Articles tagged with Interstellar Space
Researchers observe star fragments plowing through surrounding gas, tracing the recycling process that supplies raw materials for new planets and stars. The study offers a glimpse into the potential fate of our Sun, which will shed its outer layers and return material to the Milky Way.
Astronomers have discovered water molecules in the envelope of star IRS 3, located near the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. The star's enormous envelope, fueled by rapid mass loss, has allowed water to thrive in its vicinity. This finding suggests that Sgr A* is being enriched with fundamental building blocks of life.
The Local Volume Mapper is capturing light to reveal the physics and chemistry of stellar birthplaces across vast expanses of the sky in unprecedented detail. Astronomers are analyzing specific spectral lines to map the precise temperature, density, chemical abundance, and motion of interstellar gas.
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 analyzed the composition of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing high carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios indicative of an outer solar system origin. The findings suggest 3I/ATLAS may be over twice as old as the Sun, shedding light on the formation history of this ancient celestial body.
Astronomers have successfully observed the previously elusive 'event horizon' of a black hole at the moment of collision, allowing for new insights into quantum physics and general relativity. This breakthrough enables astrophysicists to study extreme gravity and phenomena like frame dragging near the event horizon.
Scientists at the SETI Institute searched for technological signals from 3I/ATLAS, a natural comet-like object from another star system. Despite extensive scanning, no technosignatures were detected, setting new constraints on the power of any radio transmitter on or near 3I/ATLAS.
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.
Researchers studied the unique planet using James Webb Space Telescope data, finding an atmosphere similar to Jupiter's, mostly composed of hydrogen and helium. The exoplanet orbits its star at just six Earth days, moving four times faster than Mercury around our sun.
The Subaru Telescope observed comet 3I/ATLAS after its closest approach to the Sun, revealing a lower carbon dioxide to water ratio than earlier space telescope observations. This finding indicates that the comet's chemistry is evolving over time.
A Sydney PhD student has recreated a tiny piece of the Universe inside a bottle in her laboratory, producing cosmic dust from scratch. The results shed new light on how the chemical building blocks of life may have formed long before Earth existed.
Researchers mapped the northern sky across different radio frequencies to create a high-quality dataset of the galaxy's magnetic field structure. The data provides insight into how the magnetic field evolved and includes a new three-dimensional model for the reversal in the Sagittarius Arm.
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.
Researchers found that reionization-driven turbulence can power the turbulent dynamo, amplifying weak magnetic fields over time. This mechanism relies on established physics rather than exotic particles or forces, explaining the origin of intergalactic magnetic fields.
The UVS instrument collected data on the comet's composition, including oxygen, hydrogen, and dust-related features. The unique sunward viewpoint provided a downstream view of the comet's tails, allowing researchers to gain insights into its geometries.
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 studied the effects of two hot stars, Epsilon and Beta Canis Majoris, on the local interstellar clouds around our solar system. The team found that these stars' ultraviolet radiation ionized about 20% of the hydrogen atoms and 40% of the helium atoms in the clouds.
Astronomers detected faint 'starquakes' in the companion star of Gaia BH2, allowing them to measure its core properties with remarkable precision. The star's makeup contradicts its age, suggesting it acquired extra mass from a companion through a merger.
The NASA IMAP mission aims to explore the boundary of the heliosphere, where solar material collides with interstellar space. The SwRI-developed CoDICE sensor will measure the distribution and composition of interstellar pickup ions.
The SwRI-built Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) and Space Weather Follow-On Magnetometer (SWFO-MAG) will capture real-time data on solar wind and magnetic field changes to monitor space weather phenomena. This data will support NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center and help predict potential impacts on Earth's magnetic field.
Scientists have developed a new device to probe the existence of dark matter particles across a wide mass range below one mega electron volt. The QROCODILE experiment uses an improved superconducting nanowire single-photon detector to detect changes in direction, which can help filter out non-dark-matter events.
A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) study proposes a mission to fly by an interstellar comet, providing insights into its properties. The mission aims to determine the comet's physical and compositional properties, as well as its nature of coma.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the sharpest-ever picture of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, allowing astronomers to estimate its size and physical properties. The comet's solid, icy nucleus is estimated to be between 1,000 feet and 3.5 miles across.
A new study by Dartmouth astronomers has mapped 355 candidate satellite galaxies around dwarf galaxies, tripling the number previously surveyed. The researchers aim to understand how external conditions influence satellite formation and uncover insights into dark matter's nature.
Researchers at Göttingen University developed a method to reconstruct the early Earth's atmosphere using fossilized micrometeorites. The study found that intact micrometeorites can preserve reliable traces of oxygen isotopes over millions of years.
Researchers detected sulfur in both gas and solid phases using data from the XRISM spacecraft, providing unprecedented insight into its presence in the universe. The findings are based on measurements of X-rays from two binary star systems and suggest that sulfur can easily change between these forms.
A team of UCF researchers is pioneering a new nanocoating to passively mitigate the effects of lunar dust, protect equipment and extend future lunar missions. The goal is to understand how lunar dust interacts with surfaces and design surface properties that repel the dust.
Researchers discovered an unexpectedly complex and dynamic filamentary network within a very-high-velocity cloud (VHVC) in the Milky Way using the FAST telescope. The study found that the cloud is primarily composed of warm neutral medium (WNM), with little or no cold component, suggesting a cleaner, earlier phase in cloud evolution.
A newly discovered interstellar object named 3I/ATLAS is likely to be the oldest comet ever seen, possibly predating our solar system by more than three billion years. The 'water ice-rich' visitor is travelling on a steep path through the galaxy and may be over seven billion years old.
Researchers used machine learning to simulate galaxy evolution and supernova explosions, achieving speeds four times faster than supercomputers. This breakthrough enables the study of galaxy origins, including the creation of the Milky Way's elements essential for life.
An international team of astronomers trained a neural network with millions of synthetic simulations and artificial intelligence to tease out new cosmic curiosities about the black hole at the center of our Milky Way. The researchers suspect that the black hole is spinning at nearly top speed, its rotation axis pointing towards the Earth.
Arizona State University welcomes two new 51 Pegasi b Fellows, Matthew Nixon and Sagnick Mukherjee, to its exoplanet research team. The fellows will pursue independent research focusing on sub-Neptune planets, atmospheres, and theoretical models. ASU's leadership in exoplanet science positions the university as a hub for early-career t...
The ISS National Lab's new podcast, 'Between a Rocket & a Hard Space', offers exclusive insights from scientists, engineers, and visionaries on the future of space research. The first episode explores the groundbreaking science happening on the International Space Station, including its impact on medicine, technology, and industry.
Researchers found that AGN radiation can have a paradoxically nurturing effect on life, especially when oxygen levels are present, allowing the planet's protective ozone layer to grow and shield it from radiation. This process can help ensure life's success, but its effects depend on how close the planet is to the source of radiation.
Researchers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research have discovered a possible explanation for a rare and mysterious stellar event. By conducting a meta-analysis of existing data, they were able to identify key factors contributing to this phenomenon, shedding light on its underlying mechanisms.
The final data release from NASA's NEOWISE mission encompasses over 26 million images and nearly 200 billion sources detected by the telescope. The new images showcase the full-sky coverage of the survey, revealing previously unseen regions of cosmic dust where stars are born.
A new study uses observations from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft to measure the cosmic optical background, a phenomenon known as the universe's glow. The results suggest that the glow is roughly 100 billion times fainter than sunlight and provides valuable insights into the history of the universe since the Big Bang.
A new study published in Physical Review Letters suggests that nanohertz gravitational waves may not originate from supercool first-order phase transitions. Researchers found that such transitions would struggle to complete, shifting the frequency of the waves away from nanohertz frequencies.
Researchers from Curtin University analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons extracted from Ryugu and Murchison meteorites, revealing that certain PAHs likely formed in the cold areas of space between stars. This discovery offers valuable insights into the history and chemistry of celestial bodies like asteroids and meteorites.
Researchers at Hokkaido University have discovered a mechanism for carbon atoms to come together on the surface of interstellar ice grains, producing complex organic molecules. This process occurs at temperatures above 30 Kelvin and may have played a role in the origin of life on Earth.
Researchers found high amounts of tryptophan in a nearby star-forming region using data from the Spitzer space observatory. The presence of this protein-building agent in the gas and dust from which stars form suggests it may be common in planetary systems.
A new study has created the first map of the Milky Way's ancient dead stars, which reveals a 'galactic underworld' stretching three times the height of the galaxy. The map shows that almost a third of objects have been flung out from the galaxy, with neutron stars and black holes formed when massive stars collapse.
Researchers have found the oldest visible planetary nebula, a rare celestial jewel, hosted by a 500 million-year-old galactic cluster. The team determined that the PN has a 'kinematic age' of 70,000 years and estimates its progenitor star's mass and residual core's mass.
A new technique has identified previously hidden protoclusters that could reveal new details about galaxy evolution. The ancestors of large galaxy clusters were found to be hiding in plain sight, with some protoclusters harboring unseen galaxies that evolved differently.
Calculations at TU Wien show that Ramjet propulsion, which involves capturing protons and using them for a nuclear fusion reactor, cannot work as proposed. The analysis revealed huge dimensions required to achieve even minimal thrust, making it impossible for current technology to achieve.
Researchers at Durham University used NASA's TESS satellite to observe a white dwarf switching on and off, challenging understanding of accretion processes. The discovery may help explain the physics behind accretion in objects like black holes and neutron stars.
The first identified interstellar comet, 2I -- Borisov, is being tracked by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope as it passes close to the Sun. The comet's nucleus is estimated to be smaller than half a kilometer in diameter and has a chemical composition similar to comets found within our solar system.
Researchers find that hydrochloric acid releases its proton in interstellar space when added to water molecules in a specific order; however, the process can be reversed depending on the initial cluster formation.
Researchers successfully reversed the state of a quantum computer a fraction of a second into the past and calculated the probability of an electron in empty interstellar space spontaneously traveling back into its recent past. The phenomenon occurs due to a random fluctuation in the cosmic microwave background, with the reverse evolut...
Researchers estimate that the Milky Way contains about 10 billion trillion trillion tonnes of greasy matter, equivalent to 40 trillion trillion trillion packs of butter. The discovery could have implications for understanding the origins of life in the universe.
An international team of scientists confirmed that ?Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object, experienced an unexpected speed boost as it passed through the inner solar system. The team found that the object's trajectory suggested behavior consistent with a comet.
A mathematical theory explains how temperature increases in granular gases despite a decrease in total energy. The 'heating by cooling' effect has been observed in various natural systems, including interstellar dust and planetary rings.
Researchers at Queen's University Belfast led an international team that studied the mysterious `Oumuamua object, finding it has a dry crust similar to icy bodies covered with carbon-rich material. The team discovered this coating could have protected the object's icy interior from vaporizing, even when passing close to our sun.
The public can participate in searching for undiscovered worlds in the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond. A new website, Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, uses brief movies made from WISE images to highlight moving objects, which can be discovered by human eyes.
Researchers analyzed astronaut quotes to understand the 'overview effect,' a sense of unity, vastness, and connectedness. They aim to induce similar feelings through virtual reality and create recommendations for maintaining astronaut well-being in extended space missions.
A new survey using Japan's Suzaku X-ray satellite reveals that the elements necessary for stars, planets, and people were evenly distributed across the Virgo galaxy cluster at a scale of millions of light-years. This discovery suggests that the chemical makeup of the universe is well mixed, with little variation on the largest scales.
The IBEX spacecraft has provided the most definitive analyses of the local interstellar space, revealing its composition, properties, and processes at work. The mission's data has resolved inconsistencies in previous studies, confirming that the local interstellar flow is significantly hotter than previously thought.
A team of researchers has successfully replicated the amplification of cosmic magnetic fields in a laboratory experiment, using supercomputer simulations and high-powered laser beams. The findings provide insight into the origins of magnetic fields in interstellar space.
A 'knot' in a bright, narrow ribbon of neutral atoms emanating from the solar system's edge appears to have 'untied,' according to researchers. The knot, influenced by local interstellar magnetic fields, was found to be stable over six-month periods but displayed changes in polar regions and diminished as it spread out.
New research using meteorite grains reveals that the material incorporated into Earth's planets and life has younger cosmic roots than previously thought. The study found that most of these grains spent less time in interstellar space than estimated, with some as young as 3 million years old.