jd (Slashdot reader #1,658) writes:
The large scale maps of the universe show something is seriously wrong with current models of gravity and dark matter. The universe simply isn’t clumping right and, no, it’s not the new improved formula. As you go from the early universe to the present day, gravity should cause things to clump in specific ways. It isn’t. Which…
Tag: very large telescope
1st direct image of 2 giant exoplanets orbiting a sunlike star
For the 1st time ever, astronomers have photographed more than one giant exoplanet orbiting a sunlike star. The planetary system is similar to our solar system, but younger. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/1st-photos-gas-giant-exoplanets-tyc-8998-760-1…
First image of a multi-planet system around a sun-like star
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…
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…
A 2nd exoplanet confirmed for Proxima Centauri
Astronomers at McDonald Observatory have confirmed a second planet – 7 times more massive than Earth – orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our sun. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/2nd-exoplanet-confirmed-proxima-centauri…
Variable star RZ Piscium has a low-mass stellar companion, study finds
Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), an international team of astronomers has uncovered the presence of a low-mass stellar companion to a young variable star known as RZ Piscium. The newly detected object is about eight times less massive than the sun, and orbits the primary star at a distance of around 23 AU. The finding is reported in a paper…
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…
This brown dwarf might look a lot like Jupiter
The cloud bands on brown dwarf Luhman 16A were found via instruments known as polarimeters. An astronomer said they’re like “… an astronomer’s polarized sunglasses. But instead of trying to block out that glare, we’re trying to measure it.” Source: https://earthsky.org/space/brown-dwarfs-banded-clouds-luhman-16a-vlt…