Tuesday, May 13, 2014

PHOTOS Surprise Gamma-Ray Burst Behaves Differently Than Expected

Surprise Gamma-Ray Burst Behaves Differently Than Expected:

This artist's impression of a gamma-ray burst shows the two intense beams of relativistic matter emitted by the black hole. To be visible from Earth, the beams must be pointing directly towards us. (Image: NASA/Swift/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith and John Jones)
PHOTOS Surprise Gamma-Ray Burst Behaves Differently Than Expected
This artist’s impression shows a gamma-ray burst with two intense beams of relativistic matter emitted by the black hole. Image Credit: NASA/Swift/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith and John Jones
Roughly once a day the sky is lit up by a mysterious torrent of energy. These events — known as gamma-ray bursts — represent the most powerful explosions in the cosmos, sending out as much energy in a fraction of a second as our Sun will give off during its entire lifespan.

Yet no one has ever witnessed a gamma-ray burst directly. Instead astronomers are left to study their fading light.

New research from an international team of astronomers has discovered a puzzling feature within one Gamma-ray burst, suggesting that these objects may behave differently than previously thought.



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:26 AM 0 comments

GIANT DRAGONS This Was the Best Watched Solar Flare Ever

This Was the Best Watched Solar Flare Ever:

X1-class solar flare on March 29, 2014 as seen by NASA's IRIS (video screenshot) Credit: NASA/IRIS/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center
GIANT DRAGONS This Was the Best Watched Solar Flare Ever
X1-class solar flare on March 29, 2014 as seen by NASA’s IRIS (video screenshot) Credit: NASA/IRIS/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center
Are giant dragons flying out of the Sun? No, this is much more awesome than that: it’s an image of an X-class flare that erupted from active region 2017 on March 29, as seen by NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft. It was not only IRIS’s first view of such a powerful flare, but with four other solar observatories in space and on the ground watching at the same time it was the best-observed solar flare ever.

(But it does kind of look like a dragon. Or maybe a phoenix. Ah, pareidolia!)

Check out a video from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center below:


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:25 AM 0 comments

PHOTO The Newest ‘Earthrise’ Image

The Newest ‘Earthrise’ Image, Courtesy of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter:

The Moon, tiny Earth and the vastness of space,as seen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera (WAC). Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University.
PHOTO The Newest ‘Earthrise’ Image
The Moon, tiny Earth and the vastness of space,as seen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera (WAC). Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University.
That’s Earth. That’s us. Way off in the distance as a fairly small, blue and swirly white sphere. This is the newest so-called “Earthrise” image, and it was taken on February 1, 2014 by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

“LRO experiences twelve earthrises every day, however LROC is almost always busy imaging the lunar surface so only rarely does an opportunity arise such that LROC can capture a view of the Earth,” wrote LROC Principal Investigator Mark Robinson on the instrument’s website. “On the first of February of this year LRO pitched forward while approaching the north pole allowing the LROC WAC to capture the Earth rising above Rozhdestvenskiy crater (180-km diameter).”

Robinson went on to explain that the Earth is a color composite from several frames and the colors are very close to what the average person would see if they were looking back at Earth themselves from lunar orbit. “Also, in this image the relative brightness between the Earth and the Moon is correct, note how much brighter the Earth is relative to the Moon,” Robinson said.

Gorgeous.

Below is a gif image that demonstrates how images are combined over several orbits to create a full image from the Wide Angle Camera.


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:24 AM 0 comments

PHOTOS The Hunt for KBOs for New Horizons’ Post-Pluto Encounter Continues

The Hunt for KBOs for New Horizons’ Post-Pluto Encounter Continues:

An artist’s conception of a KBO encounter by New Horizons. Credit: JHUAPL/SwRI.
PHOTOS The Hunt for KBOs for New Horizons’ Post-Pluto Encounter Continues
An artist’s conception of a KBO encounter by New Horizons. Credit: JHUAPL/SwRI.
Are you ready for the summer of 2015? A showdown of epic proportions is in the making, as NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is set to pass within 12,500 kilometres of Pluto — roughly a third of the distance of the ring of geosynchronous satellites orbiting the Earth —  a little over a year from now on July 14th, 2015.

But another question is already being raised, one that’s assuming center stage even before we explore Pluto and its retinue of moons: will New Horizons have another target available to study for its post-Pluto encounter out in the Kuiper Belt? Researchers say time is of the essence to find it.


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:23 AM 0 comments

PHOTOS Eta Aquarid Meteors Streak By in Stunning Astrophotos

Eta Aquarid Meteors Streak By in Stunning Astrophotos:

Porters at Mt. Bromo in Indonesia warm themselves by a fire as an Eta Aquarid meteor streaks overhead on May 6, 2014. Credit and copyright: Justin Ng.
PHOTOS Eta Aquarid Meteors Streak By in Stunning Astrophotos
Porters at Mt. Bromo in Indonesia warm themselves by a fire as an Eta Aquarid meteor streaks overhead on May 6, 2014. Credit and copyright: Justin Ng.
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower has graced the skies this week and while this hasn’t been an exceptionally active shower, here are a few beautiful photos we’ve received. Above astrophotographer Justin Ng climbed Mount Bromo in Indonesia on May 6, and had to contend with interference from the active volcano.

“After having visited Mt. Bromo several times over the past two years, I must say it’s definitely much more active now and part of the night sky was obscured by the sulphur dioxide gas emitted from Mount Bromo when I took this shot,” Justin said via email. “At times, I was ‘consumed’ by the sulphur gas for several minutes due to the occasional change in wind direction and I could hardly breathe or kept my eyes opened when that happened. Despite these challenging shooting and viewing conditions, the natives or tourists will still ascend the steep stone staircase (approximately 253 concrete steps) that leads to the brim of the steaming, sulphurous, gaping caldera to catch a glimpse of the scenic sunrise every morning.”

Wow! This beautiful image is a result of stacking 4 images taken at different times facing at the same direction.


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:22 AM 0 comments

PHOTOS Why Earth’s Spores Could Survive A Trip to Mars

Why Earth’s Spores Could Survive A Trip to Mars:

Artist's conception of Mars, with asteroids nearby. Credit: NASA
PHOTOS Why Earth’s Spores Could Survive A Trip to Mars
Artist’s conception of Mars, with asteroids nearby. Credit: NASA
Here’s a finding to give planetary protectionists pause: two species of spores mounted on the International Space Station’s hull a few years back showed a high survival rate after 18 months in space.

Providing that they are shielded against solar radiation, it appears the spores are quite hardy and could easily transport on a spacecraft headed for Mars — which is concerning since so many scientific investigations there these days are focused on habitability of Martian life (whether past or present). The experiment was published in 2012, but highlighted in a recent NASA press release about planetary protection.



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:21 AM 0 comments

PHOTOS Can Super-Fast Stars Unveil Dark Matter’s Secrets?

Can Super-Fast Stars Unveil Dark Matter’s Secrets?:

Artist's conception of a hyperveloctiy star heading out from a spiral galaxy (similar to the Milky Way) and moving into dark matter nearby. Credit: Ben Bromley, University of Utah

Artist’s conception of a hyperveloctiy star heading out from a spiral galaxy (similar to the Milky Way) and moving into dark matter nearby. Credit: Ben Bromley, University of Utah
Zoom! A star was recently spotted speeding at 1.4 million miles an hour (2.2 million km/hr), which happened to be the closest and second-brightest of the so-called “hypervelocity” stars found so far.

Now that about 20 of these objects have been found, however, astronomers are now trying to use the stars beyond classifying them. One of those ways could be probing the nature of dark matter, the mysterious substance thought to bind together much of the universe.



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:20 AM 0 comments

PHOTOS Saturn Disappears Behind the Full Flower Moon

Saturn Disappears Behind the Full Flower Moon May 14 – Watch it Live:

Simulation of the moon closing in on Saturn just prior to occultation. Credit: Gianluca Masi using SkyX software
PHOTOS Saturn Disappears Behind the Full Flower Moon
Simulation of the moon closing in on Saturn just prior to occultation. Click to go to the Virtual Telescope website where you’ll be able to watch the May 14 event live. Credit: Gianluca Masi using SkyX software
Funny thing. Skywatchers are often  just as excited to watch a celestial object disappear as we are to see it make an appearance. Early Wednesday morning (May 14) the Full Flower Moon will slip in front of  Saturn, covering it from view for about an hour for observers in Australia and New Zealand. If you don’t live where the dingoes roam, no worries. You can watch it online.(...)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:19 AM 0 comments

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Kepler Has Found the First Earth-Sized Exoplanet in a Habitable Zone!

Kepler Has Found the First Earth-Sized Exoplanet in a Habitable Zone!:

Artist's rendering of Kepler-186f (Credit: NASA Ames/SETI Institute/Caltech)

Artist’s rendering of the Earth-sized Kepler-186f (Credit: NASA Ames/SETI Institute/Caltech)
It’s truly a “eureka” moment for Kepler scientists: the first rocky Earth-sized world has been found in a star’s habitable “Goldilocks” zone, the narrow belt where liquid water could readily exist on a planet’s surface without freezing solid or boiling away. And while it’s much too soon to tell if this really is a “twin Earth,” we can now be fairly confident that they do in fact exist.

The newly-confirmed extrasolar planet has been dubbed Kepler-186f. It is the fifth and outermost planet discovered orbiting the red dwarf star Kepler-186, located 490 light-years away. Kepler-186f completes one orbit around its star every 130 days, just within the outer edge of the system’s habitable zone.

The findings were made public today, April 17, during a teleconference hosted by NASA.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:00 PM 0 comments

Ancient Martian Life May Be Preserved in Glass

Ancient Martian Life May Be Preserved in Glass:

A fresh impact left this 30-meter-wide crater on Mars, imaged by HiRISE in Nov. 2013 (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona )

A fresh impact left this 30-meter-wide crater on Mars, imaged by HiRISE in Nov. 2013 (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona )
When large asteroids or comets strike the Earth — as they have countless times throughout our planet’s history — the energy released in the event creates an enormous amount of heat, enough to briefly melt rock and soil at the impact site. That molten material quickly cools, trapping organic material and bits of plants and preserving them inside fragments of glass for tens of thousands, even millions of years.

Researchers studying impact debris on Earth think that the same thing could very well have happened on Mars, and that any evidence for ancient life on the Red Planet might be found by looking inside the glass.

(...)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:00 PM 0 comments

The Planets in Our Solar System in Order of Size

The Planets in Our Solar System in Order of Size:

A montage of planets and other objects in the solar system. Credit: NASA/JPL

A montage of planets and other objects in the solar system. Credit: NASA/JPL
If you’re interested in planets, the good news is there’s plenty of variety to choose from in our own solar system. From the ringed beauty of Saturn, to the massive hulk of Jupiter, to the lead-melting temperatures on Venus, each planet in our solar system is unique — with its own environment and own story to tell about the history of our Solar System.

What also is amazing is the sheer size difference of planets. While humans think of Earth as a large planet, in reality it is dwarfed by the massive gas giants lurking at the outer edges of our Solar System. This article explores the planets in order of size, with a bit of context as to how they got that way.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:58 PM 0 comments

How Far Are The Planets From The Sun?

How Far Are The Planets From The Sun?:

Artist's impression of the planets in our solar system, along with the Sun (at bottom). Credit: NASA

Artist’s impression of the planets in our solar system, along with the Sun (at bottom). Credit: NASA
The eight planets in our solar system each occupy their own orbits around the Sun. They orbit the star in ellipses, which means their distance to the sun varies depending on where they are in their orbits. When they get closest to the Sun, it’s called perihelion, and when it’s farthest away, it’s called aphelion.

So to talk about how far the planets are from the sun is a difficult question, not only because their distances constantly change, but also because the spans are so immense — making it hard for a human to grasp. For this reason, astronomers often use a term called astronomical unit, representing the distance from the Earth to the Sun.

The table below (first created by Universe Today founder Fraser Cain in 2008) shows all the planets and their distance to the Sun, as well as how close these planets get to Earth.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:57 PM 0 comments

How Far Is A Light Year in Miles Or Kilometers?

How Far Is A Light Year in Miles Or Kilometers?:

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured this vivid image of spiral galaxy Messier 77 — a galaxy in the constellation of Cetus, some 45 million light-years away from us. The streaks of red and blue in the image highlight pockets of star formation along the pinwheeling arms, with dark dust lanes stretching across the galaxy’s starry centre. The galaxy belongs to a class of galaxies known as Seyfert galaxies, which have highly ionised gas surrounding an intensely active centre. Credit: NASA, ESA & A. van der Hoeven

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured this vivid image of spiral galaxy Messier 77 — a galaxy in the constellation of Cetus, some 45 million light-years away from us. The streaks of red and blue in the image highlight pockets of star formation along the pinwheeling arms, with dark dust lanes stretching across the galaxy’s starry centre. The galaxy belongs to a class of galaxies known as Seyfert galaxies, which have highly ionised gas surrounding an intensely active centre. Credit: NASA, ESA & A. van der Hoeven
We hope you have a big suitcase if you’re planning a trip across the cosmos. At the speed of light — a speed that no technology yet can achieve — it would take you about four years to get to the Alpha Centauri star system, the nearest group to our own. Zipping to the nearest galaxy, the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, would take you about 25,000 light-years.

As the phrase “light year” implies, that’s the distance that light travels in a year. It’s as fast as anything can travel, at least as best as we can understand it. Sometimes referred to as a “cosmic speed limit“, going as fast as light (or even faster) is impossible for a physical object, according to Albert Einstein’s measurements a century ago. As you get faster and faster, he showed, your mass increases to infinity. But there’s still discussion around that.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:57 PM 0 comments

How Many Moons Does Venus Have?

How Many Moons Does Venus Have?:

A radar view of Venus taken by the Magellan spacecraft, with some gaps filled in by the Pioneer Venus orbiter. Credit: NASA/JPL

A radar view of Venus taken by the Magellan spacecraft, with some gaps filled in by the Pioneer Venus orbiter. Credit: NASA/JPL
There are dozens upon dozens of moons in the Solar System, ranging from airless worlds like Earth’s Moon to those with an atmosphere (most notably, Saturn’s Titan). Jupiter and Saturn have many moons each, and even Mars has a couple of small asteroid-like ones. But what about Venus, the planet that for a while, astronomers thought about as Earth’s twin?

The answer is no moons at all. That’s right, Venus (and the planet Mercury) are the only two planets that don’t have a single natural moon orbiting them. Figuring out why is one question keeping astronomers busy as they study the Solar System.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:56 PM 0 comments

Views of Earth From Space on Earth Day 2014

Views of Earth From Space on Earth Day 2014:

NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this stunning view of the Americas on Earth Day, April 22, 2014 at 11:45 UTC/7:45 a.m. EDT. The data from GOES-East was made into an image by the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Credit: NASA/NOAA.

NOAA’s GOES-East satellite captured this stunning view of the Americas on Earth Day, April 22, 2014 at 11:45 UTC/7:45 a.m. EDT. The data from GOES-East was made into an image by the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Credit: NASA/NOAA.
It’s been said that one of the reasons Earth Day was started back in 1970 was because of the images of Earth from space taken during the Apollo missions to the Moon. So, what better way to celebrate than to see how Earth looks today from space?

NOAA’s GOES-East satellite captured this stunning view of the Americas on Earth Day, April 22, 2014 at 11:45 UTC/7:45 a.m. EDT.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:56 PM 0 comments

The Inner and Outer Planets in Our Solar System

The Inner and Outer Planets in Our Solar System:

Artist's impression of the solar system showing the inner planets (Mercury to Mars), the outer planets (Jupiter to Neptune) and beyond. Credit: NASA

Artist’s impression of the solar system showing the inner planets (Mercury to Mars), the outer planets (Jupiter to Neptune) and beyond. Credit: NASA
In our Solar System, astronomers often divide the planets into two groups — the inner planets and the outer planets. The inner planets are closer to the Sun and are smaller and rockier. The outer planets are further away, larger and made up mostly of gas.

The inner planets (in order of distance from the sun, closest to furthest) are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. After an asteroid belt comes the outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The interesting thing is, in some other planetary systems discovered, the gas giants are actually quite close to the sun.

This makes predicting how our Solar System formed an interesting exercise for astronomers. Conventional wisdom is that the young Sun blew the gases into the outer fringes of the Solar System and that is why there are such large gas giants there. However, some extrasolar systems have “hot Jupiters” that orbit close to their Sun.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:56 PM 0 comments

Saturn at Opposition: Our 2014 Guide

Saturn at Opposition: Our 2014 Guide:

Saturn as imaged from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on April 15th. Credit: Efrain Morales.

Saturn as imaged from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on April 15th. Credit: Efrain Morales.
Planet lovers can rejoice: one of the finest jewels of the solar system in returning to the evening night sky.

The planet Saturn reaches opposition next month on May 10th. This means that as the Sun sets to the west, Saturn will rise “opposite” to it in the east, remaining well positioned for observation in the early evening hours throughout the summer season. In fact, we’ll have four of the five naked eye planets above the horizon at once for our evening viewing pleasure in the month of May, as Jupiter also rides high to the west at sunset, Mars just passed opposition last month and Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation on May 25th. Venus is the solitary holdout, spending a majority of 2014 in the dawn sky.(...)
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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:55 PM 0 comments

How Many Moons Does Saturn Have?

How Many Moons Does Saturn Have?:

A collage of Saturn (bottom left) and some of its moons: Titan, Enceladus, Dione, Rhea and Helene. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

A collage of Saturn (bottom left) and some of its moons: Titan, Enceladus, Dione, Rhea and Helene. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Saturn’s moons have such a variety of environments between them that you’d be forgiven for wanting to spend an entire mission just looking at its satellites. From the orangy, hazy Titan to the icy plumes emanating from Enceladus, studying Saturn’s system gives us plenty of things to think about.

Not only that, the moon discoveries keep on coming. As of April 2014, there are 62 known satellites of Saturn (excluding its spectacular rings, of course). Fifty-three of those worlds are named. While this sounds like a large number of satellites, there’s another planet that has even more — Jupiter, with 67 to its name.

Most of these moons are pretty small ones, just a few miles across, but on the other hand there are larger ones such as the moon Titan. Below are descriptions of some of the more prominent moons.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:55 PM 0 comments

Take a Look: Comet PANSTARRS K1 Swings by the Big Dipper this Week, Sprouts Second Tail

Take a Look: Comet PANSTARRS K1 Swings by the Big Dipper this Week, Sprouts Second Tail:

Comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS displays two tails in this excellent image taken with an 8-inch f/2.8 telescope on April 20, 2014 from Austria. The shorter, brighter spike is the dust tail; the longer is the ion tail with distinct kinks caused by interactions with the solar wind.

Comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS displays two tails in this excellent image taken remotely with a telescope in New Mexico. The shorter, brighter spike is the dust tail; the longer is the ion tail with distinct kinks caused by interactions with the solar wind. Credit: Rolando Ligustri
Comets often play hard to get. That’s why we enjoy those rare opportunities when they pass close to naked eye stars. For a change, they’re easy to find! That’s exactly what happens in the coming nights when the moderately bright comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS slides past the end of the Big Dipper’s handle. I hope Rolando Ligustri’s beautiful photo, above,  entices you roll out your telescope for a look.(...)
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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:54 PM 0 comments

Gallery: Incredible Mirages In Space Show Dark Matter, Supernovas And Galaxies

Gallery: Incredible Mirages In Space Show Dark Matter, Supernovas And Galaxies:

This artist’s impression of a supernova shows the layers of gas ejected prior to the final deathly explosion of a massive star. Credit: NASA/Swift/Skyworks Digital/Dana Berry

This artist’s impression of a supernova shows the layers of gas ejected prior to the final deathly explosion of a massive star. Credit: NASA/Swift/Skyworks Digital/Dana Berry
How can an exploding star appear far brighter than expected? This question vexed astronomers since the discovery of PS1-10afx, supernova that was about 30 times more luminous than other Type 1A supernovas. Astronomers have just confirmed in Science that it was likely due to well-known illusion in space.

The mirage is called a gravitational lens that happens when a huge object in the foreground (like a galaxy) bends the light of an object in the background. Astronomers use this trick all the time to spy on galaxies and even to map dark matter, the mysterious substance believed to make up most of the universe.

Check out some spectacular images below of the phenomenon in action.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:54 PM 0 comments

Now THIS is How You Hunt for Aurorae!

Now THIS is How You Hunt for Aurorae!:

Aurora hunting in Iceland on March 26, 2014. Credit and copyright: Nanut Bovorn.

Aurora hunting in Iceland on March 26, 2014. Credit and copyright: Nanut Bovorn.
For some reason, the theme from “Star Wars” is now echoing in my head…

Wow! This awesome shot of aurora hunting in Iceland was taken by Photographer Nanut Bovorn. See more of his work on Flickr or his Facebook page.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:53 PM 0 comments

Breathtaking Astrophoto: Milky Way Over Monument Valley

Breathtaking Astrophoto: Milky Way Over Monument Valley:

A stunning view of the night sky over Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona, USA. Credit and copyright: Gavin Heffernan/Sunchaser Pictures.

A stunning view of the night sky over Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona, USA. Credit and copyright: Gavin Heffernan/Sunchaser Pictures.
One of our favorite astrophotographers and timelapse gurus, Gavin Heffernan from Sunchaser Pictures is currently out in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona shooting footage for a new timelapse. With this sneak peak photo, we can’t wait for the video!

This gorgeous shot taken on April 26, 2014 is just breathtaking. “It was an epic Milky Way night,” Gavin said on Facebook.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:52 PM 0 comments

May Meteor Storm Alert: All Eyes on the Sky!

May Meteor Storm Alert: All Eyes on the Sky!:

Composite photo of Lyrid meteor shower and non-Lyrids taken with a NASA All-sky camera April 21-23, 2012. Credit: NASA/MSFC/Danielle Moser

Composite photo of Lyrid meteor shower and non-Lyrids taken with a NASA all-sky camera April 21-23, 2012. A new meteor shower emanating from Camelopardalis near the North Star is expected to light up the skies early Thursday morning May 24 around 2 a.m. CDT (7 UT). Credit: NASA/MSFC/Danielle Moser
On Wednesday night May 23-24 skywatchers across the U.S. and southern Canada may witness the birth of a brand new meteor shower.  If predictions hold true, Earth will pass through multiple tendrils of dust and pebbly bits left behind by comet 209P/LINEAR, firing up a celestial display on par with the strongest showers of the year. Or better. (...)
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What Steps Are Needed To Find More Earths?

What Steps Are Needed To Find More Earths?:

Artist's rendering of Kepler-186f (Credit: NASA Ames/SETI Institute/Caltech)

Artist’s rendering of Kepler-186f (Credit: NASA Ames/SETI Institute/Caltech)
It wasn’t so long ago that we found out there is an Earth-sized planet in a habitable zone of a star. But how many others are out there, and do we know if planets like this are truly habitable?

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:51 PM 0 comments

Amazing Images of Today’s Solar Eclipse from Earth and Space

Amazing Images of Today’s Solar Eclipse from Earth and Space:

Virtual Telescope

A fine partial solar eclipse seen though high clouds from Queensland. Credit: Geoffrey Wyatt/The Virtual Telescope Project.
The images are pouring in. While most of North America slept this AM, Australians were treated to the very first solar eclipse of 2014 earlier today. And while this particular eclipse was a partial one only from the Australian continent, it still offered observers a fine view of an often elusive natural spectacle.(...)
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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:49 PM 0 comments

It’s Freezing on the Surface of this Nearby Star-like Object

It’s Freezing on the Surface of this Nearby Star-like Object:

This artist's conception shows the object named WISE J085510.83-071442.5, the coldest known brown dwarf. Image credit: Penn State University/NASA/JPL-Caltech

This artist’s conception shows the object named WISE J085510.83-071442.5, the coldest known brown dwarf. Image credit: Penn State University/NASA/JPL-Caltech
Our stellar neighborhood just got a little busier … and a little colder.

A brown dwarf that’s as frosty as the Earth’s North Pole has been discovered lurking incredibly close to our Solar System. Astronomer Keven Luhman from Pennsylvania State University used NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the Spitzer Space Telescope to pinpoint the object’s temperature and distance. This is the coldest brown dwarf found so far, and it’s a mere 7.2 light-years away, making it the seventh closest star-like object to the Sun.

“It is very exciting to discover a new neighbor of our Solar System that is so close,” said Luhman in a press release.

Brown dwarfs emerge when clouds of gas and dust collapse. But unlike stars, they never grow dense enough or burn hot enough to ignite nuclear fusion in their cores. They live their lives less massive than stars, but more massive than gas giants. So they burn hot at first, then cool over time. And this newly discovered brown dwarf is as cold as ice. Literally.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:48 PM 0 comments

Gas Cloud or Star? Mystery Object Heading Towards Our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black Hole is Doomed

Gas Cloud or Star? Mystery Object Heading Towards Our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black Hole is Doomed:

This simulation shows the G2 gas cloud/star during its close approach to the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Image by ESO/MPE/Marc Schartmann.

This simulation shows the G2 gas cloud/star during its close approach to the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Image by ESO/MPE/Marc Schartmann.
Observatories around the world and in space have been honed-in on the center of our galaxy, looking for possible fireworks to erupt as a mystery object heads towards our galaxy’s supermassive black hole. The object – called G2 – is being watched in an intense observing campaign across all wavelengths with multiple observatories. This is the first time astronomers have been able to watch an encounter with a black hole like this in real time, and the hope is that watching G2’s demise will reveal not only what this object actually is, but also provide more information on how matter behaves near black holes and how supermassive black holes “eat” and evolve.

“We’re indeed working on new observation of G2 right now,” astronomer Leo Meyer from UCLA told Universe Today, “and we’re in a position to make a significant new statement about it very soon.”

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:48 PM 0 comments

Spin! Exoplanet’s Day Finishes Blazing Fast Compared To Earth

Spin! Exoplanet’s Day Finishes Blazing Fast Compared To Earth:

Artist's impression of Beta Pictoris b. Credit: ESO L. Calçada/N. Risinger (skysurvey.org)

Artist’s impression of Beta Pictoris b. Credit: ESO L. Calçada/N. Risinger (skysurvey.org)
Between the time you got to work this morning and the time you leave today — assuming an eight-hour work cycle — an entire day will have passed on Beta Pictoris b, according to new measurements of the exoplanet.

This daily cycle, mapped for the first time on a planet outside of the solar system, may reveal a link between how big a planet is and how fast it rotates, astronomers stated. That said, caution is needed because there are only a handful of planets where the rotation is known: the eight planets of our Solar System and Beta Pictoris b.

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‘Runaway’ Star Cluster Breaks Free from Distant Galaxy

‘Runaway’ Star Cluster Breaks Free from Distant Galaxy:

This artist's illustration shows the hypervelocity star cluster HVGC-1 escaping from the supergiant elliptical galaxy M87. HVGC-1 is the first runaway star cluster discovered by astronomers. It is fated to drift through intergalactic space. David A. Aguilar (CfA)

This artist’s illustration shows the hypervelocity star cluster HVGC-1 escaping from the supergiant elliptical galaxy M87. HVGC-1 is the first runaway star cluster discovered by astronomers. It is fated to drift through intergalactic space.
Image Credit: David A. Aguilar (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
There are a few single stars we’ve discovered that break the stellar speed limit, and they are known as hypervelocity stars. But today astronomers multiplied the number of these ‘runaway’ stars by hundreds of thousands. The Virgo Cluster galaxy, M87, has ejected an entire star cluster, throwing it toward us at more than two million miles per hour.

“Astronomers have found runaway stars before, but this is the first time we’ve found a runaway star cluster,” said lead author Nelson Caldwell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, in a press release.

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Astrophoto: Awesome Views of a Sombrero in Space

Astrophoto: Awesome Views of a Sombrero in Space:

A lovely view of the Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo. Taken remotely from Siding Spring Observatory, Australia during several nights in April. Credit and copyright: Ian Sharp.

A lovely view of the Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo. Taken remotely from Siding Spring Observatory, Australia during several nights in April. Credit and copyright: Ian Sharp.
Here’s a wonderful view of the Sombrero Galaxy (M104, NGC 4594) in Virgo. This multi-hour, deep exposure was taken remotely by astrophotographer Ian Sharp from the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia over the past few weeks, with 12 hours of Luminance and 5 hours each on R, G and B channels.

The Sombrero Galaxy is a spiral galaxy that we see edge-on from Earth. Its outer dust lanes and bright central bulge aare visible in this wonderful image. There’s a zoomed out version, below, and you can see more of Ian Sharp’s great imagery at his website.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:47 PM 0 comments

Object “G2″ Still Intact at Closest Approach to Galactic Center, Astronomers Report

Object “G2″ Still Intact at Closest Approach to Galactic Center, Astronomers Report:

This simulation shows the future behaviour of a gas cloud that has been observed approaching the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Graphic by ESO/MPE/Marc Schartmann.

This simulation shows the future behaviour of a gas cloud that has been observed approaching the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Graphic by ESO/MPE/Marc Schartmann.
The latest observations by the Keck Observatory in Hawaii show that the gas cloud called “G2” was surprisingly still intact, even during its closest approach to the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers from the UCLA Galactic Center Group reported today that observations obtained on March 19 and 20, 2014 show the object’s density was still “robust” enough to be detected. This means G2 is not just a gas cloud, but likely has a star inside.

“We conclude that G2, which is currently experiencing its closest approach, is still intact,” said the group in an Astronomer’s Telegram, “in contrast to predictions for a simple gas cloud hypothesis and therefore most likely hosts a central star. Keck LGSAO observations of G2 will continue in the coming months to monitor how this unusual object evolves as it emerges from periapse passage.”

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