high-density structures in the universe, providing a promising candidate for explaining small-scale cosmic structure.
Astronomers have identified a metal-poor star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is almost entirely hydrogen and helium with trace amounts of carbon and iron. Studying this low-mass star can help clarify our understanding of the first generation of stars, called Population III stars.
Astronomers have discovered an ancient immigrant star in the Milky Way that formed in a companion galaxy and migrated billions of years ago. The star, SDSSJ0715-7334, has the lowest metallicity ever observed, suggesting it is one of the oldest stars in the universe.
Astronomers have identified the most pristine star in the known universe, SDSS J0715-7334, with a metal content of less than 0.005%. This ancient immigrant was born about 80,000 light-years from Earth and has been pulled into the Milky Way galaxy over time.
Researchers from Kyushu University used ALMA to observe a baby star producing a giant ring of gas about 1,000 au in size, which helps the star release excess energy. The team found that this ring is slightly warmer than its surroundings and hypothesize it's produced through magnetic field threading.
Researchers have confirmed that giant planets like Saturn operate under a unique magnetospheric regime, with a shifted cusp location due to its rapid rotation. This discovery alters models of magnetic reconnection and high-energy particle acceleration, revealing new insights into Saturn's auroral activity.
Researchers from ISTA identify two white dwarfs, Gandalf and Moon-Sized, which share five properties, including X-ray emission, despite being isolated objects. These discoveries suggest the existence of a new class of star remnants with unique magnetic and rotational properties.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has found that asteroid Bennu's boulders are cracked, not porous as initially thought. This discovery transforms our understanding of how to interpret an asteroid's thermal properties from Earth-based observations.
A new class of molten planet has been discovered, with a permanent ocean of magma and a unique composition of heavy sulphur molecules. This exoplanet, L 98-59 d, is unlike any known planet in our Solar System and may be the first of its kind in the galaxy.
A team of astronomers has detected rare evidence of two planets colliding, which could provide valuable insights into the formation of our solar system. The unlikely event was observed in a distant star, Gaia20ehk, which was found to have massive amounts of rocks and dust passing in front of it, blocking its light.
Asteroids in binary systems actively exchange rocks and dust through gentle, slow-motion collisions, reshaping them over millions of years. The DART mission's findings confirm the YORP effect, where sunlight makes small asteroids spin faster, causing material to fly off their surfaces.
The latest catalog more than doubles the number of gravitational-wave detections made by LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA observatories, revealing a kaleidoscope of cosmic collisions. The LVK's Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog-4.0 comprises 128 new detections from a nine-month period.
Researchers analyzed over 40 years of astronomical data to find detectable changes inside the Sun during four quiet periods. The study reveals that even small differences in solar magnetic activity produce measurable changes in the Sun's internal structure.
A team of astronomers led by UMass Amherst has discovered a population of dusty, star-forming galaxies at the edge of the universe, formed 13 billion years ago. These galaxies are linked to ultrabright, young galaxies and massive quiescent galaxies, providing new insights into galaxy evolution.
Researchers discovered a star in the Andromeda Galaxy that vanished without going supernova, instead collapsing directly into a black hole. The team's analysis revealed the process of stellar collapse and provided evidence for convection's role in shaping a black hole's outer layers.
Astronomers at UCLA and UCSD have discovered hydrogen sulfide in the atmospheres of four distant gas giant planets orbiting HR 8799, confirming their planetary status. The detection uses a new data analysis technique that will improve the search for life on other planets.
A University of Arizona-led research team has measured the dynamics and ever-changing hot gas shell from where the solar wind originates. The study helps scientists answer fundamental questions about energy and matter moving through the heliosphere, affecting space weather events and planetary orbits.
Variations in Earth's gravity field on interannual to decadal timescales reveal discrepancies that cannot be fully explained by surface processes. Comparative analyses of gravity and magnetic field data reveal a close connection between the two systems, with periodic signals associated with core mass transfer.
A team of astronomers using the WEAVE instrument discovered a bar-shaped cloud of iron atoms inside the iconic Ring Nebula. The iron bar is roughly 500 times longer than Pluto's orbit and has a mass comparable to Mars, raising questions about its formation and composition.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have explained the mysterious 'red dots' seen in James Webb Space Telescope images as young black holes. The discovery provides insight into how the universe's first black holes were born and sheds light on their early development.
Astronomers have created a naturally occurring space weather station around complex periodic variable M dwarf stars to study the environment of planets. This discovery sheds new light on how stars affect their planets' makeup and might provide clues about the habitability of distant worlds.
Researchers at NJIT's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research have pinpointed a previously unknown class of high-energy particles in the Sun's upper atmosphere responsible for generating intense gamma-ray signals during major solar flare events. These particles, energized to millions of electron volts, are linked to bremsstrahlung emissi...
Researchers identified nine objects with characteristics of stars and galaxies, sparking new questions about the cosmos. These 'platypus galaxies' have narrow emission lines indicative of active star formation, defying expectations.
Researchers will use revolutionary technology to transform understanding of extreme environments, revealing how black holes behave and evolve. The project aims to deliver dynamic gravitational tomography, creating 3D movies showing plasma flows around black holes.
Scientists have found that active galactic nuclei are two to six times more common in merging galaxies than non-merging counterparts. Galaxy mergers were most strongly associated with bright, dust-cloaked supermassive black holes linked to rapid growth.
Researchers reanalyze Cassini mission data to find that Titan's interior is more icy and slushy than previously thought, with implications for the search for life on Titan. The new findings suggest a slushy layer instead of an ocean, which could facilitate the growth of simple organisms.
Scientists have discovered a rare superkilonova event, which may have produced gravitational waves and light, as detected by LIGO and Virgo. The candidate kilonova AT2025ulz showed signs of a supernova before fading and brightening again in red wavelengths.
A team of astronomers used NASA's JWST to reveal an alien atmosphere in the ancient, ultra-hot super-Earth TOI-561 b. The planet's thick atmosphere is upending conventional wisdom about ultra-short-period planets, and its composition could be representative of planets that formed when the universe was relatively young.
Researchers detect strong evidence for an atmosphere on ultra-hot super-Earth TOI-561 b, challenging the idea that small planets can't sustain atmospheres. The planet's unusually low density is explained by a thick volatile-rich atmosphere that circulates heat and cools the nightside.
The K-DRIFT pathfinder telescope, a compact off-axis freeform three-mirror system, has been developed to capture faint galactic structures. With its improved performance, the telescope achieves higher resolution and sharper images, paving the way for uncovering the hidden history of galaxy formation and evolution.
A new study on TRAPPIST-1's flares could help scientists unravel how the star shapes its nearby planets, potentially in drastic ways. The researchers used observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and computer simulations to understand the physics behind TRAPPIST-1's temper tantrums.