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New Milky Way maps help solve stubborn interstellar material mystery

A team of astronomers has created new maps of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way, revealing clues about the composition and distribution of mysterious complex molecules. The findings could provide insights into how stars form and the conditions that lead to their creation.

SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalScience·DateAug 14, 2014
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.

Astrophysicists detect destruction of 3 stars by black holes

Researchers from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have reported detecting three possible occasions of star destruction by supermassive black holes at galaxy centers. Using data from X-ray orbiting observatories ROSAT and XMM-Newton, they identified three X-ray sources with significant dimming, suggesting the death of a star i...

SourceMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateAug 9, 2014

Hubble shows farthest lensing galaxy yields clues to early universe

Astronomers have discovered the most distant galaxy that acts as a cosmic magnifying glass, with a massive elliptical galaxy weighing 180 billion times more than our sun. The lensing effect offers insight into how young galaxies build themselves up into today's massive dark-matter-dominated galaxies.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 31, 2014

Hubble spots spiral bridge of young stars linking two ancient galaxies

Astronomers have spotted an unusual structure in the universe, resembling a corkscrew-shaped string of pearls, that winds around the cores of two colliding galaxies. The discovery has sparked excitement among researchers, who are still trying to understand the physical processes behind this phenomenon.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJul 10, 2014
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.

Diving for pearls with the Hubble Space Telescope

A team of astronomers from RIT helped analyze data showing two elliptical galaxies coalescing in a dense galaxy cluster. The study reveals rare insights into elliptical galaxy mergers and finds a string-of-pearl star formation structure with 19 young blue clusters.

SourceRochester Institute of Technology·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 10, 2014

A young star's age can be gleamed from nothing but sound waves

Astronomers have developed a method to distinguish between infant and adolescent stars based on their sound waves, with 'young' stars vibrating slower. This technique uses ultrasound technology similar to medical applications, offering new insights into star formation and evolution.

SourceKU Leuven·JournalScience·DateJul 3, 2014
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.

New technique reveals supernova progenitor

A team of astronomers has identified a Wolf-Rayet star as the probable progenitor of a recently exploded supernova using flash spectroscopy. This technique allows for rapid identification of pre-explosion stars at greater distances than previously possible.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalNature·DateMay 21, 2014

Entire star cluster thrown out of its galaxy

Researchers found a runaway star cluster named HVGC-1 in the M87 galaxy, moving at over two million miles per hour. The cluster was likely flung out of the galaxy by supermassive black holes at its core.

SourceCenter for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateApr 30, 2014
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.

Astronomers observe corkscrew nature of light from a distant black hole

Researchers measured circular polarisation in the bright flash of light from a dying star collapsing to a black hole, giving insight into an event that occurred 11 billion years ago. This discovery challenges current understanding of Gamma-ray Bursts and suggests a more complex mechanism for their formation.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalNature·DateApr 30, 2014

Lick's new Automated Planet Finder: First robotic telescope for planet hunters

The APF facility consists of a 2.4-meter telescope and the Levy Spectrometer, which Vogt designed and optimized specifically for planet hunting. Repeated measurement of a star's spectrum enables astronomers to detect the tiny wobble induced in a star by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Cruz·JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific·DateMar 25, 2014

Some galaxies in the early universe grew up quickly

A team of astronomers discovered mature galaxies at a record-breaking distance, containing 100 billion stars each. These galaxies formed rapidly over 1 billion years, with star formation rates hundreds of times higher than observed today.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMar 11, 2014
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

A small step toward discovering habitable earths

Researchers successfully captured an image of exoplanet Beta Pictoris b using a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor in visible light, confirming its atmosphere is at 2600 degrees Fahrenheit. The achievement marks a significant step towards detecting habitable planets around other stars.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·DateMar 5, 2014

Stream of stars in Andromeda satellite galaxy shows cosmic collision

Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute detected a stream of stars in Andromeda II, revealing a remnant of a merged dwarf galaxy. The findings provide insight into the rare event of low-mass galaxy mergers, which are expected during galaxy formation.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Niels Bohr Institute·JournalNature·DateFeb 23, 2014

When a black hole shreds a star, a bright flare tells the story

Researchers used computer simulations to explore the destruction of a star by a black hole, finding that hydrogen lines are highly ionized and don't appear in spectra. The study provides new insights into the origin of emission lines in tidal disruption events and sheds light on the role of accretion disks.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Cruz·DateFeb 18, 2014
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.

Australians discover oldest star

The discovery of the oldest known star in the Universe allows scientists to study its chemistry, providing a clearer idea of the early universe. The ancient star is around 6,000 light years from Earth and formed shortly after the Big Bang.

SourceAustralian National University·JournalNature·DateFeb 9, 2014

Heavy metal in the early cosmos

Numerical simulations charting the universe's forces in its first hundreds of millions of years reveal subtle effects governing galaxy evolution, including incomplete mixing and chaotic supernova ejections. The findings shed light on metal formation and distribution in the earliest galaxies.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 5, 2014

Tropical Storm Kajiki fades over South China Sea

NASA's Aqua satellite captured a final image of Tropical Storm Kajiki on January 31 as it made landfall in the Philippines. The storm weakened to a depression with maximum sustained winds near 30 knots/34.5 mph, displacing over 18,000 people.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateFeb 3, 2014

Solving a 30-year-old problem in massive star formation

A team of researchers has confirmed a long-standing puzzle about the birth of massive stars, showing that dense filamentary structures absorb ultraviolet radiation and shield surrounding gas. The findings provide new insights into how massive stars form and influence their host galaxies.

SourceAmerican Museum of Natural History·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 27, 2014
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.

Galaxies on FIRE: Star feedback results in less massive galaxies

Researchers found that star radiation can push matter out of galaxies, accounting for the missing galactic mass in previous calculations. The FIRE simulations demonstrate that feedback from stars alters galaxy growth and history in a dramatic way.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJan 22, 2014

Himiko and the cosmic dawn

A team of astronomers discovered a primordial galaxy, Himiko, seen at 800 million years after the Big Bang. The observations using Hubble and ALMA revealed intense star formation, but puzzlingly low metal content, challenging current star formation theories.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·DateJan 15, 2014

Hubble probes interior of Tarantula Nebula

The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a glittering treasure trove of more than 800,000 stars and protostars embedded inside the Tarantula Nebula. The observations were obtained as part of the Hubble Tarantula Treasury Program, which will produce a large catalog of stellar properties.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJan 9, 2014

Many small exoplanets found to be covered in gas

New measurements of mass reveal that planets smaller than Neptune have low density due to extensive gas coverage, while larger ones have higher density. This suggests these planets formed quickly after their star's birth, contrasting with Earth's late formation.

SourceNorthwestern University·DateJan 8, 2014

Quasars illuminate swiftly swirling clouds around galaxies

Researchers used data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to discover measurable shifts in giant gas clouds around galaxies in a span of just five years. The findings suggest that these clouds are much smaller than previously thought, with implications for how galaxies form and evolve over time.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJan 8, 2014
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.

Gemini Planet Imager first light

The Gemini Planet Imager has successfully captured its first light images of exoplanets, allowing scientists to study their atmospheres and characteristics in unprecedented detail. The instrument's advanced technology enables it to detect planets that are millions of times fainter than their parent stars.

SourceGemini Observatory·DateJan 7, 2014

Out-of-this-world first light images emerge from Gemini Planet Imager

The Gemini Planet Imager has captured its first light images, revolutionizing the field of exoplanet detection and study. The instrument's advanced adaptive optics system allows for direct imaging of faint planets, including those 1 million to 10 million times fainter than their host stars.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory·DateJan 7, 2014

Hubble unveils a deep sea of small and faint early galaxies

A team of scientists led by UC Riverside astronomers used Hubble to discover 58 young, diminutive galaxies in ultraviolet light, which are 100 times more numerous and 100 times fainter than detected galaxies. These 'unseen' galaxies formed most new stars during the universe's early years.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·DateJan 7, 2014
Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

Newfound planet is Earth-mass but gassy

The discovery of KOI-314c reveals a planet weighing as much as Earth but 60% larger in diameter, indicating a thick, gaseous atmosphere. The planet's mass was measured using transit timing variations (TTV), a young method for studying low-mass planets.

SourceCenter for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian·DateJan 6, 2014

Massive stars mark out Milky Way's 'missing' arms

A study of massive stars confirms the Milky Way has four spiral arms, contradicting previous findings from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The researchers used data from radio telescopes in Australia, USA and China to analyze the distribution of massive stars across the galaxy.

SourceUniversity of Leeds·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateDec 17, 2013

Announcing project agora: Ambitious comparison of computer simulations of galaxy evolution

The AGORA project aims to resolve inconsistencies in supercomputer simulations of galaxy evolution by comparing results from different codes and processes. By applying the principle of reproducibility, researchers hope to identify key physics ingredients that produce realistic galaxies.

SourceUniversity of California High-Performance AstroComputing Center·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateDec 10, 2013

Explosive growth of young star

A young star formed in the Milky Way galaxy underwent an explosive growth, becoming 100 times brighter than its current state within the past 100-1,000 years. This sudden increase was caused by a chemical reaction that enabled the formation of complex molecules like methanol.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Niels Bohr Institute·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateDec 4, 2013
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Hubble traces subtle signals of water on hazy worlds

Two teams of scientists used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to detect faint water signals in the atmospheres of five distant planets. The strengths of their water signatures varied, with some planets having stronger signals than expected.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateDec 3, 2013

New tool may unveil inhabitable worlds

SPIRou, a near-infrared spectropolarimeter and high-precision velocimeter, will detect habitable Earth twins orbiting nearby red dwarf stars and study the formation of Sun-like stars and their planets. The instrument's advanced technology will reveal the existence of liquid water on planetary surfaces.

SourceUniversity of Montreal·DateNov 4, 2013

International team identifies earliest galaxy ever detected

Astronomers at UMass Amherst and UT at Austin identify the most distant galaxy, with a redshift parameter of z = 7.51, indicating it is 700 million years old. The discovery challenges theories on galaxy formation and suggests intense star-forming galaxies may be more common than thought.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·JournalNature·DateNov 1, 2013
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.

Researchers discover that an exoplanet is Earth-like in mass and size

Researchers at MIT have discovered an exoplanet named Kepler 78b that is approximately 1.2 times the size of Earth and has a mass about 1.7 times that of our planet. The planet's density is also similar to Earth's, suggesting it may be composed mainly of rock and iron.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNature·DateOct 30, 2013

UC San Diego researchers advance explanation for star formation

Researchers provide physical explanation for Larson's Laws, showing that three correlations are due to the same underlying physics of supersonic turbulence. The study uses six simulations to support this interpretation and sheds light on molecular cloud structure formation.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 21, 2013

Sky survey captures key details of cosmic explosions

Researchers at Caltech's intermediate Palomar Transient Factory have detected a rare type of supernova in a nearby galaxy, providing evidence for the theory that it originated from a Wolf-Rayet star. Additionally, they found the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst, precisely locating its position using optical telescopes alone.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateOct 16, 2013

Scientists generate first map of clouds on an exoplane

A team of researchers from MIT has generated the first map of clouds on an exoplanet, Kepler 7b, which reveals a dense layer of clouds on one hemisphere. The study suggests that this cloud cover creates an atmosphere conducive to further cloud formation and regulates the planet's temperature.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateOct 3, 2013
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Astronomers discover densest galaxy ever

The recently discovered ultra-compact dwarf galaxy M60-UCD1 has a density of stars about 15,000 times greater than in the Milky Way. The galaxy's central bright X-ray source suggests a massive black hole weighing 10 million times the sun's mass.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateSep 24, 2013

Pulsating dust cloud dynamics modeled

Researchers propose a new spatio-temporal model to investigate molecular cloud fluctuations and their pulsational dynamics. The model takes into account nonlinear gravito-electrostatic coupling, helping elucidate basic features of cloud collapse, star formation, and galactic structures.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal D·DateSep 12, 2013

The peanut at the heart of our galaxy

Astronomers used ESO's VISTA telescope to create the best 3D map yet of the Milky Way's central bulge, revealing an X-shaped structure. The galactic bulge is composed of 22 million red giant stars that can be used as standard candles to measure distances.

SourceESO·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateSep 12, 2013

New Hubble image of galaxy cluster Abell 1689

Astronomers have discovered a massive population of globular clusters within Abell 1689, the largest number ever found. The study reveals that this galaxy cluster could contain over 160,000 globulars, with 10,000 identified in Hubble observations.

SourceESA/Hubble Information Centre·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateSep 12, 2013
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.

Iowa State, IBM astronomers explain why disk galaxies eventually look alike

Researchers Struck and Elmegreen found that the gravitational pull of young galaxy clumps is responsible for the smooth universal brightness profile in older disk galaxies. This process takes a few hundred million years to a few billion years, scattering stars from their original orbits.

SourceIowa State University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateSep 11, 2013

Map of galactic clouds where stars are born takes shape

A UNSW-led team is mapping the location of giant gas clouds in our galaxy, which can be up to 100 light years across. The research aims to understand how these clouds form and play a key role in the cosmic cycle of birth and death of stars.

SourceUniversity of New South Wales·JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Australia·DateSep 10, 2013

Powerful jets blowing material out of galaxy

Astronomers have found strong evidence that a galaxy's central black hole is blowing massive amounts of gas out of the galaxy, limiting its growth and rate of star formation. The process, observed in a galaxy called 4C12.50, is thought to be key to understanding how galaxies develop and regulate the growth of their central black holes.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalScience·DateSep 5, 2013
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Why super massive black holes consume less material than expected

A team of astronomers used NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescope to solve a long-standing mystery about super massive black hole accretion rates. They found that most SMBHs swallow very little cosmic material and instead reject hot gases due to their high temperatures.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·JournalScience·DateAug 29, 2013

New theory points to 'zombie vortices' as key step in star formation

Researchers at UC Berkeley propose that 'zombie vortices' play a crucial role in the birth of new stars. The team's computer models show how variations in gas density lead to instability, resulting in whirlpool-like vortices that help the star form.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateAug 20, 2013

Hubble explores the origins of modern galaxies

Astronomers use Hubble to study distant galaxies 11 billion years ago, confirming the Hubble Sequence holds true as far back as 8 billion years. The study finds that all galaxies fit into different classifications of the sequence, with blue star-forming galaxies and massive red galaxies dominating at these early times.

SourceESA/Hubble Information Centre·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateAug 15, 2013
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

Astronomers show galaxies had 'mature' shapes 11.5 billion years ago

Researchers have found that mature-looking galaxies existed 11.5 billion years ago, pushing back the timeline of galaxy formation by 2.5 billion years. This discovery confirms the Hubble Sequence, a classification system used to describe galaxy morphology, even at early stages of the universe's history.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·DateAug 14, 2013

Starburst wind keeps galaxies 'thin'

A new UMD-led study suggests that a burst of star formation in galaxies can blow out most of the remaining gas, resulting in a long period of starvation. This process is crucial in understanding the universe's surprising paucity of high-mass galaxies.

SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalNature·DateJul 24, 2013
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Stars' orbital dance reveals a generation gap

Astronomers have tracked the orbital motion of 33,000 stars in one of the Galaxy's oldest globular clusters, offering new insights into the formation of the Milky Way. The study reveals two distinct generations of stars within globular cluster 47 Tucanae, differing in age by 100 million years.

SourceUniversity of British Columbia·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 18, 2013

Snow falling around infant solar system

Astronomers use ALMA to image a snow line around TW Hydrae, a young star 175 light-years away, providing clues about the early Solar System. The discovery sheds light on the role of snow lines in planet formation and potentially seeds life with essential organic molecules.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalScience·DateJul 18, 2013