Tag: cosmic

Odd space circles show we are far from running out of cosmic puzzles

The discovery of Odd Radio Circles is just the latest thrilling reminder of how much more there is left to find out there – and of how much there is to look forward to Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24732903-100-odd-space-circles-show-we-are-far-from-running-out-of-cosmic-puzzles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

How many ETs are in our galaxy? Ask the Alien Civilization Calculator

Researchers at Omni Calculator have created the Alien Civilization Calculator, a unique combination of two different methods of trying to determine how many advanced alien civilizations may exist in our galaxy. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/alien-civilization-calculator-extraterrestrial-intelligence-seti…

The cosmic commute towards star and planet formation

The molecular gas in galaxies is organized into a hierarchy of structures. The molecular material in giant molecular gas clouds travels along intricate networks of filamentary gas lanes towards the congested centers of gas and dust where it is compressed into stars and planets, much like the millions of people commuting to cities for work around the world. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-07-cosmic-commute-star-planet-formation.html…

Image: Snapshot of cosmic pyrotechnics

If you’re looking for fireworks for the U.S. celebration of Independence Day, then look no further than the world of astronomy. The cosmic firework at the center of this image, the spiral galaxy NGC 925, resembles a vast pinwheel, with a bright central bar and swirling spiral arms. The red bursts strewn throughout NGC 925 are eruptions of star formation, which…

For the 1st time, a visible light explosion from a black hole merger

In recent years, black hole mergers in our universe have been detected via ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves. Now, for the first time, astronomers believe they’ve observed visible light from a black hole merger, in a peculiar 3-black-hole system. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/1st-time-visible-light-explosion-black-hole-merger…

What happens before a star explodes and dies: New research on ‘pre-supernova’ neutrinos.

A recent study on pre-supernova neutrinos—tiny cosmic particles that are extremely hard to detect—has brought scientists one step closer to understanding what happens to stars before they explode and die. The study, co-authored by postdoctoral researcher Ryosuke Hirai from the ARC Center of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) at Monash University investigated stellar evolution models to test uncertain predictions. Source:…

When the sky exploded: Remembering Tunguska

On June 30, 1908, the largest asteroid impact in recorded history occurred in remote Siberia, Russia. We now celebrate Asteroid Day each year on the anniversary the Tunguska event, as it is now known. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-tunguska-explosion…

A cosmic mystery: Very Large Telescope captures the disappearance of a massive star

Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have discovered the absence of an unstable massive star in a dwarf galaxy. Scientists think this could indicate that the star became less bright and partially obscured by dust. An alternative explanation is that the star collapsed into a black hole without producing a supernova. “If true,” says team leader and…

Astronomers discover ‘monster’ quasar from early universe

Astronomers have discovered the most massive quasar known in the early universe, containing a monster black hole with a mass equivalent to 1.5 billion suns. Formally designated as J1007+2115, the newly discovered quasar is one of only two known from the same cosmological period. Quasars are the most energetic objects in the universe, and since their discovery, astronomers have been keen…