Articles tagged with Observational Astrophysics
Physicists have discovered evidence of natural nuclear accelerators at work in the Milky Way galaxy, based on an analysis of data from the world's largest cosmic ray detector. The researchers found that stellar explosions in our own galaxy can accelerate both protons and nuclei, explaining the origin of ultra-high-energy nuclei.
Astronomers detected X-ray eclipses from a fast pulsar, shedding light on compressed matter and testing relativity. The system's unique properties revealed the size and mass of the companion star with unprecedented accuracy.
A team of volunteer researchers have discovered a new radio pulsar, PSR J2007+2722, in data from the Arecibo Observatory. The pulsar is believed to be a disrupted recycled pulsar, spinning at an unprecedented 41 times per second, offering insights into neutron star formation and evolution.
Researchers credited with discovery, PSR J2007+2722, a neutron star rotating 41 times per second, has no orbiting companion and is likely recycled or young, sparking interest in basic physics of neutron stars. This is the first genuine astronomical discovery by a public volunteer distributed computing project.
Astronomers have discovered a quasar that acts as a gravitational lens, allowing them to weigh and measure a distant galaxy containing a black hole. This groundbreaking observation was made possible by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database and will provide new insights into the distribution of matter in the universe.
Astronomers have discovered the first case of a distant galaxy being magnified by a quasar, allowing them to measure the masses of these host galaxies. This breakthrough provides new insights into galaxy formation and evolution, enabling scientists to better understand the relationship between quasars and their host galaxies.
Researchers used a technique called spectro-astrometry to observe protoplanetary disks in great detail, distinguishing between gas and dust distributions. They discovered that hydrogen gas is incorporated into the star through accretion, which can occur violently or smoothly, depending on the star's magnetic field.
Researchers identify third type of supernova with unique chemical composition, suggesting a pair of white dwarves are involved. This discovery may explain the prevalence of certain elements in the universe and account for observed concentrations of particles called positrons.
Astronomers have identified a possible new class of supernovae that produces high levels of calcium, which could explain the element's abundance in galaxies and life on Earth. The 'calcium-rich' supernovae were discovered by detecting unusual elements in their spectra.
Astronomers discovered a runaway star in the Large Magellanic Cloud's 30 Doradus Nebula, with a speed of over 400,000 km/h. The star is estimated to be around 10 times hotter than the Sun and has been ejected from its home cluster through dynamical interaction.
Theoretical physicist Nikodem Poplawski proposes that our universe could be born from the interior of an Einstein-Rosen bridge (wormhole) within a black hole, potentially resolving issues with the Big Bang theory and black hole information loss. This model may also explain cosmic inflation.
Astronomers have observed fast-growing primitive black holes at the center of distant galaxies, weighing between 100 million and 10 billion solar masses. The researchers found that these black holes are active and growing, and their growth is linked to the formation of stars in the galaxy.
A galaxy study confirms the validity of general relativity on a cosmic scale, with the existence of dark matter as the most likely explanation for observed phenomena. The study rules out alternative theories of gravity, including tensor-vector-scalar gravity and f(R), which fail to predict the observed galaxy clustering and distortion.
The HM Cancri binary system consists of two white dwarfs with an orbital period of 5.4 minutes, making it the smallest and closest to Earth. Mass is flowing from one star to another, and this system has the potential to emit gravitational waves.
Researchers have found conclusive evidence of a binary quasar formed by the merger of two galaxies. The discovery uses images from the Carnegie Institution's Magellan telescope in Chile to show tidal tails produced by gravitational attraction, confirming the merger origin for the binary quasar system.
Researchers observed the sun's outer atmosphere during eclipses, capturing the first images of the solar corona in a near-infrared emission line of highly ionized iron. The observations revealed localized regions of enhanced density and extended beyond three solar radii above the sun's surface.
The Herschel Space Observatory has revealed thousands of newly discovered galaxies in their early stages of formation, providing a detailed view of the universe up to 12 billion years ago. The images are helping astronomers detect distant galaxies that would have been impossible to discover with current ground-based telescopes.
Astronomers have discovered that blue stragglers, which appear youthful despite being older than expected, steal mass from companion stars through stellar smashups. In a star cluster, binary systems brush up against each other, sometimes leading to collision-course orbits and the formation of more massive stars.
Lowell Observatory Director Eileen Friel has been selected as an AAAS Fellow for her contributions to the astronomical community. She is recognized for her diligence in mentoring young scientists through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.
An international team of astronomers has discovered six low-mass planets, including two super-Earths, around two nearby Sun-like stars. The discovery indicates that low-mass planets are common and potentially habitable worlds may be found within a few years.
Astronomers study the galaxy's most active black-hole binary, revealing a dramatic change in the accretion disk's behavior. The Suzaku observations show that at low brightness, the inner edge of the disk retreats up to 600 miles from the black hole.
Scientists have measured magnetic fields in the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst for the first time using a specialized camera on a telescope. This breakthrough observation opens up the study of magnetic fields in these cosmic events, potentially changing our understanding of their role in powering and collimating gamma-ray bursts.
A faint star Alcor has been found to have a smaller red dwarf companion, orbiting it every 90 years. The discovery was made using the 'common parallactic motion' technique developed by Project 1640, which measures the movement of nearby stars relative to more distant ones.
Ray Jayawardhana, a University of Toronto astronomer, has been awarded the 2009 Steacie Prize for his exceptional contributions to astrophysics research. His discoveries have made headlines on several occasions, including capturing the first direct image of a giant planet revolving around a young sun-like star.
Researchers discover supernova that fits predictions for a star hundreds of times the sun's mass, revealing new insights into star formation and heavy metal creation. The study also suggests hyper-giant stars may exist beyond 150 suns, challenging our understanding of celestial physics.
Astronomers have found a middleweight black hole in galaxy NGC 5408, with masses between 1,000 and 9,000 solar masses. The discovery was made using the Swift satellite and XMM-Newton observatory, which detected quasi-periodic oscillations from the black hole.
A new class of supernova was discovered, predicted by UC Santa Barbara scientists Lars Bildsten and colleagues. The event is fainter than typical supernovae and rises and falls in brightness over a few weeks.
The University of Utah has celebrated the 'first light' of its new research telescope at 9,600 feet elevation on Frisco Peak. The 32-inch reflecting telescope took initial pictures on Oct. 15 and will be used for scientific observations starting next spring.
New research suggests that dirty stars with a high abundance of elements like iron and oxygen are more likely to host planets. The study's findings support the idea that the composition of a star reflects its disk, leading to an increased number of exoplanets around such stars.
Scientists from the University of Gothenburg found that a mysterious flux of electrons and positrons originates from supernova remnants, not dark matter. The study shows that a star 15 times more massive than the sun exploded in the Milky Way, creating a shock-wave that accelerated particles.
Researchers have successfully cooled LIGO mirrors to near absolute zero, enabling the observation of quantum mechanical behavior at massive scales. This breakthrough suggests that interferometric gravitational wave detectors can also become sensitive probes of macroscopic quantum mechanics.
The SPIRE instrument package has successfully made its first observations, targeting two galaxies near the Milky Way. The telescope's high-resolution images will aid in studying the birth and development of galaxies, shedding light on star formation processes.
Researchers will explore dark matter particles and neutrinos at the SNOLAB facility, seeking answers about the universe's building blocks and evolution. The studies aim to make new discoveries, including a rare nuclear decay related to unique neutrino properties.
Astronomers have discovered a rare type of stellar explosion known as SN 2008ha, which is 1000 times more powerful than a nova but 1000 times less powerful than a typical supernova. The explosion was detected by a 14-year-old student from New York and shed new light on the nature of stellar explosions.
The QUIET team will deploy a new gravity-wave probe in June to test the existence of cosmic inflation. The probe aims to detect remnants of the universe's earliest moments, when space expanded faster than light.
The Deep Sky project develops a user-friendly database system and interface to serve high-resolution cosmic reference images to astronomers worldwide. This enables instant access to processed observations for analysis, facilitating research in various scientific disciplines.
Researchers have proven that supernovae are caused by the explosion of two dying red supergiant stars, providing a breakthrough in understanding massive star death and the formation of chemical elements. This discovery sheds light on the origin of the universe's heaviest elements.
UK astronomers using NASA Swift Satellite captured an ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma ray burst just 251 seconds after its onset, marking the earliest ever recorded. This breakthrough allows for calculations of distance and brightness within hundreds of seconds and provides new insights into GRB causes and host galaxies.
Researchers observed the intense heating of HD 80606b as it swung close to its star, providing clues to its atmospheric properties. The data enabled the creation of realistic images of the planet using computer simulations.
Researchers found evidence of cosmic dust forming around a dying star in a nearby galaxy, similar to those that formed soon after the Big Bang. This discovery provides insight into the early stages of the Universe and challenges the long-held theory that supernovae explosions are the primary source of dust.
The team's three-dimensional visualization provides clues about how supernovas form new stars and solar systems. The research also helped identify the chemical elements emerging from the exploded star, shedding light on the process of star formation.
Astronomers have identified gas molecules in the host galaxy of a gamma-ray burst, providing insight into star formation when the universe was about one-sixth its present age. The study found hydrogen and carbon monoxide absorption lines, suggesting a thick molecular cloud similar to those that spawn stars in our galaxy today.
Researchers analyzed the spectrum of a gamma-ray burst afterglow to probe the star-forming environment of a distant galaxy. They detected molecular gas and metals comparable to those of the Sun, providing insights into active stellar nurseries in galaxies 10 billion years old.
Researchers found that all active galactic nuclei have a similar physical structure, independent of the black hole's size. The observation constrains current ideas on how glow around black holes is produced, allowing for further study of these enigmatic objects.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have identified two distinct regions with an excess of cosmic rays, challenging nearly a century-old understanding of galactic magnetic fields. The Milagro observatory recorded over 200 billion cosmic-ray collisions, revealing statistically significant peaks in specific regions of the sky.
The Milagro collaboration has discovered two nearby regions with an unexpected excess of cosmic rays, suggesting the presence of high-energy particle acceleration near Earth. This finding is the second recent study indicating a source of galactic cosmic rays relatively close to our planet.
Researchers have captured the first-ever images of three giant planets orbiting the star HR 8799. The planets, each about ten times the mass of Jupiter, have complex atmospheres with dusty clouds that trap and re-radiate heat.
A team of astronomers has discovered three planets in orbit around the young star HR 8799, using advanced computer processing techniques to separate them from the star's light. The planets are found to possess complex atmospheres with dusty clouds partially trapping and re-radiating escaping heat.
Gemini Observatory's groundbreaking discovery reveals two planets orbiting a young, massive star called HR 8799. The system consists of three planets, including the 'first family' member, which are still glowing from heat released as they contracted, and are about seven and ten times the mass of Jupiter.
Astronomers used gravitational lensing and adaptive optics to observe a young star-forming galaxy, finding clear signs of orderly rotation and evidence for a spiral disk with a central nucleus. The study demonstrates the power of future telescopes like the Thirty Meter Telescope.
A team of astronomers has discovered a potential 'wild cousin' of the infamous exploding star supernova 1987A in a nearby galaxy. The newly found supernova, SN1996cr, exhibits similar characteristics to '87A and is an impressive 1,000 times brighter.
A gamma-ray burst was detected as the brightest optical and infrared event ever recorded, visible to the naked eye from Earth despite its vast distance of 7.5 billion light years. The explosion occurred in a massive star 7.5 billion years ago and sent a pencil-beam of intense light on a direct collision course for Earth.
Researchers used VLBI technique to combine signals from multiple telescopes and detected structure 30 million miles away from the galactic center. The observations provide unprecedented view of the region near the black hole event horizon.
A team of astronomers has obtained the closest views ever of a super-massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The new observations revealed the highest density yet for the concentration of matter at the galaxy's center, supporting the existence of black holes.
Astronomers study massive galaxies in clusters to understand their growth. The team observed four galaxy groups and found that three of them have a bright companion galaxy, indicating merging systems.
A Dutch school teacher, Hanny van Arkel, discovered a mysterious gaseous object with a hole in the center while classifying galaxy images on the Galaxy Zoo project. Scientists are now investigating this phenomenon, known as 'Hanny's Voorwerp,' which they believe could be a new class of astronomical object, possibly a quasar.
Researchers have identified four celestial events in Homer's Odyssey that match astronomical patterns, suggesting a total solar eclipse occurred on April 16, 1178 BCE. This could help date the fall of Troy and shed new light on Odysseus' journey.
J. Richard Bond is honored for his theoretical framework to interpret the observed inhomogeneities in the Big Bang's fossil radiation and understand galaxy evolution. His research has helped us transition from a nearly featureless early Universe to the structured world of galaxies, stars, and planets.
NASA's GLAST mission was launched successfully aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The observatory is now on-orbit, with all systems operating as planned.
Astronomers captured X-ray outburst from supernova SN 2008D, shedding light on early processes. The explosion was likely from a massive star with retained helium layer, providing valuable information for understanding stellar deaths.