Neutron Star ‘Glitch’ Reveals Engine That Powers Rotation
A “glitch” in a neutron star 1,000 light-years from Earth offered astronomers the first-ever glimpse into the forces generating rotation for the universe’s most dense objects.
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astronomy
Astronomers Discover Oldest Known Galaxies in the Cosmos
Astronomers have discovered 39 massive and ancient galaxies that defy current models of the known universe and contain clues about the interactions of black holes with dark matter, a study published Wednesday revealed.
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Astronomers Develop First 3-D Map of Milky Way
The Milky Way galaxy is home to countless stars, planets, and other celestial objects. Currently, scientists’ knowledge of its shape is based on what is known about other galaxies and models of our own solar system – but it is not the whole picture.
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NASA Probe Finds Nearby ‘Missing Link’ Planets
Scientists using a planet-hunting NASA satellite announced Monday the discovery of three new planets orbiting a nearby star, including one that may have had liquid water oceans.
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Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity Stands, but Cracks Are Showing
No one knows what happens inside a black hole, but Einstein’s theory of general relativity still explains the phenomena occurring just outside.
Read moreAiry Gel Could Help Sustain Life on Mars
Silica aerogels have been used to keep NASA exploration rovers warm at night, and a study released Monday shows it could be the solution to sustaining life in the most uninhabitable of places – Mars.
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Before Moon Landing, Astronauts Learned Geology in Arizona
Before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin knew they would be the first to walk on the moon, they took crash courses in geology at the Grand Canyon and a nearby impact crater that is the most well-preserved on Earth.
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Total Solar Eclipse Brings Out Crowds in South America
Tens of thousands of tourists and locals gaped skyward Tuesday as a total eclipse of the sun darkened the heavens over Chile and Argentina.
Read moreMeteors Help Clouds Form in Martian Sky
The question of how clouds form in Mars’ atmosphere may have been answered in a new study released Monday: meteors.
Read moreNew Study Says Universe Expanding Faster and Is Younger
The universe is expanding faster than it used to, meaning it’s about a billion years younger than we thought, a new study by a Nobel Prize winner says. And that’s sending a shudder through the world of physics, making astronomers re-think some of its most basic concepts.
Read moreX-Ray Pulse Casts Black Holes in a New Light
Astronomers have noticed an X-ray pulse near a black hole that was recently observed tearing apart a star, uncovering new information about the physical properties of black holes.
Read more‘Farout’: Images Confirm Farthest Known Object in Solar System
More than 100 times farther than the Earth is from the sun, a pink dwarf planet nicknamed Farout was recognized by astronomers Monday as the most-distant body ever observed in our solar system.
Read moreStudy: Water Is Buried Beneath Martian Landscape
A huge lake of salty water appears to be buried deep in Mars, raising the possibility of finding life on the red planet.
Read more12 New Moons Discovered Around Jupiter
After a year of peering deep into the outer edge of space, Carnegie scientists have discovered 12 new moons orbiting Jupiter.
Read moreAstronomers Report 1st Image of Baby Planet Being Formed
Astronomers say they’ve captured the first confirmed image of a planet forming in the dust swirling around a young star.
Read moreFirst Interstellar ‘Immigrant’ Discovered Orbiting Jupiter
A newly discovered asteroid in Jupiter’s orbit “immigrated” from another solar system and is orbiting in the opposite direction of nearly everything else in our solar system, according to new astronomical research.
Read moreHelium Detected in Exoplanet’s Atmosphere for First Time
Helium has been detected in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system for the first time, a team of astronomers reported Tuesday.
Read moreGalaxy-Detecting Software Used to Protect Endangered Species
A new detection system aims to protect endangered species from poachers by incorporating software and techniques designed to detect and study stars and galaxies.
Read moreSaturn’s Greatest Storm
Unlike other planets in the solar system, Saturn stores up huge amounts of energy over many Earth decades, and then unleashes it all at once in the form of an awesome, swirling, massive electrical storm that lasts for months. Scientists don’t know why Saturn behaves this way, but it’s a once-a-year occurrence on the ringed planet. Once a Saturnian year, that is: a year there is 30 Earth years.
Read moreChemical ‘Sleuths’ Hunt for Life’s Building Blocks in Space
Researchers have reconstructed the chemical steps that lead to the formation of complex hydrocarbons in space, presenting routes to forming 2-D carbon-based nanostructures in a mix of heated gases.
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