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How do astronomers know the age of the planets and stars?
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Adam Burgasser is a Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC San Diego, and an observational astrophysicist investigating the coolest stars, brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets. Measuring the ages of planets and stars helps scientists understand when they…
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Hubble Telescope just witnessed a massive intergalactic explosion and astronomers can’t explain it
A mysterious cosmic explosion created a brilliant flash of light in the space between two galaxies over 3 billion light-years away. The optical flash, which was one of the brightest bursts of blue light in the universe but lasted only a few days, is the latest example of a rare breed of brief astronomical event…
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Interested in space? Here are the degrees you can get in astronomy
University of Delaware astronomer Judi Provencal looks through the telescope at Mt. Cuba Observatory in Greenville, Delaware, while graduate student James Dalessio monitors data online. Credit: University of Delaware If you’ve ever contemplated dedicating your life to understanding the universe, there’s good news: The academic field of astronomy is as expansive as the cosmos itself,…
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Pulsar surprises astronomers with record-breaking gamma-rays
Nearly 1,000 light-years from where you’re sitting lies a spinning, highly magnetized neutron star that is so dense, a tablespoon of it equals something like the weight of Mount Everest. It’s an intense sight, to say the least, which is why astronomers naturally love studying it. You might’ve even heard its name uttered before: The…
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AI is already helping astronomers make incredible discoveries. Here’s how
World Space Week 2023 is here and Space.com is looking at the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on astronomy and space exploration as the space age celebrates its 66th anniversary. Here, Paul Sutter discusses how AI is already helping astronomers make new, incredible discoveries. Whether we like it or not, artificial…
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Chinese astronomers say their new space telescope will outdo Hubble
China is readying a major project that not only augments the nation’s astronomical research agenda but bolsters the use of the country’s space station complex. And there are bragging rights associated with China’s star-studded venture. The spacecraft is called Xuntian, known as the Chinese Survey Space Telescope or the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST). The…
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6 Great Space Images in September
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FCC directing more satellite constellations to mitigate effects on astronomy
KIHEI, Hawaii — The Federal Communications Commission is requiring more operators of satellite constellations to work with astronomers to minimize the effects their satellites will have on ground-based astronomy. The FCC issued authorizations Aug. 31 to Iceye and Planet, updating their licenses to add new satellites. Iceye, which operates a constellation of synthetic aperture radar…