Do you want to be a planet-hunter? NASA has launched a new citizen science website called Planet Patrol where volunteers can help search for exoplanets in data from the TESS space telescope. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanets-nasas-planet-patrol-citizen-science…
Tag: binary star
X-ray data reveal 1st-ever planet orbiting stars in another galaxy
While extragalactic “rogue” planets – not orbiting any star – have been reported before, the new exoplanet is the first to be detected orbiting stars in another galaxy. And not just any galaxy … but M51, the beautiful Whirlpool, 23 million light-years away. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/1st-exoplanet-in-another-galaxy-whirlpool-m51-uls-1b…
Unraveling a spiral stream of dusty embers from a massive binary stellar forge
With almost two decades of mid-infrared (IR) imaging from the largest observatories around the world including the Subaru Telescope, a team of astronomers was able to capture the spiral motion of newly formed dust streaming from the massive and evolved binary star system Wolf-Rayet (WR) 112. Massive binary star systems, as well as supernova explosions, are regarded as sources of dust…
Exoplanet-hunter TESS completes its primary mission
NASA’s 2nd planet-hunter, TESS, has spent 2 years surveying the sky for exoplanets orbiting distant stars. It has found over 2,000 exoplanets so far. TESS now moves into its extended mission phase. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanet-hunter-tess-completes-primary-mission…
Saturn’s large moon Titan is drifting away 100 times faster than anyone knew
Saturn’s largest moon Titan is drifting away from the planet 100 times faster than previously thought, according to a new study from researchers in the U.S., France and Italy. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/saturn-moon-titan-drifting-away-100-faster…
Study investigates the nature of binary system 7 Vulpeculae
An international team of astronomers has conducted spectroscopic and photometric observations of a binary star known as 7 Vulpeculae. The new study, described in a paper published May 22 on arXiv.org, discloses more information about the properties of 7 Vulpeculae, shedding more light on the nature of this system. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-06-nature-binary-vulpeculae.html…
Closest Black Hole To Earth Found ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’
The massive cosmic object lurks in a star system you can see with the naked eye. From a report: During winter in the Southern Hemisphere, a blue point of light in the constellation Telescopium gleams overhead. The brilliant pinprick on the sky, which looks like a bright star, is actually two stars in close orbit — accompanied by the closest known…
Two (potentially) exciting new exoplanet discoveries
Scientists just announced 2 new exciting updates about exoplanets. One is a potentially habitable world similar in size and temperature to Earth. The other is a possible new planet – possibly with rings – orbiting the closest star to our sun, Proxima Centauri. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanets-kepler-1649c-proxima-centauri-c-nasa-seti-institute-sphere-vlt…
Mizar and Alcor, famous double star
Want to look closer at the Big Dipper? Mizar and its fainter companion star Alcor are easy to spot in the Big Dipper’s handle. Source: https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/mizar-and-alcor-the-horse-and-rider…
The strange orbits of ‘Tatooine’ planetary disks
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have found striking orbital geometries in protoplanetary disks around binary stars. While disks orbiting the most compact binary star systems share very nearly the same plane, disks encircling wide binaries have orbital planes that are severely tilted. These systems can teach us about planet formation in complex environments. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-03-strange-orbits-tatooine-planetary-disks.html…