Astronomers want your help hunting for asteroids
Anyone can become an asteroid hunter thanks to a new program launched by astronomers at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. As part of the Catalina Sky Survey, the scientists created an online portal that opens their mission—t.....»»
Astronomers discover largest black hole in Milky Way: Study
Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published on Tuesday......»»
Biggest stellar black hole to date discovered in our galaxy
Astronomers have discovered a large stellar mass black hole which weighs in at 33 times the mass of the sun and is located just 2,000 light-years away......»»
Hubble discovers over 1,000 new asteroids thanks to photobombing
Astronomers have used 19 years' worth of Hubble data to detect over 1,000 previously unknown asteroids in our solar system......»»
Hubble goes hunting for small main belt asteroids
Like boulders, rocks, and pebbles scattered across a landscape, asteroids come in a wide range of sizes. Cataloging asteroids in space is tricky because they are faint and they don't stop to be photographed as they zip along their orbits around the s.....»»
James Webb Space Telescope data pinpoint possible aurorae on a cold brown dwarf
Using new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered methane emission on a brown dwarf, an unexpected finding for such a cold and isolated world. Published in the journal Nature, the findings suggest that thi.....»»
Astronomers discover the most metal-poor extreme helium star
Using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), astronomers have performed high-resolution observations of a recently detected extreme helium star designated EC 19529–4430. It turned out that EC 19529–4430 is the most metal deficient among the.....»»
Astronomers inspect open cluster Berkeley 50
Using the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT), astronomers from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, have observed a young Galactic open cluster known as Berkeley 50. Results of the observational campaign, presented April 5 on the preprint serv.....»»
Largest gamma-radiation burst ever recorded spills its secrets
Back in October of 2022, astronomers around the world were baffled and awed by the largest gamma-radiation burst we’ve ever recorded. The burst was so … The post Largest gamma-radiation burst ever recorded spills its secrets appeared first on.....»»
Most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy found
Astronomers have identified the most massive stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way galaxy. This black hole was spotted in data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission because it imposes an odd 'wobbling' motion on the companion sta.....»»
Astronomers detect radio halo in a massive galaxy cluster
An international team of astronomers has performed radio observations of a massive galaxy cluster known as ACT-CL J0329.2-2330, which resulted in the detection of a new radio halo in this cluster. The finding was reported in a research paper publishe.....»»
A supernova caused the BOAT gamma ray burst, JWST data confirms
But astronomers puzzled by the lack of signatures of expected heavy elements. Enlarge / Artist's visualization of GRB 221009A showing the narrow relativistic jets—emerging from a central black hole—that gave rise to the brig.....»»
HD 21997 is a high-frequency Delta Scuti pulsator, observations find
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have observed a young star designated HD 21997. Results of the new observations indicate that the studied object is a high-frequency Delta Scuti pulsator. The finding was describe.....»»
If we want to visit more asteroids, we need to let the spacecraft think for themselves
Missions to asteroids have been on a tear recently. Visits by Rosetta, Osirix-REX, and Hayabusa2 have all visited small bodies and, in some cases, successfully returned samples to the Earth. But as humanity starts reaching out to asteroids, it will r.....»»
New young and warm Jupiter-like exoplanet detected
An international team of astronomers reports the detection of a new young and warm exoplanet orbiting a distant star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-4862 b (or NGTS-30 b), is similar in size and mass to Jupiter. The finding was published Ap.....»»
A Popular Alien-Hunting Technique Is Increasingly in Doubt
Recent controversies bode ill for the effort to detect life on other planets by analyzing the gases in their atmospheres......»»
Astronomers detect potential "glory effect" on a hellish distant world for the first time
Potential signs of the rainbow-like "glory effect" have been detected on a planet outside our solar system. Glory are colorful concentric rings of light that occur only under peculiar conditions......»»
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.....»»
The world’s largest digital camera for astronomy is ready to go
Ready to scan the night sky for evidence of dark matter and to identify near-Earth asteroids, the camera for the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory is complete......»»
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.....»»