Astronomy News - SciTechDaily

Look Up! A Blue Supermoon Will Light Up the Sky

Gordon Johnston, NASA — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 20:29:33 +0000

The Next Full Moon is a Supermoon, a Blue Moon; the Sturgeon Moon; the Red, Corn, Green Corn, Barley, Herb, Grain, or Dog Moon; Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Purnima; and Tu B’Av. August 2024 will feature a rare celestial event—a super blue Moon. This full Moon will be the first of four consecutive supermoons, offering [...]

Webb Telescope Uncovers Evidence of Hydration on Asteroid Psyche

Southwest Research Institute — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:22:58 +0000

NASA’s Webb telescope has identified hydroxyl molecules on Psyche, a metallic asteroid, hinting at a more intricate history. Psyche’s origin could challenge existing models, indicating it might have formed beyond the solar system’s “snow line.” This discovery will refine our understanding of asteroid compositions and water distribution in the solar system. Discovery of Hydroxyl Molecules [...]

Backward and Beyond: Unraveling the Mystery of Eccentric Exoplanet Orbits

Penn State — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:01:04 +0000

An exoplanet’s strange elongated, backward orbit holds clues to the formation history and future trajectories of hot Jupiters. Astronomers have identified an exoplanet with the most eccentric orbit known, characterized by its cucumber-like shape and backward motion around its star. This discovery offers insights into the formation and evolution of hot Jupiters. Key instruments such [...]

Celestial Beauty: Exploring a “Ring Galaxy” That Defies Expectations

ESA/Hubble — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:15:42 +0000

In the Perseus Cluster lies the galaxy MCG+07-07-072, a barred spiral with an unusual near-circular structure. Its classification as an SBc(r) galaxy reveals the complexity of galactic forms. The subject of this mesmerizing circular Hubble Space Telescope image is situated in the Perseus Cluster, also known as Abell 426, 320 million light-years from Earth. It’s [...]

Astronomical First: JWST Has Discovered Carbon Ices in the Far Reaches of the Solar System

University of Central Florida — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:31:13 +0000

A research team led by UCF discovered a significant presence of ancient carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ices on trans-Neptunian objects, indicating that carbon dioxide may have been present during the formation of our solar system. For the first time, ices of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have been detected on trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in [...]

The Mind-Bending Phenomenon of the Einstein Ring

ESA/Hubble — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 07:04:53 +0000

Studying a Mysterious Image: A Multitude of Galaxies What are we looking at when we study this Hubble Space Telescope image? A very distant galaxy that lies 19.5 billion light-years from Earth? Or a much closer luminous red galaxy that is a (relatively) small 2.7 billion light-years away? Or a third galaxy that appears to [...]

$50,000 Ariel Space Challenge: Exploring Exoplanet Atmospheres With AI

University College London — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 07:42:54 +0000

The Ariel Data Challenge 2024, hosted by UCL, invites data scientists and AI enthusiasts to analyze exoplanet atmospheres using data from the European Space Agency’s Ariel mission. With a $50,000 prize pool, the competition aims to refine techniques for interpreting faint signals in noisy telescope data. Supported by a consortium including national space agencies and [...]

Celestial Light Shows: Physicists Decode the Cosmic Dance of Auroras on Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn

The University of Hong Kong — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 22:43:44 +0000

A recent study reveals new insights into aurorae across Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, highlighting the role of magnetic fields and solar winds in shaping these phenomena, with significant implications for space weather forecasting and planetary exploration. The breathtaking aurorae, commonly known as the Northern and Southern Lights, have captivated human imagination for centuries. From May [...]

Unveiling the Secrets of Cygnus X-3: A Hidden X-Ray Marvel in the Milky Way

University of Turku — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 11:36:24 +0000

Astronomers discovered that a well-known X-ray binary, whose exact nature has been a mystery to scientists until now, is actually a hidden ultraluminous X-ray source. X-ray binary systems, which include a normal star and a compact object like a black hole, are highly efficient at releasing gravitational energy. Cygnus X-3, discovered in the early 1970s, [...]

Could These Nearby Stars Harbor Another Earth?

Chandra X-ray Observatory — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 07:27:16 +0000

Through a 3D star map, researchers analyze how nearby stars might impact their planets’ atmospheres with X-rays, helping guide the search for habitable exoplanets by future telescopes. X-ray observations of nearby stars are helping astronomers identify the best targets to search for exoplanets with conditions suitable for life. Such planets could be directly imaged in [...]

Perseid Peak: Witness the Meteor Shower Spectacle Illuminating the Night Sky

Wayne Smith, NASA — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:43:05 +0000

The Perseids, an annual meteor shower caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, offers a brilliant display of meteors and fireballs each August. Optimal viewing is suggested between midnight and dawn on August 12, requiring dark skies and time for eyes to adjust. The speed of these meteors can reach up to 132,000 mph, creating stunning [...]

Webb Unveils Scorching Storms on Distant Worlds in Unprecedented Detail

University of Edinburgh — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:12:32 +0000

Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create a comprehensive weather report for two brown dwarfs located about six light years from Earth. Researchers have created the most detailed weather report ever for two distant worlds beyond our own solar system. The international study – the first of its kind – reveals the extreme [...]

When Stars Attack: High-Energy UV From Stellar Flares Could Threaten Life

University of Hawaii at Manoa — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 17:13:09 +0000

Red dwarf stars can produce stellar flares with far-ultraviolet radiation levels far exceeding previous expectations, potentially affecting the habitability of surrounding planets. A groundbreaking study has revealed that red dwarf stars can produce stellar flares that carry far-ultraviolet (far-UV) radiation levels much higher than previously believed. This discovery suggests that the intense UV radiation from [...]

First-Ever Sighting: Neutron Star’s Bizarre “Garden Sprinkler” Jet Captured

Royal Astronomical Society — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 04:51:04 +0000

For the first time, astronomers have captured an image of a neutron star emitting a ‘garden sprinkler-like’ S-shaped jet in the binary system Circinus X-1, located over 30,000 light-years away. This phenomenon, similar to precession observed in black holes, illustrates the jet’s direction change due to the gravitational pull from a disc of hot gas. [...]

Hubble’s Latest Marvel: A Supernova Lights Up an Unknown Galaxy

ESA/Hubble — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 07:07:08 +0000

This ethereal Hubble Space Telescope image features the galaxy LEDA 857074, located in the constellation Eridanus. LEDA 857074 is a barred spiral galaxy, with partially broken spiral arms. It also has a particularly bright spot right in its bar: this is a supernova snapped by Hubble, named SN 2022ADQZ. From galaxies to nebulae and star [...]

Cosmic Detective Work Leads to Stunning Black Hole Discovery in Our Galaxy

University of Cologne — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 20:55:22 +0000

An international research team has identified potential signs of an intermediate-mass black hole within the IRS 13 star cluster near the supermassive black hole at our galaxy’s center. This discovery suggests that such black holes, previously rare in observations, play a critical role in forming supermassive black holes. The IRS 13’s proximity to our galaxy’s [...]

Astronomers Uncover Vast Array of Strange Alien Worlds

University of Hawaii at Manoa — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 18:35:53 +0000

A collaborative international effort has produced a catalog detailing 126 (120 confirmed, 6 candidates) exoplanets using TESS and Keck Observatory data, broadening knowledge of their diverse types and potential for hosting life. An international team of scientists, including significant contributions from astronomers at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA), has released a new [...]

Unlocking the Habitable Universe: How X-Rays Reveal Safe Havens for Life

Chandra X-ray Center — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 13:58:42 +0000

Astronomers are using Chandra and XMM-Newton to evaluate whether nearby stars emit radiation levels compatible with habitable exoplanets. This research aims to help prioritize stars for detailed imaging with future telescopes, focusing on those whose radiation levels may support planetary atmospheres conducive to life. Exploring Exoplanet Habitability With Advanced Telescopes Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory [...]

How 400-Year-Old Sunspot Sketches Are Solving Modern Solar Puzzles

Nagoya University — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 07:03:11 +0000

Using updated statistical methods and historical data, scientists have reinterpreted Johannes Kepler’s sunspot drawings, shedding light on the solar cycles before the Maunder Minimum and the onset of the telescopic era of astronomy. Researchers have re-examined Johannes Kepler’s half-forgotten sunspot drawings using modern techniques and revealed previously hidden information about the solar cycles before the [...]

Don’t Miss: Meteor Shower Peak, Star Forge, Mars and Jupiter Converge

NASA JPL — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 22:16:15 +0000

What are some skywatching highlights in August 2024? Mars and Jupiter have a super close meetup, the conditions look good for the Perseid meteors, and how to observe a stellar nursery – the Lagoon Nebula. What to look for: A planetary rendezvous, meteors, and a “star forge”! Two planets meet for a super close conjunction, [...]

Mysteries of the Moon: What Craters Tell Us About Its Past

Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 17:31:46 +0000

This detailed examination of lunar crater chronology covers the development of dating methods through sample analysis, discusses the historical impact flux on the Moon starting from the solidification of the lunar magma ocean, and explores controversies in dating and impact source identification. It highlights the importance of recent findings like those from the Chang’e-5 mission [...]

Breaking the Rules: Rare Exoplanet’s Extremely Strange Orbit Stuns Astronomers

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 09:42:22 +0000

An exoplanet’s elongated, backwards orbit holds clues to the formation history and future trajectories of high-mass gas giants. Astronomers have observed an exoplanet with a highly eccentric and retrograde orbit using the WIYN telescope. This exoplanet, named TIC 241249530 b, could significantly advance our understanding of the formation and migration of hot Jupiters, which are [...]

Astronomers Stunned by Strange Star: V889 Herculis Breaks Known Rules of Stellar Rotation

Johanna Pellinen, University of Helsinki — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 08:16:07 +0000

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have discovered that the star V889 Herculis rotates in a way that is unlike our Sun. While the Sun spins fastest at its equator, V889 Herculis rotates fastest at a latitude of about 40 degrees. This unique finding helps scientists better understand the complexities of how stars like the [...]

Sun’s Next Solar Cycle Detected Early in Sound Waves

Royal Astronomical Society — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 00:39:06 +0000

The Sun’s next 11-year solar cycle has been detected in internal sound waves, even though the current Cycle 25 is at its solar maximum and won’t end until mid-2025. This peak period increases sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections, sending more electromagnetic energy towards Earth. Even though the Sun is only halfway through its current [...]