Astronomy News - SciTechDaily

Escaping Atmospheres: Unraveling the Hydrodynamic Mysteries of Exoplanets

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Wed, 22 May 2024 10:46:24 +0000

New research enhances understanding of atmospheric escape in exoplanets, focusing on classification and impacts on habitability. A new study increases our understanding of the violent...

New 400,000-Pixel Superconducting Camera Offers Unprecedented View of the Cosmos

NASA — Tue, 21 May 2024 17:02:34 +0000

A new superconducting camera with 400,000 pixels offers unprecedented capabilities in low-noise, high-resolution imaging for astronomy and quantum technology applications. In the pursuit of faint...

Webb Space Telescope Cracks Case of Puffy “Microwaved Marshmallow” Exoplanet

Space Telescope Science Institute — Tue, 21 May 2024 08:22:31 +0000

A surprising deficiency of methane suggests that tidal heating has puffed up the atmosphere of the warm gas giant WASP-107 b. Why is the warm...

From Ancient Egyptian Myths to Astrophysics: A Jewel in the Queen’s Hair

ESA/Hubble — Mon, 20 May 2024 07:11:56 +0000

This stunning Hubble Space Telescope image shows the jewel-bright spiral galaxy NGC 4689, which is located approximately 54 million light-years from Earth in the constellation...

Astronomers Uncover a Baffling “Cosmic Mystery” – A Giant Planet As Fluffy as Cotton Candy

University of Liège — Sun, 19 May 2024 13:27:42 +0000

This exoplanet is larger but seven times less massive than Jupiter and is the second least dense planet discovered to date. An international team led...

Cosmic Geode: Hubble Captures the Birth of a Sun-like Star

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center — Sun, 19 May 2024 10:54:55 +0000

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a striking image of a trio of stars, including the variable star HP Tau, in a reflection nebula. These young...

Cosmic Archaeology: Using Black Holes To Uncover Evidence of the Universe’s First Stars

The University of Hong Kong — Sat, 18 May 2024 21:06:40 +0000

Researchers have developed a method to detect the first stars of the universe by observing the unique flares produced when these stars are torn apart...

Resolving the Cosmos: XRISM Unravels Astrophysical Mysteries With Just 36 Pixels

Francis Reddy, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Sat, 18 May 2024 12:36:00 +0000

The XRISM spacecraft, utilizing an instrument with only 36 pixels, revolutionizes our understanding of the cosmos by providing detailed chemical profiles and 3D views of...

Extreme Exoplanet Discovered: Fiery Red Planet Rages With Intense Volcanic Activity

Jules Bernstein, University of California - Riverside — Sat, 18 May 2024 07:03:22 +0000

An astrophysicist discovered a fiery red exoplanet with intense volcanic activity, influenced by tidal forces similar to those affecting Jupiter’s moon Io. UC Riverside astrophysicist...

Astronomers Discover Nearby Earth-Sized Planet With No Atmosphere

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Fri, 17 May 2024 19:58:52 +0000

Astronomers have discovered a new Earth-sized planet, SPECULOOS-3b, orbiting a cold, Jupiter-sized star 55 light years away. Unlike Earth, this planet likely lacks an atmosphere...

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Supercomputer Prediction vs. Reality

Rachel Lense, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center — Fri, 17 May 2024 09:24:59 +0000

Predictive Science Inc. utilized supercomputers and satellite data to model the solar corona during a 2024 eclipse, improving understanding of solar disruptions. Before a total...

Twin X-Class Flares: NASA Captures Epic Solar Showdown

SciTechDaily.com — Thu, 16 May 2024 17:07:21 +0000

On May 15, 2024, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which continually monitors the Sun, captured images of two powerful X-class solar flares. The first was classified...

Hidden in the Halo: MIT Researchers Discover the Universe’s Oldest Stars

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Thu, 16 May 2024 12:27:02 +0000

Astronomers discovered three ancient stars circling the Milky Way’s halo, formed 12-13 billion years ago. MIT researchers have discovered three of the oldest stars in...

Super Fluffy “Cotton Candy” Exoplanet Discovery Shocks Scientists – “We Cannot Explain How This Planet Formed”

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Thu, 16 May 2024 02:49:21 +0000

Astronomers have discovered an enormous, low-density planet named WASP-193b, which is 50% larger than Jupiter but has a cotton candy-like density. This finding challenges current...

NASA Captures Triple X-Class Solar Eruptions – Including a Powerful X8.7 Flare

SciTechDaily.com — Wed, 15 May 2024 16:02:58 +0000

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which constantly watches the Sun, just captured images of 3 powerful X-class solar flares. The first was classified as an X1.7...

ONe Nova To Rule Them All: Rare Stellar Explosions Shape the Building Blocks of Life

National Institutes of Natural Sciences — Wed, 15 May 2024 14:07:42 +0000

New research identifies ONe novae as key sources of phosphorus, essential for life, with peak production aligning with the early Solar System. Astronomers have proposed...

SPECULOOS Uncovers Earth-Sized Exoplanet Just 55 Light-Years Away

University of Liège — Wed, 15 May 2024 09:00:45 +0000

Astronomers have just revealed the existence of an Earth-sized planet around SPECULOOS-3, a nearby star similar in size to Jupiter and twice as cold as...

XRISM Spacecraft Detects Iron Signatures in Nearby Active Galaxy

Jeanette Kazmierczak, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Tue, 14 May 2024 21:34:28 +0000

The XRISM mission has revealed crucial data about the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy NGC 4151, enhancing understanding of black hole-environment interactions....

Galactic Rings of Power: Astronomers Uncover Massive Magnetic Toroids in the Milky Way Halo

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Tue, 14 May 2024 12:05:13 +0000

Astrophysicists have discovered large magnetic toroids in the Milky Way’s halo, which impact cosmic ray propagation and the physics of interstellar space. Their research, based...

XMM-Newton’s Stunning X-Ray Vision Unmasks Mysterious Cosmic Structure

Ashley Balzer, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Mon, 13 May 2024 21:15:11 +0000

New observations reveal that X-ray emissions from the Cloverleaf odd radio circle are linked to merging galaxy groups, offering new insights into these mysterious cosmic...

Hubble’s Sharpest View: A Lenticular Galaxy’s Dust and Dark Matter Revealed

ESA/Hubble — Mon, 13 May 2024 07:03:17 +0000

NGC 4753, captured by the Hubble Telescope, reveals intricate dust structures and a dark matter halo. This galaxy serves as a crucial site for studying...

Final Upgrade: Hubble Celebrates the 15th Anniversary of Servicing Mission 4

NASA Hubble Mission Team — Sun, 12 May 2024 22:53:38 +0000

The final servicing mission of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009, known as SM4, marked the end of shuttle visits to the telescope and...

How a New Methodology Rewrites the Age Book for Asteroids

Cornell University — Sun, 12 May 2024 07:12:31 +0000

Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new method for estimating the age of asteroids using dynamics, demonstrating this approach on the asteroid Selam, found...

Super-Earth Surprise: Webb Finds Atmosphere on Rocky Exoplanet For the First Time

Space Telescope Science Institute — Sun, 12 May 2024 03:20:52 +0000

Gas bubbling up from a lava-covered surface on 55 Cancri e may feed an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide. These days, detecting...