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Spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are surprisingly rare. Astronomers may finally know why.
Galaxies like our Milky Way are mysteriously hard to come by in our cosmic backyard. New supercomputer simulations have helped astronomers finally answer why. The Milky Way sits within a galaxy cluster on the Supergalactic Plane — a billion light-year-wide sheet, or “supercluster,” upon which large galaxy clusters are pinned. But other spiral galaxies are…
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Vera Rubin Will Find Binary Supermassive Black Holes. Here’s How.
When galaxies merge, we expect them to produce binary black holes (BBHs.) BBHs orbit one another closely, and when they merge, they produce gravitational waves that have been detected by LIGO-Virgo. The upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory should be able to find them before they merge, which would open a whole new window into the study…
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Perfect astronomy gift: Save $100 on one of our best telescopes this Black Friday
There are a whole bunch of telescopes on sale for Black Friday. However, if we were to choose one that will be the best choice for most people, it’s the Celestron AstroFi 102. While it isn’t the cheapest or most feature-packed telescope you’ll see, it combines performance with price extremely well, and you can currently…
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Paper explores ideal orbits for space-based interferometers
Artist Impression of LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. Credit: NASA Ever since the telescope was invented in 1608, astronomers have striven for bigger and better telescopes. When it comes to instruments to observe the sky, bigger really is better whether you are observing faint galaxies or planets a larger collector gives higher resolution and…
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North Korea rocket explodes during spy satellite launch, and meteor hunters caught it on camera: report
The first stage of a North Korean rocket apparently exploded Tuesday (Nov. 21) during a purported spy satellite launch, a new video suggests. A camera at South Korea’s Yonsei University, usually used for tracking meteors or shooting stars, showed the first stage of the North Korean Chollima-1 rocket appearing to erupt and spread debris, Reuters…
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Lego Ideas Tales of The Space Age is one of the best space Lego sets and it’s 15% off for Black Friday
This Lego set is truly out of this world. The Lego Ideas Tales of the Space Age is by far my favorite Lego kit of the year, offering space fans of all types something to be excited about. The four connectible “postcards” in the kit depict scenes of space exploration and astronomy including a black…
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Save 35% on Lego Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter this Black Friday
Feel the Force with this fantastic Black Friday deal to celebrate Star Wars. Like true Star Wars padawans, you can ride along with Luke Skywalker on the iconic X-Wing Fighter, in Lego form. You can get the Lego Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter on sale right now at Amazon for $32.39. It’s a great…
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DIAS reaches for the stars in multiple space missions
From the James Webb Space Telescope to the ESA’s upcoming Ariel mission, DIAS is working on some major expeditions that aim to further our understanding of the universe. The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) can’t be contained on this island, as it assists various space missions taking place around the world. The institute is…
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The Sky This Week from November 24 to December 1: Celebrate November’s Full Beaver Moon
A Full Beaver Moon rises above Turners Pond in Massachusetts. Credit: Steve (Flickr) Friday, November 24Shortly after sunset tonight, celebrate the height of the fall season by finding a group of migrating birds in the night sky — except these birds are stars flying through the constellation Scutum as it slowly sets. We’re looking for…
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The last places on Earth to see truly dark starry nights
By Jordi BusquéFeatures correspondent Jordi Busqué (Credit: Jordi Busqué) Astrophysicist and documentary photographer Jordi Busqué shares 11 photos of the night’s sky that transcend the boundaries of science and venture into the realm of pure wonder. Before the beginning of the 19th Century, when Paris became the first city in Europe to use gas lighting…