-
Webb details WASP-107b, the weird exoplanet where it rains sand
An artistic impression of WASP-107b and its parent star. Illustration: LUCA School of Arts, Belgium/ Klaas Verpoest (visuals), Johan Van Looveren (typography). Science: Achrène Dyrek (CEA and Université Paris Cité, France), Michiel Min (SRON, the Netherlands), Leen Decin (KU Leuven, Belgium) / European MIRI EXO GTO team / ESA / NASA The word “sandstorm” should…
-
Webb telescope captures never-before-seen glimpse of the heart of the Milky Way
(CNN) — The James Webb Space Telescope has looked into the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, unveiling new features and mysteries within the chaotic region that could help astronomers unravel more details about the early universe. The space observatory’s ability to view the universe in infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye,…
-
Why Milky Way-type galaxies are rare in our local universe
For decades, cosmologists have wondered why spiral galaxies are largely missing from our local region of the universe, which is referred to as “Supergalactic Plane.” Spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are rare in our area of the cosmos. Now, with simulations from an innovative supercomputer, astrophysicists think they understand why. The Supergalactic Plane is…
-
Tom Hanks visits Artemis 2 moon astronauts and NASA Mission Control
Iconic actor Tom Hanks, who once played a moon astronaut in film, met with four real-life astronauts on the verge of exploring lunar realms themselves. “Apollo 13” actor Hanks touched down in Houston — where happily, he did not report a problem — to meet with the Artemis 2 crew. Those four astronauts posed with…
-
Memoirs of a Galaxy
Title:Constraining the assembly time of the stellar haloes of nearby Milky Way-mass galaxies through AGB populations Authors: Benjamin Harmsen, Eric F Bell, Richard D’Souza, Antonela Monachesi, Roelof S de Jong, Adam Smercina, In Sung Jang, Benne W Holwerda First Author’s Institution: University of Michigan Department of Astronomy Status: Published in MNRAS [closed access] Watching a…
-
China Delays Launch of Its Xuntian Space Telescope
China has postponed the launch of its Xuntian Space Telescope amid an international race to chart the frontiers of modern cosmology. Now slated for liftoff from southern China’s Wenchang Space Launch Center in mid-2025, the two-meter Xuntian ( “Survey the Heavens”) will join the European Space Agency’s 1.2-meter Euclid space telescope, which released its first…
-
Astronomy’s new frontier: Triple systems in massive ‘Be stars’ uncovered
A groundbreaking discovery by the University of Leeds scientists challenges astronomers’ understanding of some of the biggest and most common stars in the Universe. Scientists found evidence that massive Be stars, believed to exist in double stars, could be “triples.” What are Be Stars? Be stars have been known for about 150 years. An Italian…
-
‘Triple star’ discovery could revolutionize understanding of stellar evolution
Artist’s impression composed of a star with a disc around it (a Be “vampire” star; foreground) and its companion star that has been stripped of its outer parts (background). Credit: Pic credit: ESO/L. Calçada A ground-breaking new discovery by University of Leeds scientists could transform the way astronomers understand some of the biggest and most…
-
14th Arabic Conference of AUASS concludes with recommendations
Sharjah24 : The University of Sharjah (UOS) concluded the 14th Arabic Conference of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, jointly organized by the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences (AUASS), in collaboration with the UOS and the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and technology (SAASST). Over four days, more than 250…
-
Bright satellites are disrupting astronomy research worldwide
Kyba, C. et al. Science 379, 265–268 (2023). Article PubMed Google Scholar Nandakumar, S. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06672-7 (2023). Article Google Scholar Falle, A. et al. Science 382, 150–152 (2023). Article PubMed Google Scholar Mallama, A. et al. Preprint at https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.14152 (2023). Hu, J. A. et al. Astrophys. J. Lett. 941, L15 (2022). Article Google…