The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) has taken the first ever image of a young, sun-like star accompanied by two giant exoplanets. Images of systems with multiple exoplanets are extremely rare, and—until now—astronomers had never directly observed more than one planet orbiting a star similar to the sun. The observations can help astronomers understand how planets formed and…
Tag: european southern observatory
At least 2 super-Earths orbit this red dwarf star
Astronomers from the University of Göttingen in Germany have discovered two, and possibly three, super-Earth exoplanets orbiting the nearby red dwarf star Gliese-887. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanets-super-earths-gliese-887-red-dwarf-star…
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…
New ‘climate decoder’ to study potentially habitable exoplanets
What is the climate like on some potentially habitable exoplanets? Scientists have developed a new “decoder” to find out. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanets-climate-environmental-color-decoder…
Hot stars are plagued by giant magnetic spots
Astronomers using European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes have discovered giant spots on the surface of extremely hot stars hidden in stellar clusters. Not only are these stars plagued by magnetic spots, some also experience superflare events, explosions of energy several million times more energetic than similar eruptions on the Sun. The findings, published today in Nature Astronomy, help astronomers better understand…
Proxima Centauri b confirmed as nearest exoworld
Researchers at the University of Geneva have confirmed the existence of an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our sun. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/exoplanet-proxima-centauri-b-confirmed…
Astronomers Spot Potential First Evidence of New Planet Being Born
Astronomers believe they may have found the first direct evidence of a new planet being born. A dense disc of dust and gas has been spotted surrounding a young star called AB Aurigae, about 520 light years away from Earth. From a report: Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), located in Chile, the researchers observed a spiral structure…
Very Large Telescope sees signs of planet birth
Observations made with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) have revealed the telltale signs of a star system being born. Around the young star AB Aurigae lies a dense disc of dust and gas in which astronomers have spotted a prominent spiral structure with a ‘twist’ that marks the site where a planet may be forming. The observed…
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…
New closest-known black hole lies in a visible star system
Only 1,000 light-years away, the star system can be seen with the unaided eye. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/closest-black-hole-hr-6819-eso-telescopium…