Astronomy
FCC approves first launch for space reflector constellation
Reflect Orbital moves ahead with the company’s first Eärendil launch amid concerns from the astronomical community.This post was originally published on this site
Astronomy
Astronomy
Sun holds 55% more silver than estimated, new model reveals
Researchers at Uppsala University have calculated that the sun contains 55% more silver than previously estimated. The results are based on more realistic modeling of the sun’s atmosphere and resolve a long-standing problem of missing […]
Astronomy
A source of extremely high-energy particles in the Milky Way identified
Cosmic rays are made primarily of protons with a few electrons sprinkled in, and they can reach energies even higher than what human-made accelerators can produce. Considering human-made accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider […]
Astronomy
Giant planets could act as dark matter detectors
Researchers in the U.S. have carried out the most stringent tests to date of the idea that an ultraviolet glow in the atmospheres of giant planets could partly arise through the indirect interaction between dark […]
Astronomy
The starry night redux: Dark energy camera captures stars, nebulae, clusters, and more in a rich, van Gogh-esque scene
The 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam) captures a vibrant scene filled with swirls and stars reminiscent of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. This new cosmic masterpiece features the glowing nebula NGC 6729 […]
Astronomy
Webb telescope discovers hidden planet in famous star system
Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a giant planet outside our solar system, called an exoplanet, hiding within one of the most intensely studied planetary systems in the Milky Way galaxy.This post […]
Astronomy
Listening to ‘ringing’ black holes unlocks future gravitational-wave astronomy
Listening to the “ringing” produced by black holes after they collide and merge could allow scientists to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity under the most extreme conditions in the universe while unlocking the secrets […]
Astronomy
To measure a black hole’s ultimate spin, we have to go to space
Despite their depiction as massive monsters that simply suck in everything, including light, astronomers know black holes actually spin. And they spin really, really quickly. Determining just how quickly is key to understanding how they […]
Astronomy
Spiral arms and bars are galactic fuel pumps for star formation
Peak star formation took place during cosmic noon, between 2–3 billion years after the Big Bang. The star formation rate (SFR) back then was up to 100 times greater than it is today. For the […]
Astronomy
Asteroid with unexplained orbital shift turns out to be a ‘dark comet’
Typically, astronomers identify comets by their distinct atmospheres, or comae, and their tails, which are created as the sun vaporizes a comet’s ice. These features emit a glow when sunlight bounces off dust and water […]