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Planetary defenders validate asteroid deflection code
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Planetary defense researchers at LLNL continue to validate their ability to accurately simulate how they might deflect an Earth-bound asteroid in a study that will be published in the April issue of the American Geophysical Union journal Earth and Space Science.
New Technique Looks for Dark Matter Traces in Dark Places
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
A new study by scientists at Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley, and the University of Michigan - published online this week in the journal Science - concludes that a possible dark matter-related explanation for a mysterious light signature in space is largely ruled out.
Researchers look for dark matter close to home
University of Michigan
Eighty-five percent of the universe is composed of dark matter, but we don't know what, exactly, it is.
Paired with super telescopes, model Earths guide hunt for life
Cornell University
- Cornell University astronomers have created five models representing key points from our planet's evolution, like chemical snapshots through Earth's own geologic epochs. The models will be spectral templates for astronomers to use in the approaching new era of powerful telescopes, and in the hunt for Earth-like planets in distant solar systems.
Looking Up From the Mountaintop: Q&A with a Telescope Instrument's Lead Observer
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
In this Q&A Satya Gontcho A Gontcho, a lead observer for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), shares her experiences at the DESI site near Tucson, Arizona, including evening observing stints to run through detailed checklists and probe how the instrument's components are working.
NASA Awards Prize Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2020
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
NASA has selected 24 new Fellows for its prestigious NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP). The program enables outstanding postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in any area of NASA Astrophysics, using theory, observation, experimentation, or instrument development. Each fellowship provides the awardee up to three years of support at a university or research center of their choosing in the United States.
Scientists Observe Superconductivity in Two Meteorites
University of California San Diego
Researchers from UC San Diego and Brookhaven Laboratory in New York investigated a diverse population of meteorites. Among the 15 pieces of comets and asteroids studied, they found two with superconductive grains.
UAH has significant role in LEAP, a mission selected for NASA flight review
University of Alabama Huntsville
In collaboration with Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has a significant role in LEAP - the LargE Area burst Polarimeter - a mission that is one of four proposals approved by NASA for further review.
Quasar Tsunamis Rip Across Galaxies
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
A team of astronomers using Hubble have found the most energetic outflows ever witnessed in the universe. These outflows emanate from quasars and tear across interstellar space like tsunamis, wreaking havoc on the galaxies in which the quasars live.
The Strange Orbits of 'Tatooine' Planetary Disks
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have found striking orbital geometries in protoplanetary disks around binary stars. While disks orbiting the most compact binary star systems share very nearly the same plane, disks encircling wide binaries have orbital planes that are severely tilted. These systems can teach us about planet formation in complex environments.
UTEP Mechanical Engineering Professor Awarded $550K to Help NASA Develop Early Stage Innovations
University of Texas at El Paso
A mechanical engineering professor from The University of Texas at El Paso will lend his expertise to early-stage space exploration technology research through a $550,000 grant from NASA to investigate the viability of power sources in the extreme temperatures of space.
Mercury's 400 C Heat May Help It Make Its Own Ice
Georgia Institute of Technology
Despite Mercury's 400 C daytime heat, there is ice at its caps, and now a study shows how that Vulcan scorch probably helps the planet closest to the sun make some of that ice.
Slime Mold Simulations Used to Map the Dark Matter Holding the Universe Together
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
A team of researchers designed a computer algorithm based on slime mold behavior to generate a filamentary map of the universe, which they then confirmed with archival observations from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Astronomers use slime mold model to reveal dark threads of the cosmic web
University of California, Santa Cruz
A computational approach inspired by the growth patterns of a bright yellow slime mold has enabled a team of astronomers and computer scientists at UC Santa Cruz to trace the filaments of the cosmic web that connects galaxies throughout the universe.
Discovery points to origin of mysterious ultraviolet radiation
University of Utah
Lyman-alpha blobs (LABs) are gigantic clouds of hydrogen gas that produce ultraviolet light known as Lyman-alpha emissions. A study of Lyman-alpha blob 6 (LAB-6) is the first LAB with infalling gas feature. The findings suggest that star-forming galaxies are likely the primary energy source of Lyman-alpha radiation emitted from LAB-6.
Astronomers Catch Rare Eclipse of a Double Brown Dwarf System
University of California San Diego
Astronomers working on "first light" data from a newly commissioned telescope in Chile made a chance discovery that led to the identification of a rare eclipse of two brown dwarfs.
Safety zone saves giant moons from fatal plunge
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
Numerical simulations showed that the temperature gradient in the disk of gas around a young gas giant planet could play a critical role in the development of a satellite system dominated by a single large moon, similar to Titan around Saturn.
Radar and ice could help detect an elusive subatomic particle
Ohio State University
A new study published today in the journal Physical Review Letters shows, for the first time, an experiment that could detect a class of ultra-high-energy neutrinos using radar echoes.
Dimming Betelgeuse likely isn't cold, just dusty, new study shows
University of Washington
Scientists at the University of Washington and Lowell Observatory report that Betelgeuse is significantly warmer than expected if its recent dimming had been triggered by cooling of the star's surface. This may indicate that Betelgeuse instead sloughed off material from its outer layers.
Study: Organic molecules discovered by Curiosity Rover consistent with early life on Mars
Washington State University
Organic compounds called thiophenes are found on Earth in coal, crude oil and oddly enough, in white truffles, the mushroom beloved by epicureans and wild pigs.
Little Tissue, Big Mission: Beating Heart Tissues to Ride Aboard The ISS
Johns Hopkins University
Launching no earlier than March 6 at 11:50 PM EST, the Johns Hopkins University will send heart muscle tissues, contained in a specially-designed tissue chip the size of a small cellphone, up to the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS) for one month of observation.
Space weather model gives earlier warning of satellite-killing radiation storms
Los Alamos National Laboratory
A new machine-learning computer model accurately predicts damaging radiation storms caused by the Van Allen belts two days prior to the storm, the most advanced notice to date, according to a new paper in the journal Space Weather.
Astronomy student discovers 17 new planets, including Earth-sized world
University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia astronomy student Michelle Kunimoto has discovered 17 new planets, including a potentially habitable, Earth-sized world, by combing through data gathered by NASA's Kepler mission.
Stargazing with Computers
Department of Energy, Office of Science
Astrophysicists supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Science are developing these guides in the form of computer models that rely on machine learning to examine the LSST data.
EVENT CANCELED: AIP Task Force Brings Diversity, Inclusion, Systemic Change Report to APS March Meeting
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
At the American Physical Society March Meeting in Denver, five members of the TEAM-UP task force, chartered and funded by the American Institute of Physics, will outline how faculties, departments and professional societies can promote sweeping changes in physics higher education. Evidence-based recommendations from AIP's TEAM-UP report will be discussed to highlight the need for increasing the number of African American students obtaining bachelor's degrees in physics and astronomy.
Large exoplanet could have the right conditions for life
University of Cambridge
Astronomers have found an exoplanet more than twice the size of Earth to be potentially habitable, opening the search for life to planets significantly larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
Stunning Images Capture Cosmic Ray Tracks
Brookhaven National Laboratory
These images capture the movement and collisions of cosmic rays--mysterious particles originating somewhere in deep space--as they stream through the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The results are profoundly beautiful.
Sweat sensor detects stress levels; May find use in space exploration
California Institute of Technology
If someone asked you right now how stressed you are, what would you say? A little? A lot? You do not know?
Astronomer: Leap Years Aren't Exactly Every Four Years
Texas Tech University
Examining the Ice Giants with NASA's Webb Telescope
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Shortly after its lauch in 2021, a team of scientists will train NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on the upper atmospheres of our solar system's mysterious ice giants, Uranus and Neptune.
InSight detects gravity waves, devilish dust on Mars
Cornell University
More than a year after NASA's Mars InSight lander touched down in a pebble-filled crater on the Martian equator, the rusty red planet is now serving up its meteorological secrets: gravity waves, surface swirling "dust devils," and the steady, low rumble of infrasound, Cornell and other researchers have found.
The seismicity of Mars
ETH Zurich
On 26 November 2018, the NASA InSight lander successfully set down on Mars in the Elysium Planitia region.
Gemini South Telescope Captures Exquisite Planetary Nebula
Gemini Observatory
The latest image from the international Gemini Observatory showcases the striking planetary nebula CVMP 1. This object is the result of the death throes of a giant star and is a glorious but relatively short-lived astronomical spectacle. As the progenitor star of this planetary nebula slowly cools, this celestial hourglass will run out of time and will slowly fade from view over many thousands of years.
MTU Crew Goes BIG for NASA's Lunar Projects
Michigan Technological University
Register to Join a Special April 16 Media Tour of a Telescope Instrument that Will Create a 3D Map of Millions of Galaxies
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Members of the media are invited to attend a mid-April dedication of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which is scheduled to begin its five-year mission to construct a 3D map of the universe in the coming months.
Hubble Team Wins the 2020 Michael Collins Trophy
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
The operations people behind the Space Telescope's 30 years of breakthrough science are honored by the National Air and Space Museum.
Particle beam could help map Earth's magnetic field to understand how space weather impacts the planet
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Magnetic field lines that wrap around the Earth protect our planet from cosmic rays. Researchers at PPPL have now found that beams of fast-moving particles launched toward Earth from a satellite could help map the precise shape of the field.
Beyond the Brim, Sombrero Galaxy's Halo Suggests a Turbulent Past
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Hubble Space Telescope observations suggest that the broad "brim" of the Sombrero galaxy may conceal a turbulent past. Clues to a rough-and tumble history lie in the galaxy's extended halo.
How Newborn Stars Prepare for the Birth of Planets
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
An international team of astronomers used two of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world to create more than three hundred images of planet-forming disks around very young stars in the Orion Clouds. These images reveal new details about the birthplaces of planets and the earliest stages of star formation.
Simple, fuel-efficient rocket engine could enable cheaper, lighter spacecraft
University of Washington
University of Washington researchers have developed a mathematical model that describes how rotating detonation engines work.
Solar wind samples suggest new physics of massive solar ejections
University of Hawaii at Manoa
A new study led by the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa has helped refine understanding of the amount of hydrogen, helium and other elements present in violent outbursts from the Sun, and other types of solar "wind," a stream of ionized atoms ejected from the Sun.
Scientists Pioneer New Way to Study Exoplanets
New York University
A team of scientists using the Low Frequency Array radio telescope in the Netherlands has observed radio waves that carry the distinct signatures of aurorae, caused by the interaction between a star's magnetic field and a planet in orbit around it.
A Decade of Fusion, Astrophysics and Nanotechnology at PPPL
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Feature highlights PPPL accomplishments over the past 10 years.
Iconic 'pale blue dot' photo - Carl Sagan's idea - turns 30
Cornell University
The iconic photograph of planet Earth from distant space - the "pale blue dot" - was taken 30 years ago - Feb. 14, 1990, at a distance of 3.7 billion miles, by the NASA spacecraft Voyager 1 as it zipped toward the far edge of the solar system. The late Cornell astronomy professor Carl Sagan came up with the idea for the snapshot, and coined the phrase.
Buffalo State College's Kevin Williams available to speak about the Mars 2020 rover.
SUNY Buffalo State
Investigating the trigger for an explosive process that occurs throughout the universe
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
A detailed analysis of evolution of the trigger that sets off fast magnetic reconnection.
DUNE collaboration finalizes the blueprint for the ultimate neutrino detector
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab)
The publication of the Technical Design Report is a major milestone for the construction of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, an international mega-science project hosted by Fermilab. It lays out in great detail the scientific goals as well as the technical components of the gigantic particle detectors of the experiment.
UAH's Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research has central role in 2024 IMAP mission
University of Alabama Huntsville
The Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will be central to the modeling and data crunching that follow the scheduled launch of NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission in 2024.
Johns Hopkins Profs Would End Leap Year with New 'Permanent' Calendar
Johns Hopkins University
Galaxy formation simulated without dark matter
University of Bonn
For the first time, researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Strasbourg have simulated the formation of galaxies in a universe without dark matter.
One small grain of moon dust, one giant leap for lunar studies
Field Museum
Back in 1972, NASA sent their last team of astronauts to the Moon in the Apollo 17 mission.
Astronomers reveal rare double nucleus in nearby 'Cocoon Galaxy'
Iowa State University
Iowa State astronomers have revealed that a well-known, nearby galaxy has a rare double-nucleus structure. Their paper reporting the discovery is now online and has been accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journal.
Astronomers discover unusual monster galaxy in the very early universe
University of California, Riverside
An international team of astronomers led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found an unusual monster galaxy that existed about 12 billion years ago, when the universe was only 1.8 billion years old.
NASA's Webb Will Seek Atmospheres around Potentially Habitable Exoplanets
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
The TRAPPIST-1 system of exoplanets holds exciting possibilities in the search for potentially habitable worlds. In this system an ultra-cool star is orbited by seven rocky, Earth-sized worlds, three of which are in the "Goldilocks" zone where liquid water might exist on their surfaces. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will observe those worlds to determine whether any of them have an atmosphere.
Celebrating the past, present and future of space science
West Virginia University - Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Physics Paul Cassak is among a select group of scientists tackling grand challenges in space in a new series from the American Geophysical Union.
UAH prepares for massive data stream following coming launch of ESA Solar Orbiter
University of Alabama Huntsville
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will have a major role in exploring an expected massive data stream that will follow the launch of the European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Orbiter, a mission that will fly over the sun's poles and on which UAH's Dr. Gary Zank is a co-primary investigator.
UNH Researchers Find Clues to How Hazardous Space Radiation Begins
University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire researchers use data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe to observe sun's plasma and energy build up particles released by solar flares - highlight new phase of energizing process leading to radiation hazards.
Tiny, ancient meteorites suggest early Earth's atmosphere was rich in carbon dioxide
University of Washington
Tiny meteorites that fell to Earth 2.7 billion years ago suggest that the atmosphere at that time was high in carbon dioxide, which agrees with current understanding of how our planet's atmospheric gases changed over time.
NSF's Newest Solar Telescope Produces First Images
National Solar Observatory
Just released first images from the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope reveal unprecedented detail of the Sun's surface and preview the world-class products to come from this preeminent 4-meter solar telescope. NSF's Inouye Solar Telescope, on the summit of Haleakala, Maui, in Hawai'i, will enable a new era of solar science and a leap forward in understanding the Sun and its impacts on our planet.
Marivi Fernandez-Serra: Then and Now
Department of Energy, Office of Science
Marivi Fernandez-Serra is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University.
'Curious and curiouser!' Meteorite chunk contains unexpected evidence of presolar grains
Washington University in St. Louis
An unusual chunk in a meteorite may contain a surprising bit of space history, based on new research from Washington University in St. Louis. Presolar grains -- tiny bits of solid interstellar material formed before the sun was born -- are sometimes found in primitive meteorites. But a new analysis reveals evidence of presolar grains in part of a meteorite where they are not expected to be found.
Technology Used in Space Experiments Could Reveal Key Information about Human Health
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
In an article published recently in Microgravity, a Nature Journal, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute demonstrate a unique method for studying the mechanisms behind the formation of amyloid fibrils associated with diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Supercomputer Simulations Reveal Details of Galaxy Clusters
University of California San Diego
A new study published late last year in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society explored the molecular gas within and surrounding the intracluster medium, which fills the space between galaxies in a galaxy cluster.
Large Amounts of Oxygen Detected in Ancient Star's Atmosphere
University of California San Diego
An international team of astronomers from the University of California San Diego, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) and the University of Cambridge have detected large amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere of one of the oldest and most elementally depleted stars known--a primitive star scientists call "J0815+4729."
NASA's Kepler Witnesses Vampire Star System Undergoing Super-Outburst
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Astronomers searching archival data from NASA's Kepler exoplanet hunting mission identified a previously unknown dwarf nova that underwent a super-outburst, brightening by a factor of 1,600 times in less than a day.
From infrared views to exoplanets: Spitzer leaves lasting legacy
Cornell University
ASU-led NASA Psyche mission offers free online course on team building from leadership experts
Thunderbird School of Global Management
The new Psyche Mission Innovation Toolkit online course is designed to help learners understand the unique challenges of a diverse team and provides tools to help address these challenges and take actions to be more successful in working with others. Image by ASU Continuing and Professional Education
Mars' water was mineral-rich and salty
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Presently, Earth is the only known location where life exists in the Universe. This year the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to three astronomers who proved, almost 20 years ago, that planets are common around stars beyond the solar system.
The core of massive dying galaxies already formed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang
University of Copenhagen
Astrophysics, Galaxies: The most distant dying galaxy discovered so far, more massive than our Milky Way -- with more than a trillion stars -- has revealed that the 'cores' of these systems had formed already 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, about 1 billion years earlier than previous measurements revealed.
MITRE Uses Earth Shadow to Determine Satellite Range
MITRE
Until now, determining the orbit of satellites has required many measurements or multiple telescopes. A team of MITRE scientists took their equipment to Chile to view an eclipse--and proved an easier way.
Astronomers reveal interstellar thread of one of life's building blocks
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life as we know it. But how it arrived on the early Earth is something of a mystery.
'Cold Neptune' and two temperate super-Earths found orbiting nearby stars
Carnegie Institution for Science
Washington, DC-- A "cold Neptune" and two potentially habitable worlds are part of a cache of five newly discovered exoplanets and eight exoplanet candidates found orbiting nearby red dwarf stars, which are reported in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series by a team led by Carnegie's Fabo Feng and Paul Butler.
Galactic gamma-ray sources reveal birthplaces of high-energy particles
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Nine sources of extremely high-energy gamma rays comprise a new catalog compiled by researchers with the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory.
Connecting the dots in the sky could shed new light on dark matter
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Astrophysicists have come a step closer to understanding the origin of a faint glow of gamma rays covering the night sky. They found that this light is brighter in regions that contain a lot of matter and dimmer where matter is sparser - a correlation that could help them narrow down the properties of exotic astrophysical objects and invisible dark matter.
SuperTIGER on its second prowl -- 130,000 feet above Antarctica
Washington University in St. Louis
A balloon-borne scientific instrument designed to study the origin of cosmic rays is taking its second turn high above the continent of Antarctica three and a half weeks after its launch. SuperTIGER (Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) is designed to measure the rare, heavy elements in cosmic rays that hold clues about their origins outside of the solar system.
Supercomputer Simulations Showcase Novel Planet Formation Models
University of California San Diego
Scientists at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) used SDSC's Comet supercomputer to help model the formation of terrestrial planets such as Mercury, Venus, and Mars in a quest to explore if there are Earth-like planets outside our solar system.
Christopher Kochanek Awarded 2020 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics Contributions
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
The Heineman Foundation, AIP and AAS announce today the 2020 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics is awarded to Christopher Kochanek, professor at Ohio State University, "who has combined observations and theory to make outstanding contributions to astrophysics in topics ranging from the use of gravitational lenses for studies of dark matter halos and quasar accretion disks, to the lives and deaths of massive stars and the evolution of stellar populations in galaxies and quasars."
Satellite constellations harvest energy for near-total global coverage
Cornell University
A National Science Foundation-sponsored collaboration led by Patrick Reed, the Joseph C. Ford Professor of Engineering at Cornell University, has discovered the right combination of factors to make a four-satellite constellation possible, which could drive advances in telecommunication, navigation and remote sensing.
Telescope upgrade, move will aid in search for exoplanets
Cornell University
Thousands of planets orbiting stars other than our own - known as extrasolar planets, or exoplanets - have been detected and cataloged over the last 30 years. A new effort will set the stage for the discovery of fundamentally different kinds of planets - very young and very large.
Hubble Detects Smallest Known Dark Matter Clumps
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Using Hubble and a new observing technique, astronomers have uncovered the smallest clumps of dark matter ever detected. Dark matter is an invisible substance that makes up most of the universe's mass and forms the scaffolding upon which galaxies are built.
Cosmic Magnifying Glasses Yield Independent Measure of Universe's Expansion
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Astronomers using Hubble have made the most precise measurement yet of the universe's expansion rate using the gravitational lensing method, which is independent from the usual cosmic distance ladder.
Goldilocks Stars Are Best Places to Look for Life
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Hubble observations suggest that orange stars, slightly cooler than our Sun, are better hangouts for life. There are more of them in our galaxy, they live much longer than our Sun, and unleash less deadly radiation than red dwarf stars.
NEID Exoplanet Instrument Sees First Light
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
The new NEID instrument, now installed at the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Southern Arizona, USA, has made its first observations. The NSF-NASA funded instrument is designed to measure the motion of nearby stars with extreme precision -- roughly three times better than current state-of-the-art instruments -- allowing us to detect, determine the mass of, and characterize exoplanets as small as Earth.
Binary star V Sagittae will explode as a very bright 'nova' by century's end
Louisiana State University
Currently, the faint star V Sagittae, V Sge, in the constellation Sagitta, is barely visible, even in mid-sized telescopes. However, around the year 2083, this innocent star will explode, becoming as bright as Sirius, the brightest star visible in the night sky.
NASA planet hunter finds its 1st Earth-size habitable-zone world
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered its first Earth-size planet in its star's habitable zone, the range of distances where conditions may be just right to allow the presence of liquid water on the surface.
David Shih: Then and Now
Department of Energy, Office of Science
David Shih is an associate professor in the New High Energy Theory Center of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Fast Radio Burst Observations Deepen Astronomical Mystery
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
Observations with the 8-meter Gemini North telescope, a program of the NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, have allowed astronomers to pinpoint the location of a Fast Radio Burst in a nearby galaxy -- making it the closest known example to Earth and only the second repeating burst source to have its location pinpointed in the sky. The source of this burst of radio waves is located in an environment radically different from that seen in previous studies. This discovery challenges researchers' assumptions on the origin of these already enigmatic extragalactic events.
Task Force Recommendations Outline Changes Needed to Increase African American Physics and Astronomy Students
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Due to long-term and systemic issues leading to the consistent exclusion of African Americans in physics and astronomy, a task force is recommending sweeping changes and calling for awareness into the number and experiences of African American students studying the fields. "The Time Is Now: Systemic Changes to Increase African Americans with Bachelor's Degrees in Physics and Astronomy" discusses the factors responsible for the success or failure of African American students in physics and astronomy.
NASA's Hubble Surveys Gigantic Galaxy
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Hubble has photographed a majestic spiral galaxy, UGC 2885, located 232 million light-years away. The galaxy is 2.5 times wider than our Milky Way and contains 10 times as many stars. Astronomers want to know how it got so big.
The Turbulent Life of Two Supermassive Black Holes Caught in a Galaxy Crash
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
An international team of astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to create the most detailed image yet of the gas surrounding two supermassive black holes in a merging galaxy.
Astronomers Find Wandering Massive Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Studies with the VLA indicate that roughly half of the massive black holes in dwarf galaxies are not in the centers of those galaxies. This gives astronomers new insights into the conditions in which similar black holes formed and grew in the early history of the Universe.
NASA's Great Observatories Help Astronomers Build a 3D Visualization of Exploded Star
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Astronomers and visualization specialists have combined the visible, infrared and X-ray vision of NASA's Great Observatories to create a 3D representation of the dynamic Crab Nebula--the tattered remains of an exploded star.
Simulated Image Demonstrates the Power of NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
NASA's upcoming Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), scheduled for launch in the mid-2020s, will have the power to survey the sky 1,000 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope, with Hubble-quality detail, in the near-infrared.
The Ultimate Telemedicine: UNC Expert Helps Treat Astronaut's Blood Clot During NASA Mission
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Moll was the only non-NASA physician NASA consulted when it was discovered that an astronaut aboard the ISS had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) - or blood clot - in the jugular vein of their neck.
Lasers Learn to Accurately Spot Space Junk
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Scientists have developed space junk identification systems, but it has proven tricky to pinpoint the swift, small specks of space litter. A unique set of algorithms for laser ranging telescopes, described in the Journal of Laser Applications, by AIP Publishing, has significantly improving the success rate of space debris detection.
Eye Changes From Spaceflight Compared to Simulated Weightlessness
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association
With ADIOS, Summit processes celestial data at scale of massive future telescope
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Researchers cannot collect enough observational data to practice analyzing the huge quantities expected from the Square Kilometre Array, which will be the world's largest radio telescope. Instead, an international team recently used Summit to simulate the SKA's expected output, then used ADIOS to process the simulated data.
Undersecretary for Science Paul Dabbar Recently Visited the South Pole Telescope in Antarctica
Department of Energy, Office of Science
The South Pole Telescope is one of the tools scientists are using to understand the earliest history of our universe. To check out the Department of Energy's (DOE) investment in this project, DOE Undersecretary for Science Paul Dabbar visited the facility last week.
Fireballs: mail from space
University of Helsinki
When should we send expeditions to look for meteorites that have impacted Earth?
'Cotton Candy' Planet Mysteries Unravel in New Hubble Observations
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Astronomers using Hubble have studied a unique class of young, migratory exoplanets that have the density of cotton candy. Nothing like them exists in our solar system. They orbit the star Kepler 51, located 2,600 light-years away. Hubble spectroscopic observations allowed researchers to refine mass estimates for these worlds--independently confirming their "puffy" nature.
