Science Daily


Astronomy news. New! Earth-like extrasolar planet found; double helix nebula; supermassive black holes, astronomy articles, astronomy pictures. Updated daily.
Updated: 16 hours 59 min ago
Millions of new solar system objects to be found and 'filmed in technicolor' -- studies predict
Astronomers have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects are likely to be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later this year.
Black holes could act as natural supercolliders -- and help uncover dark matter
Supermassive black holes might naturally replicate the colossal energies of man-made particle colliders possibly even revealing dark matter offering a cosmic shortcut to discoveries that would otherwise take decades and billions to pursue.
Particles energized by magnetic reconnection in the nascent solar wind
Scientists have identified a new source of energetic particles near the Sun. These definitive observations were made by instruments aboard NASA's Parker Solar Probe, which detected the powerful phenomena as the spacecraft dipped in and out of the solar corona.
Webb reveals the origin of the ultra-hot exoplanet WASP-121b
Tracing the origin of an ultra-hot exoplanet: The chemical composition of WASP-121b suggests that it formed in a cool zone of its natal disc, comparable to the region of gas and ice giants in our Solar System. Methane indicates unexpected atmospheric dynamics: Despite extreme heat, methane was detected on the nightside -- a finding that can be explained by strong vertical atmospheric circulation. First detection of silicon monoxide in a planetary atmosphere: Measurements of this refractory gas allow quantifying the rocky material the planet had accumulated.
Scientists discover new evidence of intermediate-mass black holes
A series of studies sheds light on the origins and characteristics of intermediate-mass black holes.
Cosmic mystery deepens as astronomers find object flashing in both radio waves and X-rays
A team of international astronomers have discovered a new cosmic object emitting both radio waves and x-rays.
'Raindrops in the Sun's corona': New adaptive optics shows stunning details of our star's atmosphere
Scientists have produced the finest images of the Sun's corona to date. To make these high-resolution images and movies, the team developed a new 'coronal adaptive optics' system that removes blur from images caused by the Earth's atmosphere. Their ground-breaking results pave the way for deeper insight into coronal heating, solar eruptions, and space weather, and open an opportunity for new discoveries in the Sun's atmosphere.
Why are some rocks on the moon highly magnetic?
Scientists may have solved the mystery of why the moon shows ancient signs of magnetism although it has no magnetic field today. An impact, such as from a large asteroid, could have generated a cloud of ionized particles that briefly enveloped the moon and amplified its weak magnetic field.
ALMA measures evolution of monster barred spiral galaxy
Astronomers have observed a massive and extremely active barred spiral galaxy in the early Universe and found that it has important similarities and differences with modern galaxies. This improves our understanding of how barred spiral galaxies, like our own Milky Way Galaxy, grow and evolve.
Saturn's moon: Mysterious wobbling atmosphere like a gyroscope
The puzzling behavior of Titan's atmosphere has been revealed. The team has shown that the thick, hazy atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon doesn't spin in line with its surface, but instead wobbles like a gyroscope, shifting with the seasons.
Unveiling the secrets of planet formation in environments of high UV radiation
The fundamental building blocks for planet formation can exist even in environments with extreme ultraviolet radiation, according to a new study.
'Cosmic joust': Astronomers observe pair of galaxies in deep-space battle
Astronomers have witnessed for the first time a violent cosmic collision in which one galaxy pierces another with intense radiation. Their results show that this radiation dampens the wounded galaxy's ability to form new stars.
Missing link in early Martian water cycle discovered
Astronomers have filled a large gap in knowledge about Mars' water cycle. Their research on water percolating from surface to aquifer could change the picture of what early Mars was like, suggesting that less of the planet's water may have been available to become rain and refill lakes and oceans.
Not one, but two massive black holes are eating away at this galaxy
Astronomers searching for massive black holes shredding stars found one in an unusual place -- 2,600 light years from the core of a galaxy. The roque black hole may be from an earlier merger with another galaxy, or have been tossed out of the core after interacting with two other black holes. This is the first ever optically discovered off-nuclear tidal disruption event. Eventually, the two could merge and produce ripples of gravitational waves.
Astronomers observe largest ever sample of galaxies up to over 12 billion light years away
The largest sample of galaxy groups ever detected has been presented by a team of international astronomers using data from the James Webb Space telescope (JWST) in an area of the sky called COSMOS Web. The study marks a major milestone in extragalactic astronomy, providing unprecedented insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies and the large-scale structure of the universe.
Ultraviolet data from NASA's Europa Clipper mission
The Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has successfully completed its initial commissioning following the October 14, 2024, launch. Scheduled to arrive in the Jovian system in 2030, the spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and ultimately perform repeated close flybys of the icy moon Europa. Previous observations show strong evidence for a subsurface ocean of liquid water that could host conditions favorable for life.
A multitude of protoplanetary discs detected in the galactic centre
Using new observations with the ALMA telescope array in Chile, researchers have compiled the most precise map of three regions in the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone to date, providing valuable information on how stars form in that region.
What lies beneath: Using rock blasted from craters to probe the Martian subsurface
By analyzing how far material ejected from an impact crater flies, scientists can locate buried glaciers and other interesting subsurface features.
Dark matter formed when fast particles slowed down and got heavy, new theory says
Researchers propose a new theory for the origin of dark matter, the invisible substance thought to give the universe its shape and structure. Their mathematical models show that dark matter could have formed in the early universe from the collision of massless particles that lost their energy and condensed -- like steam turning into water -- into cold, heavy particles. They report that their theory can be tested using existing data -- these dark matter particles would have a unique signature on the radiation that fills all of the universe known as the Cosmic Microwave Background.
Astrophysicists explore our galaxy's magnetic turbulence in unprecedented detail using a new computer model
Astronomers have developed a groundbreaking computer simulation to explore, in unprecedented detail, magnetism and turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM) -- the vast ocean of gas and charged particles that lies between stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. The model is the most powerful to date, requiring the computing capability of the SuperMUC-NG supercomputer at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre in Germany. It directly challenges our understanding of how magnetized turbulence operates in astrophysical environments.