Articles tagged with Observational Astronomy
Scientists using the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have detected helium in the tenuous atmosphere surrounding the Moon. This observation complements previous in-situ measurements and expands our understanding of the lunar atmosphere.
Scientists have detected helium in the tenuous atmosphere surrounding the Moon using NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spectrometer. The discovery complements earlier measurements and raises questions about the helium's origin, with possibilities including radioactive decay or an exterior source like the solar wind.
Researchers from University of Bonn discover most massive stars form double systems, with over three-quarters orbiting a companion. The study reveals material transfer and merging between stars, challenging previous assumptions about single stars.
A study using the VLT found that 75% of O-type stars are in binary systems, with a higher proportion of interacting pairs than previously thought. This discovery has profound implications for galaxy evolution, as these heavyweights play a key role in shaping galaxies through violent phenomena such as stellar mergers and gamma-ray bursts.
Researchers have observed a dramatic increase in Greenland's ice sheet surface melting, with nearly the entire ice cover experiencing melting. The melting event was linked to an unusually strong heat dome over Greenland, causing temperatures to hover above freezing for several hours.
University of Iowa scientists have created a technique to estimate cloud properties using remote sensing observations from satellites, correcting predictions of particle concentrations. This new method is expected to find immediate application in various activities, including air quality forecasting and climate projections.
Scientists add an extra second to the UTC time standard to account for Earth's rotating day lengthening due to tidal forces. The 35th leap second is added to keep UTC within 0.9 seconds of UT1, which relies on precise VLBI measurements.
Researchers use CRIRES instrument on VLT to study Tau Bootis b's atmosphere, measuring mass and carbon monoxide levels. The new technique allows for the detection of non-transiting exoplanets' atmospheres, enabling scientists to learn more about their atmospheric conditions.
Researchers have discovered that thermal noise can cause unidirectional motion in nanoscale systems with asymmetric structures. By considering the finite autocorrelation time of thermal noise, they show that this effect is feasible even at room temperature.
Avi Loeb's new calculations suggest the ideal time to observe cosmic perturbations was 500 million years after the Big Bang, when the first stars and galaxies began to form. This era offers a window into the early universe before information is lost to the formation of gravitationally bound objects.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will observe the moon for seven hours before, during, and after a rare Venus transit on June 5-6. The telescope will capture reflected sunlight and isolate the small fraction of light that passes through Venus' atmosphere to study its atmospheric makeup.
The new Hubble image reveals millions of young stars in the 30 Doradus star-forming complex, with some stars weighing over 100 times the mass of our sun. The nebula is home to the fastest rotating and highest velocity stars ever observed.
Researchers detect faint, short-lived glowing dots on Uranus' dayside using Hubble Space Telescope. The unusual appearance of the auroras is attributed to Uranus' rotational weirdness and magnetic field's peculiar traits.
The TRMM satellite observed powerful thunderstorms in northeastern Texas, reaching heights of over 8 miles. The storms dropped softball-sized hail and triggered 18 reported tornadoes on April 3.
University of Missouri anthropologist Robert Benfer has identified numerous earthen animal effigy mounds in coastal Peru, dating back to 4,000 years ago. The mounds exhibit astronomical orientations, aligning with celestial events such as the Milky Way and summer solstices.
The ASU-led geologic map of Io reveals a highly detailed, colorful image of the moon's surface features, including volcanic domes, lava flow fields, and sulfur-rich plains. The map provides valuable insights into Io's interior processes and geological evolution.
Astronomers use VLT to analyze earthshine light, detecting biosignatures of vegetation and ocean cover, suggesting life on Earth. The study establishes a benchmark for future exoplanet life searches using spectropolarimetry technique.
NASA is upgrading its Global Positioning System (GPS) and International Terrestrial Reference Frame to improve location accuracy. The new systems will benefit not only GPS but also observations of Earth from space, enabling more precise measurements of the planet's shape, orientation, and gravity field.
The climatic Solar Terms have advanced by 6-15 days and delayed by 5-6 days across China due to global warming. This shift affects agricultural planning, with earlier springs and later autumns impacting phenology-related terms.
Galaxies continuously recycle immense volumes of hydrogen gas and heavy elements, allowing successive generations of stars to form. The process is driven by gas-rich star-forming spiral galaxies that can evolve into elliptical galaxies without star formation.
A team of researchers measured the bar length of over 5,000 galaxies using amateur astronomers' data from the Galaxy Zoo project. The study reveals that redder galaxies have longer bars and are more likely to display spiral arms.
New study reveals two young galaxies at 12 billion years old with super-solar metal abundances, challenging our understanding of the universe's chemical evolution. The findings support the idea that gamma-ray bursts are associated with vigorous massive star formation and provide insights into the history of the early universe.
Scientists at NRL refurbish VAULT2.0 to double its cadence and reduce noise, enabling higher-resolution Lyα imaging of the solar chromosphere-corona interface. This will help uncover clues on coronal heating and provide valuable insights for future space missions.
The mirrors of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have completed the coating process with a microscopically thin layer of gold, enabling the telescope to observe extremely faint objects in infrared light. This achievement marks another major success story for the Webb telescope mirrors, ensuring even more scientific discovery potential.
A NASA satellite observed a record-breaking heat wave in the Great Plains during July, with temperatures soaring up to 20°F above average. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument detected a persistent high-pressure vortex that pumped hot air from the tropics into the region.
Astronomers caught the PTF 11kly supernova within hours of its explosion, observing it with multiple telescopes and making it one of the most-studied supernovae in history. The early detection allows researchers to study the outer layers of the supernova and gain new insights into its origin.
Tropical Depression 11W is currently located southwest of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, with maximum sustained winds near 30 knots. The storm is expected to move northwestward for the next day or two before shifting in a northeasterly direction.
Physicist Dr. Mark Hadley proposes a galaxy-scale explanation for Charge Parity violation, suggesting galactic rotation's effect on space-time causes differences in particle decay rates. This theory preserves parity while offering a new explanation for the matter-antimatter imbalance.
Hubble made its one millionth science observation while analyzing the exoplanet HAT-P-7b's atmosphere, revealing spectroscopic patterns that can indicate water vapor presence. The milestone marks Hubble's continued legacy in characterizing exoplanet atmospheres.
The project aims to organize and share celestial observations, linking them to experiments and models. AstroShelf will facilitate real-time reporting and interactive analysis of images from various telescopes.
Tropical Depression Meari is weakening due to wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures as it approaches North Korea, with moderate rainfall observed by NASA's TRMM satellite. The system is expected to fall apart over the Hamgyeong Mountain Range, potentially regenerating in the Sea of Japan
The EPOXI mission confirms carbon dioxide as the volatile fuel for Comet Hartley 2's spectacular ice-spewing jets. The comet's unique rotation and surface features were also revealed, with blocky objects reaching 165 feet high and a 'snowstorm' created by water ice particles.
Researchers detected 13 billion light-year-old galaxies with hidden central black holes using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The findings suggest a symbiotic relationship between black holes and galaxies dating back to the Big Bang.
Researchers have found that galaxies previously thought to be dead and devoid of star formation are actually still producing new stars. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists observed individual young stars and clusters in four galaxies, revealing an average star-formation rate of one sun every 10,000 years.
Astronomers have never seen a gamma-ray burst as bright and long-lasting as GRB 110328A, which is believed to be associated with a massive black hole. The unusual blast likely arose when a star wandered too close to the central black hole of its galaxy.
The NASA Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has made the first-ever images of the plasma sheet and magnetotail in the Earth's magnetosphere. The data suggests a piece of the plasma sheet was bitten off and ejected down the tail, revealing dynamic interactions that have never been seen before.
Researchers present a comprehensive model of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) progenitors using the Single Degenerate (SD) framework. The study confirms that the model describes potential progenitor systems of SNe Ia, including cases like Case Wind and Case Calm.
Tropical Cyclone Jal made landfall in east central India, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding. The storm's remnants are now moving into the northeastern Arabian Sea, prompting forecasts of possible regeneration.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's LAMP instrument has detected hydrogen, carbon monoxide, atomic mercury, calcium, and magnesium in the LCROSS impact plume, revealing volatile substances trapped near the Moon's poles. This finding is crucial for planning robotic and manned Moon bases.
Researchers detected large areas of water ice in the lunar south pole using NASA's Diviner instrument. This discovery suggests that these regions are suitable for future human missions, as subsurface water ice is more stable and protected from radiation.
Astronomers tracked a bizarre X-shaped object, dubbed P/2010 A2, for five months using Hubble. The object is expanding slowly and retained its X-shape even as the debris field expanded, revealing details about asteroid collisions.
Astronomers have discovered a new phenomenon called coreshine, which scatters mid-infrared light by large dust grains in cosmic clouds. This discovery promises to reveal crucial information about the earliest phase of star formation.
IBEX maps reveal structured and intense interstellar boundary interactions; the spacecraft also collects hydrogen and oxygen from the interstellar medium, shedding light on solar system recycling processes. Recent observations of the Earth's magnetosphere provide new insights into protecting our atmosphere.
Astronomers have discovered the most powerful pair of jets from a stellar black hole, blowing a huge bubble of hot gas. The discovery reveals that some black holes can release at least as much energy in the form of collimated jets as radiation, leading to an expansion of the surrounding interstellar gas.
NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull Volcano ash plume being pushed to the northeast due to a low pressure area. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument onboard Terra made the observation on May 18.
NASA mobilized remote-sensing assets to help assess the spread and impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The agency deployed its instrumented research aircraft, ER-2, equipped with satellite observations to assist NOAA, USGS, and Department of Homeland Security in monitoring the spill.
The MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of the ash plume from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, drifting south and east over the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The ash plume appeared lighter in color than previous days, indicating a potential decrease in volcanic activity.
Astronomers discover six exoplanets orbiting their stars in the opposite direction to the star's rotation, contradicting conventional wisdom. This finding sparks alternative migration theories, suggesting that hot Jupiters may form far from their stars and migrate inward due to gravitational interactions with distant companions.
Researchers have observed a warm core at the center of the Great Red Spot, with temperatures varying by up to 3 degrees compared to surrounding areas. This temperature difference affects wind velocities and cloud patterns in Jupiter's belts and zones.
Scientists analyze data from NASA's Terra satellite to assess the health of Earth's ocean, land, and atmosphere, finding that droughts may have negative effects on ecosystems earlier than thought. The satellite also tracks natural hazards such as flooding, mudslides, and wildfires to help governments respond and mitigate consequences.
Astronomers have discovered that Sun-like stars with planetary systems tend to have lower levels of lithium than those without planets. The study, which analyzed 500 stars, found that planet-bearing stars had less than 1% of the lithium present in other similar stars.
Scientists at Durham University discovered rapid star formation in 'stellar nurseries' of infant galaxies, creating new stars at a rate 100 times faster than expected. This finding provides insight into the birth of our own galaxy and how it formed its first stars.
The Canon of Medicine, written by the Persian scholar Avicenna, contains detailed information on respiratory diseases remarkably similar to those used today. The article highlights Avicenna's work on respiratory diseases and conditions, including herbal and non-herbal treatments, which are still valid with modern science.
Researchers believe that Galileo's notebooks from 1613 may reveal evidence of his discovery of a new planet, which is now known as Neptune. The planet was observed by Galileo as a faint star near Jupiter and moved relative to an actual nearby star.
The IBEX spacecraft has made the first observations of very fast hydrogen atoms coming from the moon, shedding light on the 'recycling' process undertaken by particles throughout the solar system and beyond. The neutral atoms can travel long distances before they are stripped of their electrons and become ions.
The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) utilizes NERSC's tools to uncover relatively rare cosmic events like supernovae and gamma ray bursts, discovering over 40 in its commissioning phase. The survey combines automated analysis with high-end systems and networks, enabling rapid follow-up observations.
Using XMM-Newton's new data, astronomers have mapped the region around a supermassive black hole, estimating its mass at 3-5 million solar masses. The observations also reveal rapid spinning and accretion rates that verge on theoretical limits.
The BSSA special issue on rotational seismology discusses research on rotational ground motions, including theory, instrumentation, observation, and interpretation. Rotational effects from earthquakes have been observed for centuries, but were ignored due to practical difficulties in measuring them.
Researchers propose a new theory that galaxies formed primarily through cold gas streams, challenging the prevailing view of galactic mergers. Computer simulations suggest these streams led to efficient star formation in massive disks, driving the creation of spiral galaxies.
A Cornell-led team has observed dust forming around a dying star in a nearby galaxy, providing insights into the early universe and the evolution of galaxies. The discovery sheds new light on how cosmic dust was created in the universe's early stages.