Astronomers inspect supernova remnants with MeerKAT
Using the MeerKAT radio telescope, astronomers from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia, and elsewhere have investigated a batch of 36 high latitude supernova remnants. Results of the observations campaign, pu.....»»
How NASA"s Roman Telescope will measure the ages of stars
Guessing your age might be a popular carnival game, but for astronomers it's a real challenge to determine the ages of stars. Once a star like our sun has settled into steady nuclear fusion, or the mature phase of its life, it changes little for bill.....»»
What"s the earliest the moon could have formed?
Astronomers are pretty sure they know where the moon came from. In the early solar system, a Mars-sized object dubbed Theia smashed into Earth. This cataclysmic collision knocked a huge mass of material into orbit, which coalesced and cooled into the.....»»
A total eclipse, with a partial failure: Scientific expeditions don"t always go as planned
For centuries, astronomers have realized that total solar eclipses offer a valuable scientific opportunity. During what's called totality, the opaque moon completely hides the bright photosphere of the sun—its thin surface layer that emits most of.....»»
Astronomers find 10 new millisecond pulsars in globular cluster Terzan 5
Using the MeerKAT radio telescope, an international team of astronomers has detected 10 new millisecond pulsars in a Galactic globular cluster known as Terzan 5. The finding, which makes Terzan 5 the most pulsar-rich globular cluster, was reported in.....»»
JWST observations explore molecular outflows of a nearby merging galaxy
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has observed a nearby merging galaxy known as NGC 3256. Results of the observational campaign, presented March 21 on the pre-print server arXiv, yield essential informa.....»»
Astronomers only knew of a single binary Cepheid system—they just found nine more
Measuring the distance to far away objects in space can be tricky. We don't even know the precise distance to even our closest neighbors in the universe—the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. But, we're starting to get to the tools to measure it. O.....»»
New cataclysmic variable discovered by astronomers
By analyzing the data from ESA's XMM-Newton and Gaia satellites, astronomers from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) in Germany and elsewhere have detected a new magnetic cataclysmic variable system, most likely of the polar type. T.....»»
Astronomers have solved the mystery of why this black hole has the hiccups
Blame it on a smaller orbiting black hole repeatedly punching through the accretion disk. Enlarge / Scientists have found a large black hole that “hiccups,” giving off plumes of gas. (credit: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT).....»»
Faintest known star system orbiting the Milky Way discovered
A team of astronomers led by the University of Victoria and Yale University has detected an ancient star system traveling around our galaxy named Ursa Major III / UNIONS 1 (UMa3/U1)—the faintest and lowest-mass Milky Way satellite ever discovered,.....»»
Daily Telescope: Peering into the remnants of an 800-year-old supernova
Incomplete explosions can leave a kind of "zombie" star. Enlarge / A composite image of SNR 1181. (credit: NASA, ESA, JPL et. al.) Welcome to the Daily Telescope. There is a little too much darkness in this world and.....»»
Research unlocks supernova stardust secrets
Curtin University-led research has discovered a rare dust particle trapped in an ancient extra-terrestrial meteorite that was formed by a star other than our sun......»»
New analysis reveals a tiny black hole repeatedly punching through a larger black hole"s disk of gas
At the heart of a far-off galaxy, a supermassive black hole appears to have had a case of the hiccups. Astronomers from MIT, Italy, the Czech Republic, and elsewhere have found that a previously quiet black hole, which sits at the center of a galaxy.....»»
Astronomers conduct first search for forming planets with James Webb Space Telescope
Planets form in disks of dust and gas called protoplanetary disks that whirl around a central protostar during its final assembly. Although several dozens of such disks have been imaged, just two planets have been caught in the act of forming so far......»»
Astronomers discover 49 new galaxies in under three hours
An international team of astronomers has discovered 49 new gas-rich galaxies using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. Their research is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society......»»
New nearby mini-Neptune exoplanet discovered
An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new mini-Neptune exoplanet orbiting a nearby star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-4438 b is about 2.5 times larger than the Earth. The finding was detailed in a paper published.....»»
Hot post-asymptotic giant branch star discovered in globular cluster ESO 37-1
Astronomers have discovered a new post-asymptotic giant branch (PAGB) star in a Galactic globular cluster known as ESO 37-1 (or E3 for short) and derived its fundamental parameters. The finding is reported in a research paper published March 19 on th.....»»
"Dark stars": Dark matter may form exploding stars, and observing the damage could help reveal what it"s made of
Dark matter is a ghostly substance that astronomers have failed to detect for decades, yet which we know has an enormous influence on normal matter in the universe, such as stars and galaxies. Through the massive gravitational pull it exerts on galax.....»»
Astronomers find evidence that blue supergiant stars can be formed by the merger of two stars
An international piece of research, led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has found clues to the nature of some of the brightest and hottest stars in our universe, called blue supergiants. Although these stars are commonly observed,.....»»
Astronomers confirm a new "Trojan" asteroid that shares an orbit with Mars
Using observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) a study led from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) has confirmed that the asteroid 2023 FW14, discovered last year, is accom.....»»
Four new DAQ white dwarfs discovered
Astronomers from the University of Oklahoma and their colleagues report the detection of four white dwarf stars of a recently discovered rare DAQ spectral subclass. The newfound white dwarfs are slightly more massive than the sun. The finding was det.....»»