Astronomers at Macquarie University have successfully tested a new technique for observing celestial objects during the day using the Huntsman Telescope. The array of camera lenses can accurately measure stars, satellites, and other targets even when the Sun is high overhead, allowing continual monitoring of bright stars like Betelgeuse.
Researchers have discovered three of the oldest stars in the universe, forming between 12 and 13 billion years ago. The team believes these 'Small Accreted Stellar System' (SASS) stars originated from small primitive galaxies absorbed by the Milky Way.
Scientists have discovered a new planet called WASP-193b that is 50% bigger than Jupiter yet has a density comparable to cotton candy. The planet's low density makes it an outlier among the over 5,400 planets discovered so far.
A new study challenges the initial detection of a biosignature gas on K2-18b, suggesting that the data may be inconclusive. However, researchers believe it's possible for life to produce detectable levels of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the planet's atmosphere.
The new software can detect gravitational wave signals from neutron star collisions more accurately, allowing for faster alerts and enabling further research. This improvement will help scientists better understand heavy element production, including gold and uranium, and the behavior of neutron stars.
A new study using the James Webb Space Telescope found that the universe's early galaxies developed and matured much faster than previously believed. Almost 20% of disc galaxies observed had bar formations, indicating a more settled stage in galaxy evolution.
Researchers introduce a new model that suggests dense stellar clusters can eject pairs of giant planets, which remain gravitationally bound to each other as they float through space. This discovery fills a critical gap in our understanding of planetary evolution and challenges prevailing theories of planet formation.
Astronomers have identified a massive stellar black hole with a mass of 33 solar masses, making it the most massive found in the Milky Way. The black hole is located at 2000 light-years away and was discovered using data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission.
A massive ancient galaxy, JWST-ER1g, has been found to have a high dark matter density, puzzling physicists. Researchers offer an explanation that suggests a mechanism compressing the dark matter halo could be responsible for the high density.
Megan Reiter, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, has received a $951,446 NSF grant to study the influence of neighboring stars on planet formation. Her research aims to clarify key forces shaping planet formation by exploring interplay between stars, planets, and environments.
Researchers at Kyushu University discovered that baby stars expel plumes of dust, gas, and electromagnetic energy in a phenomenon called 'interchange instability', releasing magnetic flux within the protostellar disk. This finding sheds new light on how baby stars develop and may be crucial for understanding star formation.
Researchers discovered a rare binary system with a magnetic massive star, surrounded by a beautiful nebula. The more massive star appears younger than its companion, suggesting a merger event that created the surrounding cloud.
An international team of astronomers has discovered 49 new gas-rich galaxies, expanding our understanding of the universe. The detection was made possible by the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, which allowed for rapid identification of HI-rich galaxy groups.
Astronomers Khyati Malhan and Hans-Walter Rix identified two proto-galactic fragments, Shakti and Shiva, that merged with an early Milky Way between 12-13 billion years ago. These remnants share low metal content and unusual energy and angular momentum values, making them potential ancestors of the galaxy.
Astronomers have found a second-generation star in the Large Magellanic Cloud that formed in a different galaxy, offering clues about how elements were enriched in the universe. This discovery provides new hints about the early element-forming process and suggests that conditions may not be the same across all galaxies.
Astronomers have charted the largest-ever volume of the universe with a new map of active supermassive black holes, logging 1.3 million quasars in space and time. This map allows scientists to study dark matter and the universe's expansion by comparing distant quasars and their host galaxies.
Astronomers identify complex organic molecules like ethanol and acetic acid in icy compounds surrounding two young protostars. These ingredients may have been delivered to the primitive Earth and could be part of comets and asteroids that collide with forming planets.
Researchers at Nagoya University discovered IVCs have lower heavy elements than previously reported, contradicting the Galactic Fountain Model. This finding suggests that particles in these clouds originated outside our galaxy, leading to new insights into galaxy evolution.
Researchers propose a new theory explaining how some white dwarfs remain hot for billions of years, contradicting the standard picture of cooling. The theory suggests buoyant crystals form in the star's interior, disrupting its cooling process and releasing gravitational energy.
Astronomers have spotted a galaxy that stopped forming new stars over 13 billion years ago, when the universe was just 700 million years old. The 'dead' galaxy experienced a short and intense period of star formation, followed by rapid quenching.
A team of 160 researchers from 60 institutions used supercomputers to simulate galaxy formation, correcting limitations and assumptions. The results show disc galaxies formed early in the Universe's history, solving the 'missing satellites problem'.
Researchers have directly detected the feeble glow of cannibalized stars, revealing a key stage in the lives of close stellar pairs. The study identifies new orbits of stripped subdwarf stars around fast-spinning massive stars, shedding light on star formation and evolution.
A new study found that black holes existed at the dawn of time and played a crucial role in galaxy formation. The research, using James Webb Space Telescope data, challenges classical understanding of black hole formation and suggests they may have dramatically accelerated star birth in the first 50 million years of the universe.
A team of astrophysicists used simulations to track galaxy formation near the Big Bang, including interactions between gas and dark matter. The results show that tiny, bright galaxies were formed more quickly than expected, challenging current theories about dark matter.
A team of MIT scientists has detected 18 new tidal disruption events (TDEs) using infrared observations, more than doubling the catalog of known TDEs. The discoveries reveal that these star-shredding black holes occur in a range of galaxies across the entire sky, not just dusty galaxies.
A team of MIT physicists analyzed Gaia and APOGEE data to find stars farther out in the galactic disk are rotating more slowly than expected. This flat rotation curve indicates a lower mass galactic core, potentially containing less dark matter than previously estimated.
A team of international scientists has spotted a new type of elderly giant star, nicknamed 'old smokers,' which emits clouds of smoke over decades. These stars, hidden from view in visible light, were discovered using infrared light and have significant implications for the spread of heavy elements in space.
A team of astronomers used JWST data to create detailed photos of nearby star-forming galaxies, revealing the intricate physics of cosmic dust. The study found consistent patterns in the distribution of diffuse gas across galaxies, suggesting universal principles in star and planet formation.
Researchers unveil previously unknown type of shockwave within TDEs, confirming that shock dissipation powers the brightest phases. The study paves the way for precise measurements of crucial black hole properties and testing Einstein's predictions in extreme environments.
Astronomers have found a direct link between massive star explosions and the formation of compact objects like black holes and neutron stars. The study used ESO's VLT and NTT to observe a supernova explosion in a nearby galaxy, revealing evidence for a compact remnant left behind.
Researchers from Lehigh University have successfully mapped 15 orphaned stars to their birth clusters in the Milky Way using Gaia Mission data. The study provides new insights into the galaxy's history and star cluster dynamics.
Astronomers studying two distant galaxies in the early universe reveal unprecedented molecular diversity, shedding light on the lives of prodigious star factories. By analyzing light from over 13 molecules, researchers gain insights into the physical and chemical conditions in these galaxies.
The EXPLORE toolkit offers interactive visual analytics and machine learning to analyze galaxy data, identify unusual stars, and visualize the lunar surface. Users can create immersive experiences, including 3D models of the Moon and interactive sky maps.
New research from the Max Planck Institute challenges previous claims of giant exomoons around Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b. The study uses a computer algorithm to analyze observations, finding that 'planet-only' interpretations are more conclusive than initially thought.
A new theory, self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), proposes that dark matter particles interact through a dark force, explaining high-density halos and low-density halos of ultra-diffuse galaxies. SIDM simulates cosmic structure formation with strong dark matter self-interactions, diversifying halo density in central regions.
Researchers use MUSE to study ancient galaxies and find that galactic winds, created by massive stars, limit their growth. The team's findings reveal a universal process affecting most galaxies.
Researchers discover substantial presence of frozen carbon monoxide in 'The Brick', a mysterious dark region at the Milky Way's center. The findings indicate a critical need to re-evaluate established theories regarding star formation.
A team of astronomers led by Durham University detected a rotating disc structure around a forming high-mass star in another galaxy, marking the first extragalactic detection. The disc is estimated to be around 15 times the mass of our Sun and provides insights into star formation across different galactic environments.
A new unified model confirms that some long-lasting gamma-ray bursts are created in the aftermath of cosmic mergers that spawn an infant black hole surrounded by a giant disk of natal material. The findings explain recently observed long GRBs that astronomers couldn't link to collapsing stars.
A team of researchers found that carbamic acid and ammonium carbamate can form in interstellar ices at low temperatures, potentially delivering these molecules to early Earth via comets or meteorites. This discovery could inform future studies using powerful telescopes to search for prebiotic molecules in distant star-forming regions.
A team of astrophysicists discovered that two methods for determining the age of stars measure different things, with a 5.5 million-year difference in age determined by dynamic tracking versus isochronous measurement. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of star formation and stellar evolution.
Researchers analyzed the chemistry of distant teenage galaxies, finding they are unusually hot and contain unexpected elements like nickel. The study provides insight into galaxy formation and evolution, shedding light on why some galaxies appear 'red and dead' while others continue to form stars.
Researchers found a barred spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way at a redshift of 3, challenging previous understanding of galaxy evolution. The discovery suggests that galaxies matured and became ordered much faster than thought, with implications for theories of galaxy formation and evolution.
Researchers observe complete process of dwarf galaxy evolution into ultra-compact dwarf galaxies, shedding light on their mysterious origins. About 15% of UCDs are surrounded by faint star halos, and they're highly correlated with strongly nucleated dwarf galaxies.
An international team of astronomers has identified 106 galaxies with sizes between normal dwarfs and ultra-compact dwarfs in the Virgo Cluster. These 'fossils' provide insight into how extreme galaxies form, suggesting a common origin for ultra-diffuse galaxies and ultra-compact dwarf galaxies.
Researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf are studying near-Earth cosmic explosions to understand their potential impact on the Earth's biosphere. They found that ejected debris can reach our solar system, with some isotopes, such as iron-60 and plutonium-244, potentially coming from supernovae or other galactic events.
A young star cluster, IRS13, has been found to be significantly younger than expected, with stars only 100,000 years old, despite being near the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. The cluster's turbulent history suggests it was 'captured' by the black hole's gravity, leading to a bow shock and increased star formation.
Astronomers at Harvard University have discovered a tilted dark matter halo, explaining the Milky Way's warp and flare. The team used models to calculate star orbits within a warped, oblong dark matter halo, matching existing observations of a distorted galaxy.
A Northwestern University-led team of astrophysicists has discovered that young galaxies appear brighter than anticipated due to irregular bursts of star formation. This finding explains the puzzling appearance of massive galaxies too soon after the Big Bang, fitting within the standard model of cosmology.
Scientists have observed 16 newly formed galaxies that exhibit significantly less heavy elements than expected, indicating a lack of time for element creation. The findings suggest that these galaxies are still in the process of being created, contradicting the long-held equilibrium model of galaxy formation.
Astronomers using NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory discovered a black hole repeatedly nibbling on a Sun-like star in a distant galaxy. The object was detected using a new method for analyzing data from the satellite's X-ray Telescope, enabling it to adapt to new areas of astrophysics.
Astronomers have discovered a 'missing link' in the behavior of black holes and their impact on nearby stars. The discovery reveals that a low-mass black hole is consuming the equivalent mass of three Earths every time it passes close to a star, releasing massive amounts of X-rays.
Researchers have discovered an unusual Jupiter-sized exoplanet, TOI-4860 b, orbiting a low-mass star in the Corvus constellation. The planet is enriched with heavy elements and takes about 1.52 days to complete its orbit, making it a 'Warm Jupiter'.
Astronomers have created the first computer simulations showing how convection in the cores of massive stars generates waves that result in flickering starlight. The effect is different from the visible twinkling of stars in the night sky and could be observed with improved telescopes.
A Northwestern University-led team developed the first 3D simulations of energy rippling from a massive star's core to its outer surface. The researchers determined how much stars should innately twinkle and converted these waves into sound waves, allowing listeners to hear both what the insides of stars and their twinkling sound like.
A new study has captured the early stages of planetary evolution, observing a young gas planet's violent and erratic atmospheric shedding. The research, led by Dartmouth researchers, provides insights into the most common experiences of planets beyond our solar system.
A team of researchers, including RIT's Joel Kastner, have discovered new evidence of how planets as massive as Jupiter can form through gravitational instability around a young star. The discovery was made using images from the ESO's Very Large Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.
A new study by NASA and Japan's Osaka University suggests that rogue planets, drifting through space without a star, may outnumber stars with orbiting worlds. The Roman Space Telescope could discover up to 400 Earth-mass rogue planets, according to the findings.
Researchers from Ohio State University found that some low-mass stars have unexpectedly strong surface magnetic fields, which could intensify their radiation for billions of years. This discovery challenges current models of stellar evolution and has important implications for the search for life on other planets.
Astrophysicists analyze James Webb Space Telescope images to find three bright objects that might be 'dark stars,' powering themselves with annihilating particles of dark matter. The discovery could reveal the nature of dark matter and solve the puzzle of galaxy formation.