Distant quasar J0439+1634 explored in X-rays
Using ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, an international team of astronomers has conducted X-ray observations of the most distant known gravitationally lensed quasar—J0439+1634. Results of the study, published December 20 on the arXiv pre-print server,.....»»
Research team resolves decades-long problem in microscopy
When viewing biological samples with a microscope, the light beam is disturbed if the lens of the objective is in a different medium than the sample. For example, when looking at a watery sample with a lens surrounded by air, the light rays bend more.....»»
Aboriginal people made pottery, sailed to distant islands thousands of years before Europeans arrived
Pottery was largely unknown in Australia before the recent past, despite well-known pottery traditions in nearby Papua New Guinea and the islands of the western Pacific. The absence of ancient Indigenous pottery in Australia has long puzzled research.....»»
Designing a cost-effective X-ray free electron lasers facility
Many advances in structural science since the 1970s were made by probing materials with synchrotron radiation: that is, high energy X-rays generated through accelerating high-energy electrons. The latest generation of such sources, X-ray free electro.....»»
Eclipses aren"t just visual spectacles, they are at the heart of scientific efforts to understand distant planets
The total solar eclipse across North America on April 8, 2024, is a stunning and memorable event for everyone in its path. However, eclipses are not just valued for their visual impact, they are at the heart of cutting-edge science......»»
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 physicist uses X-rays to rescue old music recordings
Researchers are developing a technique that uses the special synchrotron X-ray light from the Swiss Light Source SLS to non-destructively digitize recordings from high-value historic audio tapes—including treasures from the Montreux Jazz Festival a.....»»
Pets and the solar eclipse: How sudden increase in darkness during what should be the middle of day may affect pets
On Monday, 13 states in the U.S.—starting with Texas—will experience brief moments of nighttime darkness mid-day as the moon glides in front of the sun, blocking its rays......»»
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......»»
Youth grapple with interpreting the unspoken for their immigrant families
UC Merced researchers are shedding light on a little-explored aspect of cross-cultural communication that involves no spoken words but sometimes can cause confusion and anguish for children acting as interpreters for older family members......»»
From data to decisions: AI and IoT for earthquake prediction
The study of earthquakes remains a main interest worldwide as it is one of the least predictable natural disasters. In a new review published in Artificial Intelligence in Geosciences, a team of researchers from France and Turkey explored the role of.....»»
Meteorites: Why study them? What can they teach us about finding life beyond Earth?
Universe Today has explored the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, planetary atmospheres, planetary geophysics, and cosmochemistry, and how this myriad of intricately linked sci.....»»
Distant "space snowman" unlocks mystery of how some dormant deep space objects become "ice bombs"
A new study is shaking up what scientists thought they knew about distant objects in the far reaches of the solar system, starting with an object called the space snowman......»»
Mapping the best route for a spacecraft traveling beyond the sun"s sphere of influence
The heliosphere—made of solar wind, solar transients, and the interplanetary magnetic field—acts as our solar system's personal shield, protecting the planets from galactic cosmic rays. These extremely energetic particles accelerated outwards fro.....»»
In a distant stellar system, the JWST sees the end of planet formation
Every time a star forms, it represents an explosion of possibilities. Not for the star itself; its fate is governed by its mass. The possibilities it signifies are in the planets that form around it. Will some be rocky? Will they be in the habitable.....»»
Euclid"s sight has been restored
A newly devised procedure to de-ice Euclid's optics has performed significantly better than hoped. Light coming in to the visible "VIS" instrument from distant stars was gradually decreasing due small amounts of water ice building up on its optics. M.....»»
Enhancing college campus safety: A virtual reality approach to understanding student emergency response
Amid the rise in emergencies on college campuses, including fires, accidents, psychological issues, and cyber threats, there's an urgent need to enhance students' emergency response abilities. Existing research has explored various facets of students.....»»
Gut microbiota and antibiotics: Missing puzzle piece discovered
The intricacies of how intestinal bacteria adapt to their environment have yet to be fully explored. Researchers from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg and the University of California, Berkeley, U.S., have.....»»
It"s time to study lunar lava tubes. Here"s a mission that could help
The moon is practically begging to be explored, and the momentum to do so is building. The Artemis Program's effort to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions captures a lot of attention. But there are other efforts.....»»
Daily Telescope: A colorful star trail through the largest window in space
Expect more of this later in 2024 as a veteran astronaut heads back into orbit. Enlarge / Cities on Earth shine alongside distant stars. (credit: Don Pettit/reddit) Welcome to the Daily Telescope. There is a little to.....»»
Cacao plants" defense against toxic cadmium unveiled
Researchers from the University Grenoble Alpes (UGA), France, together with the ESRF, the European Synchrotron located in Grenoble, France, used ESRF's bright X-rays to unveil how cacao trees protect themselves from toxic metal cadmium. This knowledg.....»»