Articles tagged with Stars
A new extinct species, 'Archaeoteleia astropulvis', a 100-million-year-old fossil wasp, has been named after David Bowie's alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The discovery highlights the importance of understanding extant fauna to interpret fossils.
Researchers used ALMA to map the magnetic field surrounding a young protostar, finding it was surprisingly weak and wildly disorganized. This discovery suggests that the impact of magnetic fields on star formation is more complex than previously thought.
Astronomers using ALMA have detected the rotation of a massive baby star's outflow, shedding light on how rotational momentum is dissipated. The observation confirms the 'magnetocentrifugal disk wind model,' which suggests that gas in the rotating disk moves outward and upward to form outflows.
Astronomers have captured unique close-up views of the universe's brightest infrared galaxies, which are as much as 10,000 times more luminous than our Milky Way. The galaxies' star-birth production is 5,000 to 10,000 times higher than that of our Milky Way.
A team of astronomers discovered a new kind of galaxy that formed less than a billion years after the Big Bang, creating stars more than 100 times faster than our Milky Way. This find solves a long-standing puzzle of how massive galaxies came to have hundreds of billions of stars when they formed so quickly.
The Gruber Foundation has awarded $1.5 million to three top scientists for their groundbreaking work in cosmology, genetics and neuroscience. Sandra Faber, Stephen Elledge, and Joshua Sanes have been recognized for their pioneering research on galaxy structure, DNA damage response pathway, and synapse formation.
Astronomers have discovered a new gas giant, KELT-11b, with an incredibly low density similar to styrofoam, offering opportunities to test atmospheres and assess habitability. The planet's large atmosphere will aid in developing techniques to identify chemicals and products of life.
The Royal Astronomical Society has funded five public engagement projects to promote astronomy and space science, including tactile stargazing for blind people and adventures in space for girls. The projects aim to increase interest and participation in these fields, particularly among underrepresented groups.
Astronomers have found clear signs of water in the atmosphere of HAT-P-26b, a Neptune-sized exoplanet. The presence of water suggests that the planet's gaseous envelope formed late in its formation process, with little to no pollution by impacting debris.
A team of researchers mimics the vibrant color of Stellar's jay bird plumage and demonstrates a new way to control light interaction with materials. The development could lead to engineering new materials for solar cells, camouflage, and more.
The VISTA survey has imaged millions of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, revealing surprising results about star formation history and structure. Most SMC stars formed relatively recently, unlike those in larger galaxies.
The Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope (CCAT-prime) will be the highest telescope of its kind, allowing scientists to study the formation of stars and galaxies in unprecedented detail. With a diameter of six meters and location at an altitude of 5,612 meters, CCAT-prime aims to solve the mystery of dark matter and dark energy.
Researchers develop an iterative simulation model that accurately predicts changes to line shape in strong plasma turbulence, providing a system for assessing plasma turbulence. The study finds that the width of hydrogen lines increases in presence of strong turbulence, with oscillating waves at plasma frequency.
Astronomers have observed stars forming within powerful outflows of material blasted out from supermassive black holes. The discovery provides new insights into galaxy properties and evolution, shedding light on how galaxies obtain their shapes and become enriched with heavy elements.
Researchers detect 75% of a typical galaxy's star formation obscured by dust, revealing surprising findings about the early universe. The Large Millimeter Telescope allows for deeper observations, pushing our knowledge of dust production and metal enrichment over cosmic time.
Researchers used ALMA to detect emissions from two distant galaxies, revealing massive, dusty systems with high star formation rates and extended layers of gas. The galaxies are embedded in a large halo or disk of neutral hydrogen gas, indicating rapid growth and evolution.
Astronomers have observed a striking spiral pattern in the gas surrounding LL Pegasi and its companion star, shedding light on the final act of a dying red giant star. The observations suggest that a highly elliptical orbit is responsible for the shape of the gaseous emissions.
Researchers discovered a supermassive black hole 'choking' on stellar debris, producing small fluctuations in the energy emitted by the flare. The study provides insight into how black holes grow and evolve, offering a potential window into hidden black holes.
A new study found that gravitational waves detected by LIGO likely originated from black holes formed during star collapse, rather than primordial black holes. The research used computer simulations to rule out the existence of intermediate-mass primordial black holes.
A team of astronomers has discovered extended stellar envelopes in individual massive elliptical galaxies at half the age of the Universe. The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, used the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to characterize galactic haloes and reveal the process behind dramatic galaxy growth.
A study of galaxy properties in the cosmic web reveals that central galaxies form stars for a longer period than satellite galaxies. Satellite galaxies experience a steep decline in star formation activity due to 'ram-pressure stripping' as they fall into dense cluster environments.
Researchers have discovered young stars in old star clusters, suggesting that our current models of stellar evolution may be incorrect. This finding could mean that star clusters contain multiple generations of stars.
The James Webb Space Telescope will analyze atmospheric components in TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets for potential biosignatures. Three promising planets, e, f and g, orbit within the habitable zone, with conditions suitable for supporting liquid water.
Astronomers found that stars are ripped apart by supermassive black holes much more often than previously thought, with rates dramatically increasing during galaxy collisions. This new understanding could lead to locating and studying dim black holes in the Milky Way.
Researchers propose that dust traps, high-pressure regions where dust grains accumulate and avoid fragmentation, play a key role in planet formation. These spontaneous traps concentrate grains from outer disk regions, helping to form planets and addressing the long-standing problem of how pebbles join together to create planetary cores.
A team from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias has found a new method to measure star formation rates in galaxies using radio emission. The study reveals that radio waves are an ideal tracer for estimating star formation rates, unaffected by interstellar dust and not requiring combination with other tracers.
Scientists have observed the first time a star pulsates in response to its orbiting planet, HAT-P-2b. The star's brightness oscillates ever so slightly every 87 minutes, suggesting that the massive exoplanet may periodically distort its star, causing it to flare or pulse.
The Reference Catalog of Galaxy SEDs (RCSED) contains value-added information about 800,000 galaxies, derived from the elaborated data analysis. The catalog presents properties such as stellar composition, brightness at various wavelengths, and galaxy spectra obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
Researchers using advanced methods have measured corotation radii in over 100 galaxies, finding that many bars are rotating slower than previously thought. The team's findings suggest that dark matter halos may not be necessary to explain the observed behavior of galaxy bars.
Researchers use Gaia data to detect pulsating stars and trace the extent of the Large Magellanic Cloud, revealing a fuzzy halo stretching 20 degrees from its center. The discovery provides insights into the clouds' mass and interaction with the Milky Way, shedding light on their role in galaxy formation.
Physicists have demonstrated quantum entanglement using ancient photons from stars, closing the freedom-of-choice loophole and supporting the concept of 'spooky action at a distance'. The experiment uses highly entangled pairs of photons produced on the roof of a laboratory in Vienna, shot towards detectors several city blocks away.
A global team of researchers found that ram-pressure stripping is more prevalent than thought, driving gas from galaxies and preventing star formation. The study reveals that this process is potentially the dominant way galaxies are quenched by their surrounds, leading to an early death.
The Caltech instrument, KCWI, will map gas flowing into and out of forming galaxies, revealing dominant modes of galaxy formation. KCWI is a versatile general-purpose instrument that can study cosmic objects in ways not possible before.
Astronomers have discovered giant halos of scattered photons around early Milky Way type galaxies, indicating that only a small percentage of light emitted by distant stars can escape these galaxies. The study uses the Isaac Newton Telescope to survey almost 1000 distant galaxies and measures the amount and location of Lyman-alpha phot...
New research reveals that the Milky Way's black hole can create hundreds of planet-mass objects, which are then flung throughout the galaxy. These objects, known as 'spitballs,' could be detected by future telescopes and may pose a challenge to distinguish from free-floating planets.
Astronomers used VLA and ALMA to study distant galaxies, revealing details of dust-shrouded regions. They found intense star formation occurred throughout galaxies, contrary to present-day high rates in smaller regions.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo developed a new detection method that will detect approximately 10 black holes per year, doubling the current number within two years. This method combines microlensing and radio wave interferometry to extract parameters such as mass, distance, and velocity from black hole events.
A team of UCLA astronomers observed a galaxy and found that stars are responsible for producing dust, a key component of rocky planets. The researchers focused on a galaxy with two young clusters of stars and constructed a map tracing the dust in the galaxy.
Astronomers have discovered a large population of distant dwarf galaxies that could reveal details about star formation in the early universe. These galaxies are 10 to 100 times fainter than previously observed galaxies, but produce more than half of the ultraviolet light during this era.
A study by an international team solves the origin of successive generations of stars in globular clusters. The most massive, evolved AGB stars are found to contaminate the interstellar medium, giving rise to new generations of stars.
A team of astronomers used the MUSE instrument to study the effects of nearby massive star radiation on the pillars of the Carina Nebula. The research found a clear correlation between the radiation and the dissipation of the pillars, suggesting that photoevaporation plays a key role in shaping these structures.
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration detected gravitational waves that could have been caused by the collision of two black holes. Researchers used theoretical models to test whether these signals could also be produced by gravastars, hypothetical objects proposed as an alternative to black holes.
A team of astronomers led by Grant Wilson at UMass Amherst is building a state-of-the-art imaging system called TolTEC to study the heavens. The new camera will be part of the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) and offer improved sensitivity and speed, enabling groundbreaking surveys in star formation and galaxy evolution.
Dense molecular gas disks are supplying gas directly to supermassive black holes at galaxy centers. The growth of supermassive black holes is enhanced by strong turbulence generated by supernova explosions in these disks.
Researchers found a dozen previously unknown RR Lyrae stars at the center of the Milky Way, indicating that galactic bulges may have formed through merging ancient globular clusters. The discovery provides strong evidence for an important theory of galactic evolution.
A new study reveals that young, hot stars ionize oxygen in the early universe, affecting galaxy evolution. The strength of doubly ionized oxygen increases with time, while singly ionized oxygen decreases after 11 billion years.
Astronomers have detected a 'hot molecular core,' a cocoon of molecules surrounding a newborn massive star, for the first time outside our Galaxy. This discovery reveals significantly different chemical compositions compared to similar objects in our own Galaxy, suggesting potential difficulties in producing large organic species.
The CHARA Array, a world-leading optical interferometer, has been upgraded with a $3.9 million grant from the NSF. This new funding will enable scientists worldwide to access the Array's powerful telescopes and explore stars and planets in unprecedented detail.
Researchers used colors to identify the ages of over 130,000 stars in the Milky Way's halo, revealing a clear hierarchy with oldest stars at the center and younger ones further away. The study supports a hierarchical model of galaxy formation, suggesting that small mini-halos merged to form the Milky Way.
A team of researchers from the University of Oxford suggests that life on Earth is more likely to exist in the future than it is now. This is because the necessary elements for life, such as carbon and oxygen, took tens of millions of years to develop following the Big Bang.
RIT students design and deploy telescope and camera to orient rocket payload based on star images, testing new CMOS detector technology operable at cryogenic temperatures. The Cryogenic Star Tracking Attitude Regulation System will launch in December on a suborbital sounding rocket.
A study of around 70,000 galaxies reveals that external mechanisms, such as infalling galaxy drag and gas stripping, are only relevant to quenching galaxies during the last eight billion years. Internal mechanisms, including black holes and stellar outflows, dominate star formation shutdown before this time.
Researchers used computer modeling to investigate galaxy colors and their relation to evolution. They found that rare green galaxies are likely at a critical stage of transformation from blue to red as they age. The study suggests that these galaxies' unique colors can provide insights into the processes driving their evolution.
Astronomers have observed the early formation of galaxies and found that stars were forming inside them much faster in the past. The rapid star birth is using up more cosmic dust, which is becoming cleaner as the universe evolves.
Astronomers have discovered a ring structure of complex organic molecules around a Solar-type protostar, providing direct evidence that interstellar materials are fed into the rotating disk structure. The distribution of these molecules reveals new perspectives on planetary system formation and chemical composition.
A new study in Nature predicts hundreds of massive black hole mergers each year observable with the second generation of gravitational wave detectors. The model takes into account differences in binary black hole production across the universe.
Astronomers have discovered a newborn exoplanet, K2-33b, which is five-10 million years old and orbits its star once every five days. The discovery provides an extraordinary snapshot of the planet formation process, allowing researchers to study how planets form and develop.
Researchers detected billowy clouds of cold, clumpy gas streaming toward a black hole, suggesting two dinner modes for black holes: slow grazing on diffuse hot gas and quick consumption of clumps of cold gas. The findings represent the first direct evidence to support the hypothesis that black holes feed on clouds of cold gas.
Research suggests that galaxies actively launch large amounts of oxygen, carbon, and iron atoms up to a million light years away from their surroundings, leaving them with depleted reserves. This process, driven by violent supernovae and supermassive black holes, can take over 10 billion years.
Astronomers have discovered a new 'Canarias Einstein ring', a rare and unusual phenomenon that provides insight into the composition of distant galaxies. The discovery was made using data from the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC) and offers valuable information about the structure of gravitational fields and dark matter in galaxy lenses.