The Gemini North telescope has collected some of the highest resolution images of Jupiter ever obtained from the ground, complementing Hubble observations to reveal details about Jovian weather. The images show that lightning strikes and giant storm systems are formed in large convective cells over deep clouds of water ice and liquid.
SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series·DateMay 7, 2020
Researchers at Special Astrophysical Observatory and Kazan Federal University studied the globular cluster NGC 6652 and found its age to be approximately 13.6 billion years. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that younger galaxies are more metal-rich, revealing a complex history for this ancient object.
SourceKazan Federal University·JournalResearch in Astronomy and Astrophysics·DateMay 5, 2020
A new framework, called a 'detectability index,' has been developed to help scientists narrow down the field of exoplanets that require additional study. The index takes into account factors such as oxygen levels and water content on planets, providing a tool for prioritizing targets for observation.
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.
A study published in the Astrophysical Journal reveals that massive galaxies attain their size by merging with smaller ones. Researchers used a combination of observation and modelling to analyze how gases within galaxies move, finding evidence that many stars have been acquired from outside.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D)·DateApr 22, 2020
The BRITE Constellation has recorded a complete nova eruption, offering a unique perspective on the phenomenon. The data provides valuable insights into shock-powered optical emission in novae, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms of star explosions.
SourceGraz University of Technology·JournalNature Astronomy·DateApr 14, 2020
Researchers have found a connection between the size and structure of galaxies and dark matter halos, using observations of faint galaxies around the Milky Way. They also discovered more evidence for the existence of Large Magellanic Cloud satellite galaxies, predicting an additional 150 or more very faint satellites awaiting discovery.
SourceDOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory·DateApr 6, 2020
Researchers used XMM-Newton space telescope data to search for a 3.5 keV X-ray emission line, a predicted signature of dark matter decay. No evidence was found, ruling out the signal strength by over an order of magnitude and challenging previous interpretations.
SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateMar 26, 2020
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.
Researchers predict a nested series of rings within black hole images, with each successive ring becoming increasingly sharper due to its higher number of orbits around the black hole. This discovery enables new possibilities for observing black holes using only two telescopes far apart.
SourceInstitute for Advanced Study·JournalScience Advances·DateMar 18, 2020
Researchers detected chemical variations between day and night on the planet, revealing the presence of iron vapour condensing into drops on the dark side. This discovery provides insights into the extreme climate conditions on ultra-hot giant exoplanets.
SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalNature·DateMar 11, 2020
Astronomers detected velocities of both brown dwarfs in a system orbiting each other, confirming the hypothesis that 2M1510 is composed of two brown dwarfs. The discovery provides rare data on the mass, radius, and age of brown dwarfs, allowing for verification of theoretical models.
SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalNature Astronomy·DateMar 10, 2020
Researchers at IAS and University of Michigan propose QCD axion as solution to cosmological excess of matter over antimatter. The QCD axion could explain three missing pieces of physics puzzle, including the strong CP problem and dark matter.
SourceInstitute for Advanced Study·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 10, 2020
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.
Researchers discovered a rare eclipsing binary brown dwarf system using the SPECULOOS project, confirming theoretical models of brown dwarfs' cooling processes and providing valuable insights. The system consists of two brown dwarfs orbiting each other, offering opportunities to study their atmospheres and climates.
SourceUniversity of Birmingham·JournalNature Astronomy·DateMar 9, 2020
Researchers at the University of Washington and Lowell Observatory found that Betelgeuse's surface temperature remains relatively stable despite recent dimming. The team calculated the average surface temperature of the star using a filter to 'dampen' its light, revealing a surface temperature of around 3,325 degrees Celsius.
SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMar 6, 2020
A sub-Neptune sized planet, G 9-40b, has been validated as an exoplanet using the HPF at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The discovery confirms the planet's mass and orbits its low-mass host star 100 light years from Earth.
An international team of astronomers has discovered an unusual monster galaxy called XMM-2599, which formed most of its stars in a huge frenzy when the universe was less than 1 billion years old. The galaxy stopped forming stars and became inactive by the time the universe was only 1.8 billion years old.
SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·DateFeb 5, 2020
Meta Quest 3 512GB
Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.
Researchers observed solar energetic particle events and found that pre-accelerated particles build up in front of coronal mass ejections, creating a new phase of the energization process critical for radiation hazards. The study highlights the complex interplay between flares, particle populations and CMEs.
SourceUniversity of New Hampshire·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series·DateFeb 3, 2020
Superluminous supernova SN 2006gy was found to be a Type Ia explosion that interacted with a dense shell of circumstellar material, producing an unusual spectrum with unidentified emission lines. The iron lines were identified as evidence of the interaction, which is consistent with observations and simulations.
SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateJan 23, 2020
Astronomers have detected significant amounts of oxygen in the ancient star J0815+4729, which is one of the oldest and most elementally depleted stars known. This finding provides valuable insights into how oxygen and other essential elements were produced in the early universe.
SourceW. M. Keck Observatory·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 23, 2020
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.
A team of researchers discovered a massive galaxy dying 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, with its core already fully formed at that time. This finding challenges previous measurements and adds to our understanding of the universe's formation.
SourceUniversity of Copenhagen·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 17, 2020
A 'cold Neptune' and two temperate super-Earths, GJ180d and GJ229Ac, have been discovered orbiting nearby red dwarf stars, offering a chance to study potentially habitable worlds. The planets were found using the radial velocity method and offer insights into exoplanet formation and evolution.
SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series·DateJan 14, 2020
Researchers have discovered that tidal effects from a close binary companion can cause a star to spin fast enough to launch material into space, forming a gamma-ray burst. This phenomenon is necessary for creating the most luminous events in the universe, observable from Earth when their jet of material is pointed directly at us.
SourceUniversity of Warwick·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJan 13, 2020
The NEID instrument has made its first observations, detecting the subtle effect of exoplanets on their parent stars. With a precision three times better than previous instruments, NEID aims to determine the masses of exoplanets as small as Earth and characterize their atmospheres.
SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·DateJan 8, 2020
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.
A Princeton-led team of astrophysicists has shown that WASP-12b, a 'hot Jupiter' exoplanet, is spiraling inward toward its host star due to tidal forces. This process converts the planet's orbital energy into heat within the star, causing it to dissipate rapidly.
SourcePrinceton University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 8, 2020
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered its first Earth-size planet in its star's habitable zone, TOI 700 d. The planet orbits a small, cool M dwarf star located just over 100 light-years away and is thought to be rocky with surface temperatures suitable for liquid water.
Astronomers have localized a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) to a region approximately seven light years across in the Milky-Way-like galaxy, making it one of the closest yet seen. This discovery enables more detailed study and may help narrow down possible explanations for FRBs.
Astronomers using the GMRT have discovered a massive ring of hydrogen gas surrounding a galaxy, with a diameter of 380,000 light-years. The origin and formation mechanism of such rings remain unknown, despite previous thought that they are associated with galaxy-galaxy collisions.
SourceTata Institute of Fundamental Research·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJan 2, 2020
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.
Astronomers used ESO's VLT to observe gas halos around early galaxies, providing fuel for supermassive black holes. The study found 12 quasars surrounded by enormous gas reservoirs, sustaining both black hole growth and star formation.
Researchers analyzed rotation curves of low-surface-brightness galaxies to discover a universal relationship describing dark matter's distribution. This result consolidates clues on dark matter's presence and behavior, opening up new scenarios for interactions with bright matter.
SourceScuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateDec 18, 2019
A distant galaxy with over a trillion stars showed that the 'cores' of massive galaxies formed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, about 1 billion years earlier than previously thought. Researchers used telescopes to observe the quenching galaxy and found suppressed star formation.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateDec 18, 2019
A new image of the Milky Way's center captures a colorful composite of giant molecular clouds, with details on radio filaments and star factories. Scientists use GISMO data to observe microwaves at large scales, making detailed observations for the first time.
SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateDec 18, 2019
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.
Scientists observe a new type of magnetic explosion, known as forced reconnection, triggered by a solar eruption. This discovery confirms a decade-old theory and may help predict space weather and understand the Sun's atmosphere.
Astronomers used ESO's VLT to observe the Milky Way's central region, revealing a burst of star formation that occurred around one billion years ago. This intense event resulted in over 100,000 supernova explosions and is similar to 'starburst' galaxies.
Scientists have discovered a unique neutron star with an apparent magnetic field structure that manifests itself under specific angles relative to the observer. The study provides insight into the internal structure of the magnetic field, contradicting earlier assumptions and revealing new properties of neutron stars.
SourceMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateDec 9, 2019
University of Maryland astronomers observe natural comet outburst, capturing start-to-finish sequence with NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data. The team gained detailed observations of the explosive emission of dust, ice, and gases during the close approach to Earth.
SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateDec 3, 2019
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.
Astronomers captured a clear start-to-finish image sequence of an explosive emission during the close approach of comet 46P/Wirtanen in late 2018. The team observed the initial brightening in two distinct phases, with a gradual second stage that continued to grow brighter over 8 hours.
SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateDec 3, 2019
A Chinese-led team of international scientists has discovered a massive stellar black hole with a mass 70 times greater than the Sun, located 15 thousand light-years from Earth. The discovery challenges current models of stellar evolution and forces theorists to re-examine how such massive black holes can form.
SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalNature·DateNov 27, 2019
The study reveals the location of the most energetic outburst ever seen, sitting in a dense environment within a bright galaxy 5 billion light years away. The high-energy radiation was produced by a collapsing star at nearly the speed of light, creating a shock that triggered the gamma-ray burst.
SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalNature·DateNov 20, 2019
An international team of researchers has identified a previously unseen component of gamma-ray bursts, emitting trillions of times more energetic photons than visible light. The discovery supports the possibility that inverse Compton emission is commonly produced in gamma-ray bursts.
SourceGeorge Washington University·JournalNature·DateNov 20, 2019
A new study from Vanderbilt University presents a compelling roadmap for capturing multiband observations of gravitational waves emitted by intermediate-mass black holes. This could help fill in the gaps in our understanding of these enigmatic objects, allowing scientists to 'hear the entire song' when it comes to black holes.
SourceVanderbilt University·JournalNature Astronomy·DateNov 18, 2019
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.
Researchers at NJIT's Big Bear Solar Observatory have uncovered a likely mechanism for the Sun's upper atmosphere heating, revealing jets of magnetized plasma known as spicules. High-resolution images show spicules erupting from the Sun's surface at speeds of up to 100 km/s.
SourceNew Jersey Institute of Technology·JournalScience·DateNov 15, 2019
Researchers from Cardiff University have discovered metastability in gallium arsenide compound semiconductor material, a phenomenon that could affect device stability. The findings could lead to improved materials and structures for electronic devices, such as smartphones, GPS, and satellites.
SourceCardiff University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 4, 2019
Researchers confirmed an exoplanet with a mass like Neptune, orbiting a cooler star at a similar radius to Earth's orbit. The discovery suggests Neptune-sized planets could be common in this region.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·DateNov 1, 2019
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.
Astrophysicists simulated giant radio galaxies to explain their formation. They found that these objects remain enormous even at great distances, challenging classical physics.
SourceUniversity of Kent·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 25, 2019
The NSF awards $2.8M to develop a Scalable Cyberinfrastructure Institute for Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (SCIMMA) to analyze large-scale distributed data. The project aims to accelerate scientific discovery in multi-messenger astrophysics by facilitating global collaborations.
Astronomers have discovered the oldest known galaxy protocluster, z66OD, with 12 galaxies existing 13.0 billion years ago. One of these galaxies is Himiko, a giant object found previously by the Subaru Telescope, which was unexpectedly located on the edge of the protocluster.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·DateSep 27, 2019
A team of astronomers has observed the aftermath of a star violently ripped apart by a supermassive black hole, providing unprecedented detail and insights into these mysterious phenomena. The observations, made possible by NASA's TESS satellite, reveal new features of tidal disruption events (TDEs) that were previously unknown.
SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateSep 26, 2019
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.
TESS observed a black hole tearing apart a star in a cataclysmic event, allowing scientists to study the physics of tidal disruptions. The early data revealed a smooth rise in brightness and a significant temperature drop near the black hole.
Astrophysicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have devised a new way to indirectly measure the mass of a black hole, testing it on the Messier 87 active galaxy. The method combines theoretical modeling, computer calculations, and telescope observations to estimate black hole mass and spin.
SourceMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateSep 24, 2019
A team of astronomers observed six LINER galaxies transforming into quasars in a matter of months, discovering an entirely new type of black hole activity. The sudden transitions challenge our current understanding of galactic evolution and suggest that the theory is all wrong.
Researchers propose using gravitational-wave observatories to detect axions, which could be a type of dark matter. Axions are predicted to modulate light polarization and can be detected with existing laser-based experiments, offering a cost-effective solution to the hunt for dark matter.
SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 17, 2019
Astronomers have discovered a rare form of carbon monoxide in the dust and gas disc around a young star, revealing it to be much heavier than previously thought. This finding provides new insights into the formation of planets and challenges existing theories about planetary system formation.
SourceUniversity of Leeds·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateSep 12, 2019
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.
Astrophysicists detected gravitational wave 'tones' emitted by a merging black hole, validating the 'no-hair theory' and confirming Einstein's general relativity. The breakthrough comes 10 years earlier than expected and opens the era of understanding black holes and their properties.
SourceSimons Foundation·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 12, 2019
Physicists at Sandia National Laboratories' Z machine found that an astronomical model underestimates the energy blockage caused by free-floating iron atoms. The experimental opacity measurements can help resolve a major discrepancy in how the Standard Solar Model uses the sun's composition to predict star behavior.
SourceDOE/Sandia National Laboratories·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 11, 2019
A team led by Northwestern University has captured the deepest optical image of a first neutron star collision using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The study sheds light on the nature and origin of neutron star collisions, including the jet created during the merger and its relation to shorter gamma ray bursts.
SourceNorthwestern University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateSep 9, 2019
Researchers at the University of Bern discover hints of a volcanically active exomoon, or exo-Io, orbiting the hot giant planet WASP-49b. The presence of sodium gas at an anomalously high-altitude suggests the existence of a small rocky moon that could be responsible for the observed phenomenon.
SourceUniversity of Bern·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateAug 29, 2019
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.
University of Arizona researchers are using the Catalina Sky Survey's near-Earth object telescopes to find optical counterparts to gravitational waves triggered by massive mergers. The team found several supernovae and a near-Earth object during their ongoing campaign, which began in April.
SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateAug 15, 2019
Scientists have studied the Vela Pulsar, a neutron star 1,000 light years away, to understand its behavior during a glitch. The team found that the star's spin increased before slowing down, providing a glimpse into its interior structure, which consists of three different components.
SourceMonash University·JournalNature Astronomy·DateAug 12, 2019
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have discovered UK-size photospheric plasma swirls generating short-lived Alfvén pulses in the solar atmosphere. These pulses are estimated to carry more than 10 times higher energy flux than needed for heating the local upper solar chromosphere.
SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 5, 2019
Researchers confirm a 'hot Earth' exoplanet, GJ 357 b, and discover two additional worlds orbiting the same star, including one potentially habitable planet, GJ 357 d. The newly discovered planets are located in the habitable zone of their star, which receives about the same amount of stellar energy as Mars does from the Sun.
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.
The new optics made of silicon material meet stringent imaging requirements, offering a two orders-of-magnitude leap in sensitivity over previous telescopes. The technology will be tested on a sounding rocket mission in 2021 and could benefit future missions if Lynx is not chosen.