Add BrightSurf on Google Email
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

Large and small galaxies may grow in ways more similar than expected

A team of astronomers has obtained detailed images of a small galaxy and its surroundings, revealing features typically associated with larger galaxies. The study found that the mechanisms fueling galaxy growth may be more universal than previously thought, suggesting that even dwarf galaxies can build stellar halos through accretion.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateJan 16, 2025

Astronomers propose novel method of measuring galaxy distances

Astronomers have proposed a new method for measuring the distances of galaxies, utilizing double-period RR Lyrae (RR Lyr) stars. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, aims to improve the accuracy of distance measurements by leveraging the unique properties of these stars.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJun 19, 2023

WVU political scientist working to unite voters, not divide

Erik Herron's project aims to create a more perfect union by fostering open discussions about election integrity and values. Through public events and online resources, Herron encourages community groups to prioritize security, efficiency, and access in their elections.

SourceWest Virginia University·DateFeb 23, 2023

Old and new stars paint very different pictures of the Triangulum Galaxy

Researchers used the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury Triangulum Extended Region — or PHATTER — survey to study the Triangulum galaxy. The team discovered two drastically different structures depending on the age of the stars, with younger and older stars having distinct distributions.

SourceUniversity of Washington·TypeObservational study·DateJan 11, 2023
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.

VLA finds cosmic rays driving galaxy's winds

Astronomers using the VLA discovered that fast-moving cosmic ray electrons drive winds in the neighboring galaxy M33, slowing down new star formation. This finding challenges previous theories, suggesting cosmic rays are a more general cause of galactic winds.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeObservational study·DateOct 25, 2022

Astronomers discover massive galaxy 'shipyard' in the distant universe

Astronomers have discovered a massive galaxy protocluster, believed to be a 'galaxy shipyard', in the distant universe. The discovery provides insights into galaxy cluster formation and sheds light on the process of galaxies forming into clusters.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·TypeObservational study·DateOct 27, 2021
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

A large tidal stream observed in the Sombrero galaxy

A team of astronomers has made detailed observations of a large tidal flow around the Sombrero galaxy, revealing its strange morphology and shedding light on its possible merger history. The study's findings suggest that the galaxy's unusual shape may be due to cannibalism by a satellite dwarf galaxy.

SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJul 21, 2021

Satellite galaxies can carry on forming stars when they pass close to their parent galaxies

Using numerical simulations, researchers showed that satellite galaxies can retain gas and experience new episodes of star formation after passing close to their parent galaxy. This process is driven by the satellite's reserve of cold gas and minimum distance from its parent galaxy.

SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJul 6, 2021

Mapping the local cosmic web

Researchers have created a new map of dark matter in the local universe using machine learning, revealing previously undiscovered filamentary structures connecting galaxies. The map provides a detailed understanding of the distribution of dark matter and its gravitational influence on galaxies.

SourcePenn State·DateMay 24, 2021
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

The GRANTECAN discovers the largest cluster of galaxies known in the early universe

A new study led by IAC researchers using the OSIRIS instrument on GRANTECAN has discovered the most densely populated galaxy cluster in formation in the primitive universe. The cluster, located 12.5 billion light years from us, is made up of galaxies with normal star formation rates and is predicted to evolve into a Virgo-like cluster.

SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 26, 2021

Hubble captures elusive, irregular galaxy

IC 10 is the closest-known starburst galaxy, with ample supplies of cool hydrogen gas fueling its furious star formation. The faint object, located 2.2 million light-years from Earth, remains difficult to study due to cosmic dust and stars blocking our view.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJun 21, 2019

The Milky Way's long-lost sibling finally found

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a massive galaxy, M32p, in Andromeda's outer stellar halo, shedding light on the evolution and survival of disk galaxies. This discovery helps explain the formation of Andromeda's enigmatic M32 satellite galaxy.

SourceUniversity of Michigan·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJul 23, 2018

Milky Way ties with neighbor in galactic arms race

Researchers have discovered that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are roughly the same size, with Andromeda being 800 billion times heavier than the Sun. This finding challenges previous estimates of dark matter in the Andromeda galaxy and suggests that scientists may need to revise their understanding of the local group.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 14, 2018
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.

Both push and pull drive our galaxy's race through space

A new study confirms that galaxies are being pushed away from a previously unknown region of low density, called the Dipole Repeller. This region exerts a repelling force on our Local Group of galaxies, suggesting that push and pull forces are equally important.

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJan 30, 2017
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

The ghostly remnants of galaxy interactions uncovered in a nearby galaxy group

Astronomers using the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam camera observed deep, super-wide-field images of the galaxies and their populations of young stars. The team discovered that the spatial distribution of young stars around these galaxies follows closely that of their distribution of neutral hydrogen.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateAug 4, 2015

Galactic 'rain' could be key to star formation

A team of astronomers has found that galactic 'rain' may be the key to understanding why some galaxies are more productive at creating stars than others. The researchers analyzed X-rays from over 200 galaxy clusters using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and discovered that massive black holes can slow down gas that helps form stars.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalNature·DateMar 4, 2015
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

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

Newly identified galactic supercluster is home to the Milky Way

The Milky Way galaxy is part of a new, massive galactic supercluster called Laniakea, which spans 500 million light-years and contains 100,000 galaxies. The discovery clarifies the boundaries of our local Universe and provides new insights into the motion of galaxies.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalNature·DateSep 3, 2014

Weighing the Milky Way

An international team of researchers devises precise method for calculating galaxy masses using gravity and expansion data. The new study shows the Milky Way has only half the mass of its neighbor Andromeda.

SourceCarnegie Mellon University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJul 29, 2014

Our galaxy is way smaller than previous estimates, study shows

Scientists have precisely measured the mass of the Milky Way for the first time, finding it to be approximately half the weight of Andromeda. The study, led by the University of Edinburgh, used data on galaxy distances and velocities to calculate the total masses of both galaxies.

SourceUniversity of Edinburgh·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJul 29, 2014

'Cosmic own goal' another clue in hunt for dark matter

New supercomputer simulations show that most dark matter halos failed to form galaxies, with gas sterilized by the heat from first stars. The research improves understanding of dark matter, a mysterious substance believed to make up 85% of the universe's mass.

SourceDurham University·DateJun 25, 2014

Map of universe questioned; dwarf galaxies don't fit standard model

A new study questions the accepted model of galaxy formation, suggesting that dwarf galaxies may have formed from another galaxy through a tidal interaction. The research criticizes three recent papers that found satellite galaxies to support the standard model, instead finding 'serious issues' with their methods.

SourceRochester Institute of Technology·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJun 11, 2014
Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

Hubble sees the remains of a star gone supernova

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has observed the remains of a star that exploded as a supernova around 600 years ago. The wispy gas structure, known as SNR B0519-69.0, is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud and features a striking blood-red color.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateMay 3, 2013

Neighbor galaxies may have brushed closely, astronomers find

Recent studies with the Green Bank Telescope indicate that two neighbor galaxies may have had a close encounter. The discovery confirms a disputed finding from 2004 and shows six dense clumps of gas in the stream, strengthening the argument that they are part of a bridge between the two galaxies.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·DateJun 11, 2012

Hubble zooms in on double nucleus in Andromeda galaxy

The Hubble Space Telescope has created the sharpest visible-light image ever made of the nucleus of an external galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy. The blue stars surrounding the massive black hole are just 200 million years old and formed in a burst of star formation near the black hole.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJan 11, 2012

Queen's University physicist unlocking the mysteries of neighboring galaxies

Astronomers, including Queen's University physicist Larry Widrow, have discovered a nearby cosmic encounter between the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies, which collided about two to three billion years ago. The collision caused millions of stars to be ripped from the Triangulum disk, forming a faint stream visible in the PAndAS data.

SourceQueen's University·JournalNature·DateSep 4, 2009
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.

Cosmic dance helps galaxies lose weight

Astronomers have discovered a mechanism for the formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies, which are thought to be composed mostly of dark matter. The 'cosmic dance' of gravitational interactions between galaxies may trigger the removal of stars from smaller dwarf galaxies, transforming them into the observed dwarfs.

SourceCenter for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian·JournalNature·DateJul 29, 2009

Zeroing in on Hubble's constant

The Carnegie Hubble Program aims to decrease the uncertainty of the Hubble constant from 10% to 3% by refining distances to galaxies using Cepheid variable stars and Spitzer telescope observations. The team will observe 700 hours of nearby galaxies, correcting for lingering uncertainties and systematic errors.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·DateJan 5, 2009

Milky Way a swifter spinner, more massive, new measurements show

The Milky Way galaxy is rotating about 100,000 miles per hour faster than previously understood, increasing its mass by 50 percent. This increase in speed and mass brings the Milky Way closer to colliding with the Andromeda Galaxy or smaller nearby galaxies.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·DateJan 5, 2009

NASA's Swift satellite images a galaxy ablaze with starbirth

The Triangulum Galaxy, located 2.9 million light-years from Earth, is ablaze with starbirth, according to a new image taken by NASA's Swift satellite. The image showcases the galaxy's high spatial resolution, revealing young, hot stars and star-forming gas clouds in unprecedented detail.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateFeb 26, 2008
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Lost and found: X-ray telescope locates missing matter

A team of researchers has discovered a web-like system of gas clouds containing the missing baryons, which are thought to make up half of the universe's mass. The clouds, detected using X-ray telescope data, have temperatures of around 1 million degrees Celsius and are spread over vast distances.

SourceChandra X-ray Center·JournalNature·DateFeb 2, 2005

Puzzle of galactic evolution solved

Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which the galaxy is seeded with gas to form new stars, solving a long-standing question of galactic evolution. The discovery confirms that high-velocity clouds play a key role in the chemical evolution of the galaxy by showering it with metal-poor gas.

SourceUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison·JournalNature·DateNov 23, 1999