Articles tagged with Observational Astronomy
Comprehensive exploration of living organisms, biological systems, and life processes across all scales from molecules to ecosystems. Encompasses cutting-edge research in biology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, biochemistry, microbiology, botany, zoology, evolutionary biology, genomics, and biotechnology. Investigates cellular mechanisms, organism development, genetic inheritance, biodiversity conservation, metabolic processes, protein synthesis, DNA sequencing, CRISPR gene editing, stem cell research, and the fundamental principles governing all forms of life on Earth.
Comprehensive medical research, clinical studies, and healthcare sciences focused on disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Encompasses clinical medicine, public health, pharmacology, epidemiology, medical specialties, disease mechanisms, therapeutic interventions, healthcare innovation, precision medicine, telemedicine, medical devices, drug development, clinical trials, patient care, mental health, nutrition science, health policy, and the application of medical science to improve human health, wellbeing, and quality of life across diverse populations.
Comprehensive investigation of human society, behavior, relationships, and social structures through systematic research and analysis. Encompasses psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, linguistics, education, demography, communications, and social research methodologies. Examines human cognition, social interactions, cultural phenomena, economic systems, political institutions, language and communication, educational processes, population dynamics, and the complex social, cultural, economic, and political forces shaping human societies, communities, and civilizations throughout history and across the contemporary world.
Fundamental study of the non-living natural world, matter, energy, and physical phenomena governing the universe. Encompasses physics, chemistry, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, materials science, and the investigation of physical laws, chemical reactions, geological processes, climate systems, and planetary dynamics. Explores everything from subatomic particles and quantum mechanics to planetary systems and cosmic phenomena, including energy transformations, molecular interactions, elemental properties, weather patterns, tectonic activity, and the fundamental forces and principles underlying the physical nature of reality.
Practical application of scientific knowledge and engineering principles to solve real-world problems and develop innovative technologies. Encompasses all engineering disciplines, technology development, computer science, artificial intelligence, environmental sciences, agriculture, materials applications, energy systems, and industrial innovation. Bridges theoretical research with tangible solutions for infrastructure, manufacturing, computing, communications, transportation, construction, sustainable development, and emerging technologies that advance human capabilities, improve quality of life, and address societal challenges through scientific innovation and technological progress.
Study of the practice, culture, infrastructure, and social dimensions of science itself. Addresses how science is conducted, organized, communicated, and integrated into society. Encompasses research funding mechanisms, scientific publishing systems, peer review processes, academic ethics, science policy, research institutions, scientific collaboration networks, science education, career development, research programs, scientific methods, science communication, and the sociology of scientific discovery. Examines the human, institutional, and cultural aspects of scientific enterprise, knowledge production, and the translation of research into societal benefit.
Comprehensive study of the universe beyond Earth, encompassing celestial objects, cosmic phenomena, and space exploration. Includes astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, cosmology, space physics, astrobiology, and space technology. Investigates stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, black holes, nebulae, exoplanets, dark matter, dark energy, cosmic microwave background, stellar evolution, planetary formation, space weather, solar system dynamics, the search for extraterrestrial life, and humanity's efforts to explore, understand, and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos through observation, theory, and space missions.
Comprehensive examination of tools, techniques, methodologies, and approaches used across scientific disciplines to conduct research, collect data, and analyze results. Encompasses experimental procedures, analytical methods, measurement techniques, instrumentation, imaging technologies, spectroscopic methods, laboratory protocols, observational studies, statistical analysis, computational methods, data visualization, quality control, and methodological innovations. Addresses the practical techniques and theoretical frameworks enabling scientists to investigate phenomena, test hypotheses, gather evidence, ensure reproducibility, and generate reliable knowledge through systematic, rigorous investigation across all areas of scientific inquiry.
Study of abstract structures, patterns, quantities, relationships, and logical reasoning through pure and applied mathematical disciplines. Encompasses algebra, calculus, geometry, topology, number theory, analysis, discrete mathematics, mathematical logic, set theory, probability, statistics, and computational mathematics. Investigates mathematical structures, theorems, proofs, algorithms, functions, equations, and the rigorous logical frameworks underlying quantitative reasoning. Provides the foundational language and tools for all scientific fields, enabling precise description of natural phenomena, modeling of complex systems, and the development of technologies across physics, engineering, computer science, economics, and all quantitative sciences.
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) welcomes the cancellation of INNA, a planned industrial complex near Paranal Observatory. The project would have posed a major threat to the darkest skies on Earth and compromised the performance of advanced astronomical facilities.
Researchers have created the first broadband map of Faraday rotation, revealing a complex magnetic field in the Milky Way. The dataset, DRAGONS, captures polarized radio emissions across a wide range of frequencies, allowing astronomers to see magnetic structures invisible before.
Researchers created the highest resolution map of dark matter, showing its interaction with normal matter through gravity. The new data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope confirms previous research and provides new details about dark matter's influence on the Universe.
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.
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 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 have found a galaxy cluster with scorching hot gas just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang, five times hotter than predicted, and containing three supermassive black holes that pumped energy into the surroundings. This discovery could upend current models of galaxy cluster formation and evolution.
A team of astronomers has discovered that the winds of giant stars like R Doradus are driven by complex processes, rather than being powered solely by starlight and stardust. The study used advanced computer simulations to model how starlight interacts with dust grains, finding that they are too small to be pushed outward by starlight ...
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.
Astronomers at Northwestern University have directly imaged a Tatooine-like exoplanet orbiting two suns, revealing unique insights into how planets form around multiple stars. The discovery provides an unprecedented look at the complex dynamics of binary systems and offers new opportunities to test theories of planet formation.
Scientists have observed a swirling vortex in spacetime caused by a rapidly rotating black hole, confirming predictions made by Einstein more than a century ago. The team detected rhythmic changes in X-ray and radio signals from the event, showing that the disk and jet were wobbling in unison every 20 days.
Astronomers discovered a never-seen-before blast from a supermassive black hole, whipping up powerful winds at 60,000 km per second. The event was triggered by an X-ray flare and formed in just one day, providing new insights into the magnetism of active galactic nuclei (AGNs).
Michael Blanton will lead the Carnegie Science Observatories as its 12th director, focusing on large-scale astronomical surveys to constrain cosmological history. The new director brings a deep well of knowledge of instrumentation and data collection to oversee research at Pasadena's campus and Las Campanas Observatory.
New research reveals Pleiades star cluster as core of larger structure spanning 1,950 light-years, with similar ages and chemical compositions among its members. The study uses rotation-based approach to identify stars sharing origin story.
Astronomers detect a distant galaxy with temperatures of 90 Kelvin, indicating an extreme star factory that could have produced stars at a rate 180 times faster than the Milky Way. This discovery provides insight into how galaxies formed quickly in the early universe.
A new AI-based approach analyzes XAS data to identify material properties, providing objective insights for rational material design. The method achieved high accuracy and revealed meaningful variations in electronic states.
Astronomers at UCL and the University of Warwick discovered that aging stars are destroying giant planets orbiting closest to them. The researchers analyzed nearly half a million stars and found that planets were less likely to occur around stars that had expanded and cooled enough to be classed as red giants.
Two distant black hole mergers, measured one month apart in 2024, provide insights into the nature and evolution of deep-space collisions. The mergers validate fundamental laws of physics predicted by Einstein and furthers the search for new elementary particles with potential to extract energy from black holes.
A team from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research has assembled a record-breaking radio colour image of the Milky Way. The unprecedented level of detail offers new insights into the galaxy's radio emission and structure.
A brown dwarf companion, J1446B, has been found orbiting a nearby M dwarf star, LSPM J1446+4633. The discovery uses a synergy of ground- and space-based observatories, including Subaru's IRD instrument and the Gaia mission, to determine the dynamical mass and orbital parameters of the brown dwarf with unprecedented accuracy.
A team of astronomers has discovered the first tidal disruption event producing bright radio emission outside the center of a galaxy. The event revealed the fastest-evolving radio emission ever observed from a black-hole-driven stellar disruption, suggesting delayed and complex processes in the aftermath of the disruption.
A new study on Mars crater deposits reveals the planet went through repeated ice ages driven by shifts in its axial tilt, resulting in a gradual drying of the planet. The study provides insights that can be applied to Earth's changing environment and helps identify safe regions for future missions.
The Programmable Liquid-crystal Active Coronagraphic Imager for the DAG telescope (PLACID) will improve detection and direct imaging of exoplanets using liquid crystals. It can adapt to complex mask configurations, enabling direct imaging of circumbinary planets and proto-planetary discs.
Scientists have unveiled a new detector concept that uses optical cavity and atomic clock technologies to detect gravitational waves in the milli-Hertz frequency band. This approach provides an immediate, cost-effective means to explore the mid-band range, which hosts signals from compact binaries of white dwarfs and black hole mergers.
Recent study identifies four extremely distant objects consistent with supermassive dark stars, which could explain the formation of supermassive black holes. The presence of a 'smoking gun signature' absorption feature at 1640 Angstrom in one of the objects suggests their existence.
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery of a colossal bridge of neutral hydrogen gas linking two dwarf galaxies. The Virgo cluster plays a significant role in this phenomenon.
Astronomers have discovered that the 1998 KY26 asteroid, targeted by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission, is only 11 meters wide and spins twice as fast as previously thought. This smaller size will make a touchdown manoeuvre more challenging for the spacecraft.
The XRISM mission reveals an unexpected difference between winds launching from a disc around a neutron star and those from material circling supermassive black holes. The surprisingly dense wind blowing from the stellar system challenges our understanding of how such winds form and drive change in their surroundings.
A recent study using transits and light curves revealed that TOI-3884 is a highly tilted planetary system with a misaligned stellar spin axis and planet's orbital axis. The star's rotation period was also measured, providing insight into the system's unique geometry.
The European Space Agency's Plato spacecraft has safely arrived at ESTEC in the Netherlands, where engineers will complete its assembly and conduct critical tests before its launch. The telescope is equipped with 26 ultrasensitive cameras designed to capture the dimming effect of exoplanets passing in front of their host stars.
Researchers have recorded a signal from a nearly identical black hole collision, confirming two important predictions about merging black holes. The study provides further evidence that the surface area of a merged black hole is never less than the sum of the initial black holes, supporting Stephen Hawking's theory.
Researchers detected protostellar jets and outflows using ALMA in the Milky Way's outer region, showing that star formation works similarly across diverse cosmic environments. The discovery revealed episodic ejection cycles and unique chemistry in low-metallicity regions.
Astronomers have devised a method to map the spottiness of distant stars using observations from NASA missions, improving understanding of planetary atmospheres and potential habitability. The new model, called StarryStarryProcess, can help discover more about exoplanet properties.
Researchers at Ohio State University suggest a large cloud of dust and gas occluded Earth's view of the star ASASSN-24fw, causing its brightness to dim by 97% before brightening again. The team proposes that this disk is likely made up of carbon or water ice close in size to a large grain of dust.
Researchers at Penn State and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory analyzed human deep space communications to determine the most likely places to detect signals from an extraterrestrial intelligence. They found that transmissions to deep space, including spacecraft near Mars, are more detectable than those intended for low-Earth orbit.
Researchers find shared dusty layer of troilite on M- and K-type asteroids, suggesting they originated from similar large objects. Polarization studies reveal unique composition linking these distinct asteroid types.
Researchers have discovered a massive gas and dust bubble surrounding the red supergiant star DFK 52, which contains as much mass as our own Sun. The bubble is expanding at an incredible rate and was likely formed when the star ejected part of its outer layers in a powerful explosion around 4000 years ago.
Researchers used infrared images to spot bright objects, then applied the 'dropout' technique to confirm their nature. The study could challenge current ideas about galaxy formation in the early universe if confirmed.
Researchers used the Dark Energy Camera to image a 'bridge' of diffuse light spanning roughly a million light years between two galaxies in Abell 3667. The findings suggest that the brightest galaxies in the cluster are actively merging, with one larger galaxy stealing stars from a smaller one.
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.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will feature a 'sunblock' shield made of lightweight yet stiff panels designed to limit heat transfer. The observatory's instruments will benefit from this design, which can detect faint signals from space.
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.
Using a combination of telescopes, an international team studied the closest FXT associated with a supernova, tracing it to a 'trapped' jet that produced high-energy particles. The findings explain the historically elusive phenomena and mark a significant step in understanding cosmic explosions.
Roman will scan a large region of the cosmos every five days for two years, detecting around 27,000 type Ia supernovae and 60,000 core-collapse supernovae. These observations will help scientists understand dark energy, the universe's expansion, and fill gaps in our understanding of cosmic history.
The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration detected the merger of two massive black holes, producing a final black hole over 225 times the mass of our Sun. The signal challenges current astrophysical models and requires the use of theoretical models to interpret its complex dynamics.
The NASA Roman Space Telescope team has completed installing solar panels on the observatory, a crucial step towards launch. The Solar Array Sun Shield will provide power and shade, keeping instruments cool for infrared observations.
New research predicts the existence of 80-100 additional satellite galaxies surrounding the Milky Way, orbiting at close distances. These 'orphan' galaxies are lost in most simulations but should have survived in the real Universe.
The DART mission's successful asteroid deflection has revealed a complex issue: massive boulders carrying three times the momentum of the spacecraft itself. This unexpected blast complicates future asteroid deflection efforts, as researchers now need to consider the physics of these chaotic and filamentary structures.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has unveiled the first images of the sky obtained with its LSST camera, a 3200-megapixel resolution car-sized camera that can photograph 45 times the area of the full moon in just three nights. The high-definition images will provide unprecedented views of the southern sky and reveal faintest and furthest-...
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the direct image of a previously unknown exoplanet, TWA 7 b, located within a disk of rocky debris and dust. The exoplanet is ten times lighter than previously captured ones and more similar to Earth than gas giants.
A team of astronomers created a galactic masterpiece using the European Southern Observatory’s VLT, revealing previously unseen features in the Sculptor Galaxy. The map comprises thousands of colors, providing insights into the stars, gas, and dust within the galaxy.
The COSMOS-Web field maps nearly 800,000 galaxies spanning 98% of cosmic time, challenging existing notions of the infant universe. Researchers see roughly 10 times more galaxies than expected at incredible distances, sparking new questions about the early universe and its mysteries.
Researchers analyzing the atmosphere of WASP-121b using the James Webb Space Telescope detected water, carbon monoxide and silicon monoxide in both the dayside and nightside hemispheres. This is the first conclusive identification of SiO in any planetary atmosphere.
A team of astronomers from ICRAR discovered a new type of cosmic phenomenon called ASKAP J1832-0911, which emits pulses of radio waves and X-rays for two minutes every 44 minutes. This is the first time such an object has been detected in X-rays.
Researchers use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to investigate a protoplanetary disk around a young star in the Lobster Nebula. They found sufficient solid material to potentially form at least 10 rocky planets and detected various molecules that contribute to planetary atmospheres.
Researchers have detected 1,678 galaxy groups or proto-clusters with unprecedented insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies. The study provides a unique view of how galaxies have evolved since the universe was under a billion years old.
Researchers discover over 500 dense cores in Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone, which may indicate widespread presence of protoplanetary disks. The findings propose two scenarios: self-absorption of smaller structures within dense cores or growth of dust grains in these systems.
Astronomers used NASA's NICER to map debris from cosmic black holes, revealing the physical environment of repeating X-ray outbursts near monster black holes. The study found that each impact resulted in about a Jupiter's worth of mass reaching expansion velocities around 15% of the speed of light.
A team of researchers at Nagoya University has discovered a fast-moving, high-temperature gas flow in the center of the Centaurus cluster of galaxies. This finding may solve the 'cooling flow problem', which explains why galaxy clusters appear to be warm despite emitting X-rays.
A massive family of over 1000 young stars in the Milky Way has been spotted behaving oddly, moving away from each other at a much faster rate than expected. Using Gaia's vast spectroscopic data, scientists developed a new model to explore and identify these young stars.