Astronomy and Planetary Science Thread

[publiusr]

Space in the news

New study examines the links between science fiction and astronomy

"Today's science fiction is tomorrow's science fact." This quote, attributed to Isaac Asimov, captures science's intricate relationship with science fiction. And it is hardly a one-way relationship.

phys.org

Can meteor showers be dangerous to spacecraft?

We've all read the advice that during a meteor shower there is no equipment needed. All you need to do is lay back and wonder at one of the most spectacular sights the universe has to offer. That's about it though and while you lay back on a lounger and watch, it really can be a wonderfully...

phys.org

Are Andromeda and the Milky Way doomed to collide? Maybe not

Scientists discovered the Andromeda galaxy, known as M31, hundreds of years ago, and around a century ago, we realized that it had negative radial velocity toward the Milky Way. In other words, eventually, the two galaxies would merge spectacularly. That has been common knowledge for astronomers...

phys.org

Good thing we found this Earth-sized planet now—it's about to be destroyed

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of exoplanets with extremely small orbits around their stars. But what about exoplanets that get close enough to be devoured by their star, and what if it's an Earth-sized exoplanet?

phys.org

Scientists pinpoint dino-killing asteroid's origin: past Jupiter

An intense debate surrounding the cosmic rock that killed the dinosaurs has stirred scientists for decades, but a new study has revealed some important—and far-out—data about the impactor's origin story.

phys.org

Researchers develop a test bed for separating valuable material on the moon

It's often better to flesh out technologies fully on Earth's surface before they're used in space. That is doubly true if that technology is part of the critical infrastructure keeping astronauts alive on the moon.

phys.org

What time is it on the moon? Researchers develop a plan for precise timekeeping

For decades, the moon's subtle gravitational pull has posed a vexing challenge—atomic clocks on its surface would tick faster than those on Earth by about 56 microseconds per day. This extremely small difference doesn't seem like much, but it could disrupt the precise timing needed for important...

phys.org

International astronomy group joins calls for a lunar clock to keep time on the moon

Time moves a tad faster on the moon. Now an international group of astronomers has joined calls to give the moon its own clock so that future space missions can keep track of minutes on the celestial body.

phys.org

Scientist performs the first nonlinear study of black hole mimickers

In recent research, a scientist from Princeton University has performed the first nonlinear study of the merger of a black hole mimicker, aiming to understand the nature of gravitational wave signals emitted by these objects, which could potentially help to identify black holes more accurately.

phys.org

NASA telescopes work out black hole's feeding schedule

By using new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory as well as ESA's XMM-Newton, a team of researchers has made important headway in understanding how—and when—a supermassive black hole obtains and then consumes material.

phys.org

A galactic 'comet' called Terzan 5 illuminates a 100-year-old puzzle about cosmic rays

When my colleagues and I set to work on a century-old cosmic mystery, we found an unexpected celestial laboratory in Terzan 5, a dense star cluster currently plunging through our galaxy at breakneck speed.

phys.org

Novel anemometer tracks sound travel for speedier, more precise wind speed calculations on Mars

Mars has a notoriously inhospitable environment, with temperatures that fluctuate dramatically over the course of a Martian day and average minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Its surface is mostly covered in red dust, with terrain typified by craters, canyons, and volcanoes. And its atmosphere is...

phys.org

Scientists find oceans of water on Mars. It's just too deep to tap.

Using seismic activity to probe the interior of Mars, geophysicists have found evidence for a large underground reservoir of liquid water—enough to fill oceans on the planet's surface.

phys.org

Research team releases a 76 m-per-pixel global color image dataset and map of Mars

Remote-sensing images of Mars contain rich information about its surface morphology, topography, and geological structure. These data are fundamental for scientific research and exploration missions of Mars. Prior to China's first Mars exploration mission, data from six advanced optical imaging...

phys.org

Study reports dim odds for finding alien civilizations

Are there any advanced alien civilizations elsewhere in our galaxy? We don't know. All we do know is that there is at least one. Should we be optimistic or pessimistic about finding others?

phys.org

Astronomers, satellite internet provider develop new system to share the sky

Astronomers learn about the universe by pointing their telescopes to the sky. But what happens when a satellite comes between them and the cosmological objects they hope to study?

phys.org

Maths

In double breakthrough, mathematician helps solve two long-standing problems

A Rutgers University-New Brunswick professor who has devoted his career to resolving the mysteries of higher mathematics has solved two separate, fundamental problems that have perplexed mathematicians for decades.

phys.org

An alternative to the Euler equation of rigid body rotational dynamics

SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) Professor of Physics Dr. Amir Fariborz recently published research titled, "An alternative to the Euler equation of rigid body rotational dynamics," in the European Journal of Physics.

phys.org

More

Fifteen years later, scientists locate a lunar impact site

In 2009, NASA intentionally crashed a spacecraft into the moon and used a small trailing spacecraft to observe the results: The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) was designed to search for frozen lunar water and other volatiles in the lunar regolith by knocking them off the...

phys.org

New lunar distress system could safeguard future astronauts

A team of international scientists has taken a significant step towards making lunar exploration safer, proposing a distress monitoring and rescue system designed for the moon's unique and challenging environment.

phys.org

Near-Earth asteroid data help probe possible fifth force in universe

In 2023, the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission returned a sample of dust and rocks collected on the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. In addition to the information about the universe gleaned from the sample itself, the data generated by OSIRIS-REx might also present an opportunity to probe new physics. As...

phys.org

New study eases concerns over possible 'doomsday' asteroid swarm

Astronomers have good news about potentially hazardous asteroids lurking near our planet: There aren't as many as we thought.

phys.org

New mission to create total solar eclipses in space

A UK team of researchers including UCL's Professor Lucie Green are working on the launch of a spacecraft mission that will allow us to view the sun's atmosphere in more detail than ever before.

phys.org

Event horizon: After photographing black holes, scientists are now making a movie

The first moving images of a black hole could reveal swirls of plasma and collapsing stars, deepening our understanding of the universe.

phys.org

NASA prepares for Lunar Terrain Vehicle testing

When astronauts return to the moon as part of NASA's Artemis campaign, they will benefit from having a human-rated unpressurized LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) that will allow them to explore more of the lunar surface, enabling diverse scientific discoveries.

phys.org

New solar wind plasma sensor will help track space weather

The Southwest Research Institute-developed Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) has been delivered and integrated into a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite dedicated to tracking space weather. SWiPS will measure the properties of ions originating from the sun, including...

phys.org

Primordial holes could be hiding in planets, asteroids and here on Earth

Small primordial black holes (PBHs) are one of the hot topics in astronomy and cosmology today. These hypothetical black holes are believed to have formed soon after the Big Bang, resulting from pockets of subatomic matter so dense that they underwent gravitational collapse.

phys.org

How accessible is titanium on the moon?

Mining the moon to extract its resources is a critical step on humanity's path into the solar system. One of the most common resources on the moon is considered relatively valuable here on Earth—titanium.

phys.org

NASA announces a new class of space missions: Probe explorers

NASA has sent a whole host of spacecraft across the solar system and even beyond. They range from crewed ships to orbit and to the moon to robotic explorers. Among them are a range of mission classes from Flagships to Discovery Class programs. Now a new category has been announced: Probe...

phys.org

Asteroid mining: A potential trillion-dollar industry

Earth's newest celestial neighbor has finally arrived. Astronomers using a powerful telescope in Sutherland, South Africa, first detected the 33-foot-long asteroid in August, reporting their discovery in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.

phys.org

 

[Flyaway]

Dinosaur-killing Chicxulub asteroid formed in Solar System’s outer reaches

The object that smashed into Earth and kick-started the extinction that wiped out almost all dinosaurs 66 million years ago was an asteroid that originally formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter, according to geochemical evidence from the impact site in Chicxulub, Mexico.

The findings, published on 15 August in Science1, suggest that the mass extinction was the result of a train of events that began during the birth of the Solar System. Scientists had long suspected that the Chicxulub impactor, as it is known, was an asteroid from the outer Solar System, and these observations bolster the case.

…

Fischer-Gödde’s team found that the ruthenium isotopes in the Chicxulub impactor were a good match for a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer Solar System, and did not match siliceous asteroids from the inner Solar System.

Dinosaur-killing Chicxulub asteroid formed in Solar System’s outer reaches

Rock samples hold clues to origin of impactor that sparked a mass extinction 66 million years ago.

www.nature.com

Related paper:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4868

 

[NMaude]

Chixulub Impactor sounds like the name of an edgy hard rock band.

 

[publiusr]

I thought KT was known by a layer of Iridium--a platinum group metal.

Recent findings

NASA's DART impact permanently changed the shape and orbit of asteroid moon, new study shows

When NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collided with an asteroid moon called Dimorphos in 2022, the moon was significantly deformed—creating a large crater and reshaping it so dramatically that the moon derailed from its original evolutionary progression—according to a...

phys.org

Debris from DART could hit Earth and Mars within a decade, say scientists

On Sept. 26th, 2022, NASA's Double Asteroids Redirect Test (DART) collided with Dimorphos, the small moonlet orbiting the larger asteroid Didymos. In so doing, the mission successfully demonstrated a proposed strategy for deflecting potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs)—the kinetic impact method.

phys.org

Researchers identify effective materials for protecting astronauts from harmful cosmic radiation on Mars

Researchers have identified specific materials, including certain plastics, rubber, and synthetic fibers, as well as Martian soil (regolith), which would effectively protect astronauts by blocking harmful space radiation on Mars. These findings could inform the design of protective habitats and...

phys.org

Mapping Martian meteorites: Tracing origins on the red planet

Researchers have identified the specific locations from which most of the approximately 200 Martian meteorites originate. They've traced the meteorites to five impact craters within two volcanic regions on the red planet called Tharsis and Elysium. Their study was published recently in the...

phys.org

Specialized materials could passively control the internal temperature of space habitats

Areas of space have wildly different temperatures depending on whether they are directly in sunlight or not. For example, temperatures on the moon can range from 121 °C during the lunar "day" (which lasts for two weeks), then drop down to -133 °C at night, encompassing a 250 °C swing.

phys.org

Astrobiologist explores likelihood of life originating on Earth

Florida Tech astrobiologist Manasvi Lingam has asked life's biggest questions from a young age. Though he can't recall his exact queries, he says his interests were perfectly consistent with those of other children: dinosaurs and aliens.

phys.org

Astrophysical simulations predict new detectable gravitational wave source from collapsing stars

The death of a massive, rapidly spinning star can shake the universe. And the resulting ripples—known as gravitational waves—could be felt by instruments on Earth, according to new research published August 22 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. These new sources of gravitational waves just...

phys.org

The evolution of the Trappist-1 planetary system

Planets are bodies that orbit a star and have sufficient gravitational mass that they form themselves into roughly spherical shapes that, in turn, exert gravitational force on smaller objects around them, such as asteroids and moons.

phys.org

Astronomers discover spectacular increase in the deuterium to hydrogen ratio in Venus's atmosphere

Thanks to observations by the Solar Occultation in the Infrared (SOIR) instrument on the Venus Express space probe of the European Space Agency (ESA), researchers have discovered an unexpected increase in the abundances of two water molecule variants—H2O and HDO—and their ratio HDO/H2O in...

phys.org

Novel strategy proposed for massive water production on the moon

Water plays a crucial role in human survival on the lunar surface, thus attracting extensive research attention. Prof. Wang Junqiang's team at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has recently developed a new method of...

phys.org

Physicians work to help prevent vision loss associated with space travel

Physicians at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University are working with Polaris Dawn, the first of the Polaris Program's three human spaceflight missions, to better understand the eye changes many astronauts experience during spaceflight that can leave them with a wide range of...

phys.org

New simulations shed light on stellar destruction by supermassive black holes

Monash University astronomers have contributed to a breakthrough in understanding the dramatic fate of stars that wander too close to supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies.

phys.org

Supercomputer simulations offer explanation for X-ray radiation from black holes

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have succeeded in something that has been pursued since the 1970s: explaining the X-ray radiation from black hole surroundings. The radiation originates from the combined effect of the chaotic movements of magnetic fields and turbulent plasma gas.

phys.org

A galactic 'conspiracy' disproven: Dark matter and stars not interacting as previously thought

A longstanding 'conspiracy' in astronomy—that stars and dark matter are interacting in inexplicable ways—has been overturned by an international team of astronomers, in a paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

phys.org

New view of North Star reveals spotted surface

Researchers using Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array have identified new details about the size and appearance of the North Star, also known as Polaris. The new research is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

phys.org

Corrected sunspot records show the Maunder minimum did not end abruptly

How accurate are past records of sunspots? In a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, a team of multinational researchers examined the historical record and found that after the unusual period of almost no sunspots, a period called the Maunder minimum, the transition to a more normal...

phys.org

Extraterrestrial chemistry with earthbound possibilities

Who are we? Why are we here? As the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song suggests, we are stardust, the result of chemistry occurring throughout vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust. To better understand how that chemistry could create prebiotic molecules—the seeds of life on Earth and possibly...

phys.org

Exoplanets may contain more water than previously thought

We know that the Earth has an iron core surrounded by a mantle of silicate bedrock and water (oceans) on its surface. Science has used this simple planet model until today for investigating exoplanets—planets that orbit another star outside our solar system.

phys.org

From sun to Earth: A new network for comprehensive space weather monitoring

There's a lot going on between Earth's atmosphere and the sun. Accurately forecasting conditions in this area of space is challenging but critical to the safety of astronauts, satellites, and even ground-based systems such as power grids. Doing so requires using a combination of monitoring...

phys.org

Lessons from industry can inform satellite and spacecraft management in orbit

Most space mission systems historically have used one spacecraft designed to complete an entire mission independently. Whether it was a weather satellite or a human-crewed module like Apollo, nearly every spacecraft was deployed and performed its one-off mission completely on its own.

phys.org

Space travel comes with risk—SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission will push the envelope further than ever

Space is an unnatural environment for humans. We can't survive unprotected in a pure vacuum for more than two minutes. Getting to space involves being strapped to a barely contained chemical explosion.

phys.org

Scientists offer strong carbon plastics for aviation

Employees of the Institute of Chemistry of Kazan Federal University and the Kazan National Research Technical University have produced especially strong carbon plastics based on phosphate binders that can withstand temperatures of more than 500 degrees Celsius. The findings are published in the...

phys.org

Artemis IV: Gateway gadget fuels deep space dining

NASA engineers are working hard to ensure no astronaut goes hungry on the Artemis IV mission.

phys.org

How biofilms can help or hinder spaceflight

As humans spread into the cosmos, we will take a plethora of initially Earth-bound life with us for the ride. Some might be more beneficial or potentially harmful than others. And there is no lifeform more prevalent on Earth than bacteria. These tiny creatures and fungi, their long-lost cousins...

phys.org

Gateway's propulsion system testing throttles up

The powerhouse of Gateway, NASA's orbiting outpost around the moon and a critical piece of infrastructure for Artemis, is in the midst of several electric propulsion system tests.

phys.org

New algorithms could enhance autonomous spacecraft safety

For humans throughout history, the sky has evoked thoughts of a vast emptiness, of a great vacant dome punctuated during the day by the sun, and at night by numerous tiny spots of light (and periodically by the moon). As we have ventured into space, both physically, with spacecraft, and...

phys.org

Plasmonic modulators could enable high-capacity space communication

Researchers have achieved data rates as high as 424Gbit/s across a 53-km turbulent free-space optical link using plasmonic modulators—devices that use special light waves called surface plasmon polaritons to control and change optical signals. The new research lays the groundwork for high-speed...

phys.org

Video: Mars rover trials

Rover trials in a quarry in the U.K. showing a four-wheeled rover, known as Codi, using its robotic arm and a powerful computer vision system to pick up sample tubes.

phys.org

What type of excavator is most suitable for asteroids?

Digging in the ground is so commonplace on Earth that we hardly ever think of it as hard. But doing so in space is an entirely different proposition. On some larger worlds, like the moon or Mars, it would be broadly similar to how digging is done on Earth. But their "milligravity" would make the...

phys.org

Astronaut's 'science of opportunity' experiments help prepare for launch to the International Space Station

Science ideas are everywhere. Some of the greatest discoveries have come from tinkering and toying with new concepts and ideas. NASA astronaut Don Pettit is no stranger to inventing and discovering. During his previous missions, Pettit has contributed to advancements for human space exploration...

phys.org

What if you flew your warp drive spaceship into a black hole?

Warp drives have a long history of not existing, despite their ubiquitous presence in science fiction. Writer John Campbell first introduced the idea in a science fiction novel called Islands of Space.

phys.org

How gravitational waves could help detect Star Trek-style warp drive spaceships

How much do we really know about what else is out there in the universe?

phys.org

Why are we so fascinated with aliens?

Robert Smith is convinced the aliens have won. "The invasion has happened—it's all over," says the University of Alberta space historian who teaches a course on the history of extraterrestrials.

phys.org

Belief in alien visits to Earth is spiraling out of control: Why that's so dangerous

The idea that aliens may have visited the Earth is becoming increasingly popular. Around a fifth of UK citizens believe Earth has been visited by extraterrestrials, and an estimated 7% believe that they have seen a UFO.

phys.org

Mathematicians debunk GPS assumptions to offer improvements

The summer holidays are ending, which for many concludes with a long drive home and reliance on GPS devices to get safely home. But every now and then, GPS devices can suggest strange directions or get briefly confused about your location. But until now, no one knew for sure when the satellites...

phys.org

Why are black holes stable against their own gravity?

Neutron stars are timelike matter with a maximum mass of about 2.34 solar masses in quantum chromodynamics (the strong color force). Black holes are spacelike matter that have no maximum mass, but a minimum mass of 2.35 solar masses. Indeed, black holes have been identified with millions or...

phys.org

Gravitational wave observatories could detect primordial black holes speeding through the solar system

Cosmologists have long hypothesized that the conditions of the early universe could have caused the formation of black holes not long after the Big Bang. These "primordial black holes" have a much wider mass range than those that formed in the later universe from the death of stars, with some...

phys.org

Supercomputer simulations reveal the nature of turbulence in black hole accretion disks

Researchers at Tohoku University and Utsunomiya University have made a breakthrough in understanding the complex nature of turbulence in structures called accretion disks surrounding black holes, using state-of-the-art supercomputers to conduct the highest-resolution simulations to date.

phys.org

Study provides a more nuanced understanding of black hole thermodynamics

A paper titled "Universality of the thermodynamics of a quantum-mechanically radiating black hole departing from thermality," published in Physics Letters B highlights the importance of considering black holes as dynamical systems, where variations in their geometry during radiation emissions...

phys.org

Deep imaging techniques reveal that galaxies are much much bigger than previously thought

If this galaxy is typical, then the study, published today in Nature Astronomy, indicates that our galaxy is already interacting with its closest neighbor, Andromeda.

phys.org

A review of humanity's planned expansion between the Earth and the moon

Between low Earth orbit and the moon, there is a region of space measuring 384,400 km (238,855 mi) wide known as Cislunar space. In the coming decades, multiple space agencies will send missions to this region to support the development of infrastructure that will lead to a permanent human...

phys.org

Researchers prove 120-million-year-old volcanism on moon

Extensive geologic evidence of ancient volcanic activity can be found on the moon, but how long this volcanism persisted has been unclear. However, Prof. Li Qiuli's Lab at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) has identified three volcanic glass...

phys.org

Astrophysicists use AI to precisely calculate universe's 'settings'

The standard model of the universe relies on just six numbers. Using a new approach powered by artificial intelligence, researchers at the Flatiron Institute and their colleagues extracted information hidden in the distribution of galaxies to estimate the values of five of these so-called...

phys.org

Space-based experiments could help to advance early cancer detection through blood tests

Imagine a sensor so sensitive it can detect early cancer in a single drop of blood, enabling diagnosis and treatment before the first symptoms—possibly before a tumor even forms.

phys.org

A space oddity—small exoplanet challenges existing theories on planet formation

A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has discovered a small planet that displays peculiar orbital motion. The shimmying planet, located 455 light-years from Earth, shows that planetary systems can be considerably more complex than researchers have previously thought.

phys.org

Researchers propose inexpensive 2.2-kilometer telescope that could make exoplanet movies

Can a kilometer-scale telescope help conduct more efficient science, and specifically for the field of optical interferometry? This is what a study recently posted to the preprint server arXiv hopes to address.

phys.org

Astronomers detect extended ionized gas around Messier 77

Using the Circumgalactic H-alpha Spectrograph (CHαS), astronomers have performed spectroscopic observations of a nearby active galaxy designated Messier 77. They detected a very extended structure of ionized gas around this galaxy. The finding was reported in a research paper published August 22...

phys.org

Outer solar system is more populated than previously thought, research reveals

Survey observations using the Subaru Telescope's ultra-widefield prime focus camera have revealed that there may be a population of small bodies further out in the Kuiper Belt waiting to be discovered.

phys.org

Meet Phaethon, a weird asteroid that thinks it's a comet—new research may explain what's going on

What's the difference between an asteroid and a comet? A comet is basically a dirty iceball composed of rock and ice. The classic image is of a bright "star" in the night sky with a long curved tail extending into space. This is what happens when they approach the sun and start emitting gases...

phys.org

Small, harmless asteroid burns up in Earth's atmosphere over the Philippines

A small asteroid discovered on Wednesday harmlessly burned up in Earth's atmosphere the same day, NASA said.

phys.org

Gigantic asteroid impact shifted the axis of solar system's biggest moon, study finds

Around 4 billion years ago, an asteroid hit the Jupiter moon Ganymede. Now, a Kobe University researcher has realized that the solar system's biggest moon's axis has shifted as a result of the impact, which confirmed that the asteroid was around 20 times larger than the one that ended the age of...

phys.org

Expert explains evidence for planetary formation through gravitational instability

Exoplanets form in protoplanetary disks, a collection of space dust and gas orbiting a star. The leading theory of planetary formation, called core accretion, occurs when grains of dust in the disk collect and grow to form a planetary core, like a snowball rolling downhill. Once it has a strong...

phys.org

The Martian polar caps are not created equally—here's why

People have observed the bright Martian poles wax and wane for centuries, but only within the last 50 years have scientists discovered that they are mostly comprised of carbon dioxide cycling in and out of the atmosphere to the rhythm of the seasons. But exactly how this happens is a complex...

phys.org

Engineers smash rocks to see what occurs when top layer of an asteroid-like object is hit with extreme external force

Johns Hopkins engineers have uncovered new details about how granular materials such as sand and rock behave under extreme impacts—findings that could someday help protect the Earth from dangerous asteroids.

phys.org

'Space junk' that fell in Eastern Cape was a car-size meteorite

The "space junk" that fell over the Eastern Cape on Sunday morning was a meteorite.

phys.org

Managing space debris through space law

It's becoming increasingly crowded in the orbits around Earth that are popular for space travel. And that's not just due to satellites—there's also more waste material, which is compromising safety. Ph.D. candidate Zhuang Tian is conducting research into the legal aspects of discarded space...

phys.org

In the hunt for alien life, is man truly 'the measure of all things?'

Enrico Fermi's lunchtime question at wartime Los Alamos, "Where is everybody?" has been both a gift and a problem to scientists ever since. Known as "Fermi's Paradox," it simply asks, why, since life on Earth is ubiquitous and developed very early in Earth's history, and the galaxy is very old...

phys.org

 

[NMaude]

I thought KT was known by a layer of Iridium--a platinum group metal.

It is.

 

[NMaude]

Anton Petrov has this new video out concerning the "Handedness" of certain biologically important molecules and this no doubt has major implications for extra-terrestrial life:

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about new solutions to the mysteries of chirality of life
Links:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.11...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ent/10.1101/2024.04.23.590732v2&v=UMJYVYX1VPg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalido...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ia.org/wiki/Thalidomide_scandal&v=UMJYVYX1VPg
Previous videos: • Major Breakthrough On Origins of Life...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1wkR-92Rys&t=0s
• Puzzle Solved! Cosmic Rays Caused DNA... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1wkR-92Rys&t=0s
#chirality #originoflife #earth

0:00 Mystery of origins of life: chirality
1:35 Questions
2:08 Pasteur's discovery
2:40 Why this is important
4:55 New explanations - accidental discovery
6:15 Results from the study
7:50 Could membranes also be chiral though?
8:30 Conclusions

 

[NMaude]

A new video by Anton Petrov concerning a new ultra short period planet:

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about a discovery of a planet that may help us understand what happens to ice giants when they get close to stars
Links:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.21167https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ttps://arxiv.org/abs/2407.21167&v=idohfn-EceY
https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.03303https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ttps://arxiv.org/abs/1803.03303&v=idohfn-EceY
Previous videos:
• Did our Sun swallow a GIANT super Ear...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHfKj5I2_E8&t=0s
• Chthonian Planets - What/Why/How - Un... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHfKj5I2_E8&t=0s

#chthonian #planet #astronomy

0:00 Weird planets called USPs
0:50 New unusual Earth like planet
2:30 Similar planets and how they relate to stars
3:30 Planetary properties and comparisons to Hot Jupiters
4:50 Differences and similarities
6:05 Types of stars containing these planets
6:50 Mini neptune remnants?
7:30 Conclusions

 

[Flyaway]

Possible natural explanation for the Wow signal based on new work done at Arecibo. He’ll be interviewing one of the people behind this new work later in the week. It involves large hydrogen clouds in the Galaxy, flares from Magnetars, and it’s important to remember, and this isn’t often covered that the signal was blue shifted, and that the signal was not actually at the hydrogen line but just above it.

View: https://youtu.be/YqI5HtDFL4I?si=K9msoU9uqanew8wo

 

[Flyaway]

Follow up interview with Professor Abel Mendez:

View: https://youtu.be/mCKuA8P9HOw?si=ABR7cvJnJIAvqxlM


Related paper:

[2408.08513] Arecibo Wow! I: An Astrophysical Explanation for the Wow! Signal

 

[Flyaway]

New observations by the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that an icy moon around Uranus may have an underground liquid ocean.

NASA’s Webb Telescope Finds Evidence For An Ocean World Around Uranus

NASA's Webb Telescope finds evidence for an underground ocean on Uranus moon Ariel, raising interest in future missions to explore the seventh planet and its moons.

www.forbes.com

Related paper:

Radware Bot Manager Captcha

 

[Flyaway]

Ancient ocean of magma found on Moon south pole

The Moon’s south pole was once covered in an ocean of liquid molten rock, according to scientists.

…

Remnants of the ocean were found by India’s historic Chandrayaan-3 mission that landed on the south pole last August.

India's Chandrayaan-3 finds ancient magma ocean on Moon south pole

The findings are from India's historic Chandrayaan-3 mission that landed on the Moon's south pole.

www.bbc.com

 

[Flyaway]

Researchers using Georgia State University’s Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array have identified new details about the size and appearance of the North Star, also known as Polaris. The new research is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

…

The team successfully tracked the orbit of the close companion and measured changes in the size of the Cepheid as it pulsated. The orbital motion showed that Polaris has a mass five times larger than that of the Sun. The images of Polaris showed that it has a diameter 46 times the size of the Sun.

The biggest surprise was the appearance of Polaris in close-up images. The CHARA observations provided the first glimpse of what the surface of a Cepheid variable looks like.

https://news.gsu.edu/2024/08/20/new-view-of-north-star-reveals-spotted-surface-new-view-of-north-star-reveals-spotted-surface/

Related paper:

Radware Bot Manager Captcha

 

[Flyaway]

Strange system as they’ve already found one hot Jupiter planet very close to the host star and now they have found a sub-Neptune planet even closer in. The two planets are in a nearly 2:1 resonance. They believe there may be a third planet further out in the system but they haven’t definitely discovered that one yet.

”Both TOI-1408 b and TOI-1408 c are incredibly close to their parent star compared to the planets in our solar system," research lead author Judith Korth of Lund University told Space.com. "Imagine our solar system, but instead, Jupiter is orbiting very close to the sun nearly every four days, one-twentieth of the period of Mercury.

"This is already very close to the star, and still, we detected another planet even closer to the star that interacts strongly with its big neighbor, causing their orbits to wobble in ways we've never seen before."

…

"The system’s dynamics are finely tuned, likely as a result of its formation history. The planets' orbits are near a 2:1 period ratio, meaning for every two orbits of TOI-1408c, TOI-1408b orbits the star once," Korth said. "This might help stabilize their orbits despite their proximity to each other and the star."

Giant exoplanet the size of 2 Jupiters has a hidden companion disturbing its orbit

"We detected another planet even closer to the star that interacts strongly with its big neighbor, causing their orbits to wobble in ways we've never seen before."

www.space.com

Related paper:

[2407.17798] TOI-1408: Discovery and Photodynamical Modeling of a Small Inner Companion to a Hot Jupiter Revealed by TTVs

 

[Flyaway]

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has observed a nearby spiral galaxy known as NGC 891. Results of the observational campaign, published August 15 on the preprint server arXiv, provide more insights into the nature of this galaxy and its circumgalactic medium.

Astronomers explore the nature of galaxy NGC 891 with JWST

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has observed a nearby spiral galaxy known as NGC 891. Results of the observational campaign, published August 15 on the preprint server arXiv, provide more insights into the nature of this galaxy and its...

phys.org

Related paper:

[2408.08026] JWST MIRI and NIRCam observations of NGC 891 and its circumgalactic medium

 

[NMaude]

Anton Petrov has a video about how the Higgs Boson should've destroyed the Universe:

On another note Astrum has a video out about something to Neptune's cloud:

 

[NMaude]

Astrum has put out this video about Voyager 1 and 2 and what they detected at the Solar System's boundaries:

 

[publiusr]

Missions to Europa may be easier than thought?

New data on radiation show missions to Jupiter's moon Europa are possible

Scientists from NASA's Juno mission have developed the first complete 3D radiation map of the Jupiter system, including characterizing the intensity of the high-energy particles near the orbit of the icy moon Europa, and how the radiation environment is sculpted by the smaller Jovian moons...

phys.org

A European lander could return an ice core for a fraction of the cost of Europa Clipper

Cost is a major driving factor in the development of space exploration missions. Any new technology or trick that could lower the cost of a mission makes it much more appealing for mission planners. Therefore, much of NASA's research goes into those technologies that enable cheaper missions.

phys.org

Ceres and asteroid exploration

Did dwarf planet Ceres originate in the asteroid belt?

The dwarf planet Ceres has a diameter of almost 1,000 kilometers and is located in the asteroid belt. In the television series "The Expanse," Ceres gained new fame as the main base of the so-called 'belters': in this series, which is based on real physics, humans colonize the asteroid belt for...

phys.org

Using a space elevator to get resources from Ceres

Here at UT, we've had several stories that describe the concept of a space elevator. They are designed to make it easier to get objects off Earth and into space. That, so far, has proven technically or economically infeasible, as no material is strong enough to support the structure passively...

phys.org

Work is underway on NASA's next-generation asteroid hunter

The mirrors for NASA's Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope are being installed and aligned, and work on other spacecraft components is accelerating.

phys.org

Astronomers are getting better at detecting asteroids before they hit Earth—and it could save us from catastrophe

On September 4 2024, astronomers discovered an asteroid, 1 meter in diameter, heading towards Earth. The space rock would burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere near the Philippines later that day, officials announced. Nevertheless, it produced a spectacular fireball that was shared in videos...

phys.org

NASA watches a peanut-shaped asteroid drift past Earth

Peanuts! Get your peanuts here! The solar system has been passing out peanuts lately in the form of two different oddly shaped asteroids that recently passed by Earth, and both look like over-sized peanuts.

phys.org

Odds of asteroid 99942 Apophis striking Earth slightly higher than thought

An astrophysicist at the University of Western Ontario finds that the odds of the asteroid 99942 Apophis striking Earth are slightly higher than previously thought. In his study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, Paul Wiegert took a new look at the possibility of a smaller asteroid...

phys.org

Alien skies

Plants could still grow well under alien skies

Photosynthesis changed Earth in powerful ways. When photosynthetic organisms appeared, it led to the Great Oxygenation Event. That allowed multicellular life to evolve and resulted in the ozone layer. Life could venture onto land, protected from the sun's intense ultraviolet radiation.

phys.org

Exoplanets could be hiding their atmospheres

Most of the exoplanets we've discovered orbit red dwarf stars. This isn't because red dwarfs are somehow special, simply that they are common. About 75% of the stars in the Milky Way are red dwarfs, so you would expect red dwarf planets to be the most abundant. This also means that most...

phys.org

Image: Burning Man festival observed from space

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission has snapped a souvenir of the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock desert in Nevada.

phys.org

NASA develops process to create very accurate eclipse maps

New NASA research reveals a process to generate extremely accurate eclipse maps, which plot the predicted path of the moon's shadow as it crosses the face of Earth. Traditionally, eclipse calculations assume that all observers are at sea level on Earth and that the moon is a smooth sphere that...

phys.org

Earth's ring

Hidden craters reveal Earth may once have had a ring—like Saturn

The rings of Saturn are among the most famous and spectacular features in the solar system. Earth may once have had something similar.

phys.org

Earth may have had a ring system 466 million years ago

In a discovery that challenges our understanding of Earth's ancient history, researchers have found evidence suggesting that Earth may have had a ring system that formed around 466 million years ago, at the beginning of a period of unusually intense meteorite bombardment known as the Ordovician...

phys.org

Shell universe and more

Do we live in a shell universe?

The universe might not be as you think. Until recently, the Lambda Cold Dark Matter model seemed to have a lock on cosmology. Like earlier Big Bang models, it supposes that the universe expanded from a hyperdense state and that the expansion of spacetime causes the Hubble redshift of light. Dark...

phys.org

New cosmic distance catalog could unlock the mysteries of universe formation

A new catalog providing information on millions of distant galaxies, which determines their distances with unprecedented precision over a field of view and depth never before explored, has been published today.

phys.org

Astronomers discover biggest ever seen black hole jets, which blast hot plasma well beyond their own host galaxy

Astronomers have spotted the biggest pair of black hole jets ever seen, spanning 23 million light-years in total length. That's equivalent to lining up 140 Milky Way galaxies back to back.

phys.org

Astronomers just detected the biggest black hole jets ever seen—and named them Porphyrion

The largest known black hole jets, 23 million light years across, have been discovered in the distant universe. This pair of particle beams launched by a supermassive black hole is over a hundred times larger than our galaxy, the Milky Way.

phys.org

Black hole pairs may unveil new particles

In a paper published in Physical Review Letters this week, physicists from Amsterdam and Copenhagen argue that close observations of merging black hole pairs may unveil information about potential new particles. The research combines several new discoveries made by UvA scientists over the past...

phys.org

Astronomers can't agree on how fast the universe is expanding. New approaches aim to break the impasse

It is almost 100 years since scientists discovered the universe is expanding. In the decades that followed, the accuracy of the measurements, and interpretations and implications of this discovery, were a source of fierce debate. We now know the universe emerged dramatically from a highly...

phys.org

New measurements reveal the enormous halos that shroud all galaxies in the universe

Have you ever wanted to make a $150,000 gamble? If you're right, you open a new window to the universe. But if you're wrong, you've just wasted a lot of money and time.

phys.org

New measurements of gravitational anomaly at low acceleration favor modified gravity, researcher claims

Wide binary stars as direct probes of the nature of gravity at low acceleration weaker than about 1 nanometer per second squared have been hotly debated. The nature of gravity at such low acceleration is of utmost importance because the concept of dark matter, the gravitational dynamics of...

phys.org

Experimental data help unravel the mystery surrounding the creation of heavy elements in stars

How are stars born, and how do they die? How do they produce the energy that keeps them burning for billions of years? How do they create the elements we observe today? Definitive answers to these questions continue to elude scientists in their quest to understand the processes that shape the...

phys.org

Cosmology is at a tipping point—we may be on the verge of discovering new physics

For the past few years, a series of controversies have rocked the well-established field of cosmology. In a nutshell, the predictions of the standard model of the universe appear to be at odds with some recent observations.

phys.org

Astronomers detect hundreds of supernova remnants using novel method

Using a new method exploiting the capabilities of the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE), astronomers have detected 307 new supernova remnants, including seven rare oxygen-rich ones. The finding was presented in a research paper published September 10 on the preprint server arXiv.

phys.org

From earthquakes to starquakes: Seismology research helps understand exoplanet migration

When Jared Bryan talks about his seismology research, it's with a natural finesse. He's a fifth-year Ph.D. student working with MIT Assistant Professor William Frank on seismology research, drawn in by the lab's combination of GPS observations, satellites, and seismic station data to understand...

phys.org

Future gravitational wave observatories could see the earliest black hole mergers in the universe

In February 2016, scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) confirmed they made the first-ever detection of gravitational waves (GWs). These events occur when massive objects like neutron stars and black holes merge, sending ripples through spacetime that can...

phys.org

Could interstellar quantum communications involve Earth or solve the Fermi paradox?

Thus far, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has used strategies based on classical science—listening for radio waves, telescopes watching for optical signals, telescopes in orbit scouring light from the atmospheres of exoplanets, scanning for laser light that might come from...

phys.org

Scientists scan TRAPPIST-1 for technosignatures

If you are going to look for intelligent life beyond Earth, there are few better candidates than the TRAPPIST-1 star system. It isn't a perfect choice. Red dwarf stars like TRAPPIST-1 are notorious for emitting flares and hard X-rays in their youth, but the system is just 40 light-years away and...

phys.org

New video shows how tiny spacecraft will 'swarm' Proxima Centauri

Earlier this year, NASA selected a rather interesting proposal for Phase I development as part of their NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. It's known as Swarming Proxima Centauri, a collaborative effort between Space Initiatives Inc. and the Initiative for Interstellar Studies...

phys.org

Magnifying deep space through the 'Carousel Lens'—rare alignment offers unique opportunity to study cosmology

In a rare and extraordinary discovery, researchers have identified a unique configuration of galaxies that form the most exquisitely aligned gravitational lens found to date. The Carousel Lens is a massive cluster-scale gravitational lens system that will enable researchers to delve deeper into...

phys.org

New hypothesis suggests Mars's unique shape may be due to long lost moon

An astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory has developed a hypothesis to explain the unique shape and terrain of Mars. He suggests both are due to a long-lost moon. Michael Efroimsky has published a paper outlining the hypothesis on the arXiv preprint server.

phys.org

New study uncovers unexpected interaction between Mars and the solar wind

Scientists of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) in Kiruna and Umeå University find that under certain conditions the induced magnetosphere of Mars can degenerate. The findings are presented in a new study published in Nature.

phys.org

Detailed model suggests organic matter on Mars was formed from atmospheric formaldehyde

Although Mars is currently a cold, dry planet, geological evidence suggests that liquid water existed there around 3 to 4 billion years ago. Where there is water, there is usually life. In their quest to answer the burning question about life on Mars, researchers at Tohoku University created a...

phys.org

Cloud atlas of Mars showcases array of atmospheric phenomena

Cloud enthusiasts have a new tool to investigate striking formations in the skies above the red planet. A browsable database of 20-years-worth of images of clouds and storms, created by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Berlin, is helping scientists better understand how and where features...

phys.org

LIGO is cool

Scientists propose a new method to search for dark matter using LIGO

A new study published in Physical Review Letters (PRL) proposes using gravitational wave detectors like LIGO to search for scalar field dark matter.

phys.org

sailcraft and space tech

Project Helianthus—a solar-sail-driven geomagnetic storm tracker

Solar storms captured the imagination of much of the American public earlier this year when auroras were visible well south of their typical northern areas. As the sun ramps into another solar cycle, those storms will become more and more common, and the dangers they present to Earth's...

phys.org

Voyager 1 team accomplishes tricky thruster swap

Engineers working on NASA's Voyager 1 probe have successfully mitigated an issue with the spacecraft's thrusters, which keep the distant explorer pointed at Earth so that it can receive commands, send engineering data, and provide the unique science data it is gathering.

phys.org

Keeping mold out of future space stations

Mold can survive the harshest of environments, so to stop harmful spores from growing on future space stations, a new study suggests a novel way to prevent its spread.

phys.org

NASA to develop lunar time standard for exploration initiatives

NASA will coordinate with U.S. government stakeholders, partners, and international standards organizations to establish a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) following a policy directive from the White House in April. The agency's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program is leading efforts on...

phys.org

Reinventing the clock: NASA's new tech for space timekeeping

Here on Earth, it might not matter if your wristwatch runs a few seconds slow. But crucial spacecraft functions need accuracy down to one billionth of a second or less. Navigating with GPS, for example, relies on precise timing signals from satellites to pinpoint locations. Three teams at NASA's...

phys.org

Artemis missions could put the most powerful imaging telescope on the moon

Ground-based interferometry on Earth has proven to be a successful method for conducting science by combining light from several telescopes into acting like a single large telescope. But how can an ultraviolet (UV)/optical interferometer telescope on the moon deliver enhanced science, and can...

phys.org

Soft cells: Rounded tile shapes echo those found in nature

Tiles that fill two- and three-dimensional spaces with no gaps—including triangles, squares, hexagons, cubes, and other polyhedra—are typically designed with sharp corners and flat faces (straight edges).

phys.org

There could be a way to fix spacecraft at L2, like Webb and Gaia

Billions of dollars of observatory spacecraft orbit around Earth or in the same orbit as our planet. When something wears out or goes wrong, it would be good to be able to fix those missions "in situ." So far, only the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has enjoyed regular visits for servicing.

phys.org

 

[NMaude]

Another video from Anton Petrov concerning Alpha Origins (Which appears to have eaten a lower mass companion star):

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about a new study on Betelgeuse that suggests it's a binary star

Links:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...iop.org/article/10.1086/3821232&v=2PYG_upOxUc
Betelgeuse videos: • Potential Evidence That Betelgeuse Ma...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4oBP-cqwCA&t=0s
• Major Updates About Supernova of the ...

• Betelgeuse Is Being Strange Again! Bu... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2WPVThTklo&t=0s

#betelgeuse #supernova #astronomy

0:00 Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse
1:20 When will it go supernova?
2:20 Variable star and why it matters
3:05 LSP - Long Secondary Pulsations
4:40 What the longer cycle means for predicting the supernova
5:35 Two major propositions
6:10 Best explanation so far - a buddy
8:20 So what's going on here?
9:20 Conclusions and implications

 

[NMaude]

Here's an interesting geology video from Rachel aka GEO GIRL about how exploring Earth's geology would a useful primer for astrophysicists and astronomers for understanding extra-solar terrestrial planets:

0:00 Reason for video
2:32 How we study Earth’s past
3:42 Physical features in Earth rocks
6:31 Physical features in Mars rocks
8:23 Physical features on icy moon, Europa
14:30 Chemistry of Earth rocks
18:49 Chemistry of Enceladus & Titan rocks
22:09 Habitability vs origin of life events
23:40 Biology of Earth rocks
25:13 Possible biology of other planets & moons

References:
Sedimentary Structures video (and references therein): • The Ultimate Guide to Sedimentary Str... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmQXGT2oUno&t=0s
Europa Geology video (and referernces therein)- • Is Europa Geologically Active?- Europ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UI4LKOuAOU&t=0s
Europa Interior video (and referernces therein)- • Europa's Core, Mantle, & Water Shell-... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-biPZG8Jw&t=0s
Potential for Life on Enceladus video (and referernces therein)- • Probability of Life on Enceladus- The... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WX_RAPFSSg&t=0s
Enceladus Analogs video (and referernces therein)- • How We Study Aliens from Earth & Dete...

 

[NMaude]

I just stumbled across this interesting Astrum video (Uploaded three months ago) about the ESA's BepiColombo mission to Mercury (It made its' third Mercury flyby in June 2023 and will be making its' fourth flyby on September 5, 2024):

What the BepiColombo space probe has discovered so far.

References :
Constructional volcanic edifices on Mercury - https://bit.ly/3wJD9lEhttps://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmM3bW5Sd0djb0c4aUZIaEtlZWlPd1MzRmtKd3xBQ3Jtc0tuSVlaTjFyc3ZDYVZlZHhpM1I0eUJqR1g2VzF5aHJlN0pkbmJLOHRaV0hyT3pQVk5GVzg3eDlvaVlXWFZpMVFWOTFQbFdPUGVWQTJDd2QwUDB5UXRYZmJPOUg0NXVlMUpWSHhBSWJPbTR3a2tycndUbw&q=https://bit.ly/3wJD9lE&v=t5tzbu_Hvts
The BepiColombo Planetary Magnetometer MPO-MAG: What Can We Learn from the Hermean Magnetic Field? - https://bit.ly/3V6MlKqhttps://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjVHcGpoSlNScGNER2VCVWpnMFdUbTNmZzdMUXxBQ3Jtc0trWUgzNF9jRU0yckRZNjVVZ25pYVJ5b3ZkQjNIRXR1U3AwcUxwZkpuQTA1cEhNYzBOcGhKN3FfbEg2NGxJNzd3dlNsUTRUMGQ1ZTlwcWJDUEs3S1haMVcydzNlcUUzcnl6ekk0blBkQVUzcFczNzFWOA&q=https://bit.ly/3V6MlKq&v=t5tzbu_Hvts

Images/Video:
Caloris Basin - https://go.nasa.gov/3V5GftAhttps://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVZvUG5VOVhDdUNpaWhiOFNkN19Ya1E0TnlDZ3xBQ3Jtc0trcFN4a1ZZOEZzV2szb1ZGUHBMQlFqUWNBeTdUZzlmb3NlLWMwam8tNkJPVDhrcmhfdENDenhWU1ZmVXhCWmhhaWJIaEo1bzNCWmYwR3I0Z1k2SUVBQXBZTllPZFBWVXlYUERqc3JwWl8yQVo3bVZTdw&q=https://go.nasa.gov/3V5GftA&v=t5tzbu_Hvts
BepiColombo’s second Mercury flyby - https://bit.ly/3ytn2t0https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazFQY0twZUxkRjNiYnJMQkFjRlBwYTdxeWVWZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttc0xYYXZFOV9Qd2N0VmMwajBJSlRYbnpUYmQ5Y1E4cVNDblBUWEJBdEhKZ040MnFDdW9ZektPcjdxOEFXWVNXdEVyZmQ2cHJzc3hoNU8zUFZGaHozenZ3RUlSTDhKS0FNVllxNTQ3YmNrQmtSb0hLcw&q=https://bit.ly/3ytn2t0&v=t5tzbu_Hvts
BepiColombo's first views of Mercury - https://bit.ly/3WVbadHhttps://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnpYSWZsQm1LQ3VTMF85a0FVYnVDRlhfbHV5Z3xBQ3Jtc0ttLVBRQ2t4MWlxWFVjOVE5YzhRVzVOeHl1OWlkMnVfNW85d0h0VXlRTHdvaUdkV3FGR0d5bTY0dUxLOVBzYzVST2ROb1Fwc2x2YWVmQ2RQc1ZtNkpWYmNsNkRsZHdQNW01WEtadGNYVzktQTUyTVl3RQ&q=https://bit.ly/3WVbadH&v=t5tzbu_Hvts
ESA - BepiColombo’s first tastes of Mercury science - https://bit.ly/3V9FwYzhttps://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmU4ck9MbkFwX2dPWXR1d0Q4bjVrcl81Nmc0d3xBQ3Jtc0tsYjNCRE40ekpldlVjZzVSX28zRnBJYjFna3BOczd2emctQmNPTGdMUU1ZSlhWZkstcVhVS1pBR2JvdG5FN1BYaS1nUlNHcXp1NkZ2NlZNNVJPTThFaHpKdTNvR2RraXlxQXdJbTVHYUJMalhrTzI2cw&q=https://bit.ly/3V9FwYz&v=t5tzbu_Hvts
ESA - A trio of images highlight BepiColombo’s third Mercury flyby - https://bit.ly/4bMSSPW

Edit: Here's the much longer Webinar that GEO GIRL abbreviated into her new video.

Title: Tracing Our Terrestrial Roots: A Roadmap to Discovering Extraterrestrial Life – 03-01-2024
Guest Speaker: Dr. Rachel Phillips, University of South Carolina.
Summary: In this talk, Dr. Phillips discusses how studying Earth’s past helps us search for alien life. It’s all about the rocks! Rocks preserve ‘proxies’ or physical, chemical, and biological signatures that help scientists reconstruct ancient climate and oceanic conditions. Studying the earth’s past helps us understand current climate trends and predict future ones. These same studies can help scientists understand the geological structure of planets like Mars.

Another example is for studying Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, which has a liquid water ocean covered by ice crust. Europa has many tectonic features similar to features found on Earth. By studying the proxies in the rocks on these planets/moons, scientists can determine if there might be life there.
If you are interested in how scientists seek the conditions for life on planets and moons in our solar system, this video is for you! We hope you enjoy it

!iTelescope

iTelescope https://www.itelescope.nethttps://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...A&q=https://www.itelescope.net/&v=IwgMlYXNmzQ
Dr. Phillips YouTube Channel / @geogirl https://www.youtube.com/@GEOGIRL
Dr. Phillips website https://www.geogirlscience.comhttps://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...https://www.geogirlscience.com/&v=IwgMlYXNmzQ

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:29 Outline of Presentation
3:01 How we study Earth’s past
3:55 Proxy-based reconstruction
5:00 Three types of proxies: Physical, Chemical, Biological
5:23 Physical Proxies
14:07 Chemical Proxies
27:11 Poll question: Is methane on Enceladus biotic or abiotic?
32:00 Second poll question:
33:35 Biological Proxies
39:37 Questions and Answers

#iTelescope
#astrophotography
#deepsky
#astro
#astronomy
#cosmology

 

[Flyaway]

Webb Finds Early Galaxies Weren’t Too Big for Their Britches After All

When astronomers got their first glimpses of galaxies in the early universe from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, they were expecting to find galactic pipsqueaks, but instead they found what appeared to be a bevy of Olympic bodybuilders. Some galaxies appeared to have grown so massive, so quickly, that simulations couldn’t account for them. Some researchers suggested this meant that something might be wrong with the theory that explains what the universe is made of and how it has evolved since the big bang, known as the standard model of cosmology.

According to a new study in the Astronomical Journal led by University of Texas at Austin graduate student Katherine Chworowsky, some of those early galaxies are in fact much less massive than they first appeared. Black holes in some of these galaxies make them appear much brighter and bigger than they really are.

…

Although they’ve settled the main dilemma, a less thorny problem remains: There are still roughly twice as many massive galaxies in Webb’s data of the early universe than expected from the standard model. One possible reason might be that stars formed more quickly in the early universe than they do today.

“Maybe in the early universe, galaxies were better at turning gas into stars,” Chworowsky said.

Webb Finds Early Galaxies Weren’t Too Big for Their Britches After All - NASA Science

It got called the crisis in cosmology. But now astronomers can explain some surprising recent discoveries. When astronomers got their first glimpses of galaxies in the early universe from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, they were expecting to find galactic pipsqueaks, but instead they found...

science.nasa.gov

Related paper:

Radware Bot Manager Captcha

 

[NMaude]

Anton Petrov has just put out a video about several stars that have been tidally disrupted and eaten by by supermassive blackholes:

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about most unusual tidal disruption events discovered in the last few months
Links:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10895https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ttps://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10895&v=iGwX-pVGE5s
https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.05490https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ttps://arxiv.org/abs/2401.05490&v=iGwX-pVGE5s
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...rticle/10.3847/1538-4357/ad18bb&v=iGwX-pVGE5s

Previous videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKI1q8OkxVg&t=0s
• Tidal Disruption Event Updates: Stran...

• Major Updates About a Bizarre Explosi... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpBT-yGEgm8&t=0s

0:00 TDE discoveries
1:00 How tidal disruptions usually happen
1:50 May 2024 discovery
2:30 Bright TDE very far away
3:20 Closest TDEs found
4:05 TDEs in other frequencies
4:25 Most powerful even so far
5:36 An unusual star and a rare event
6:40 Connection to extreme events
7:30 Conclusions

#tde #tidaldisruptionevent #scarybarbie

 

[Flyaway]

An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new hyperluminous quasar. The newfound quasar, which received the designation eFEDSJ0828–0139, has a high star-formation rate and its black hole is accreting mass at a super-Eddington rate. The discovery was detailed in a research paper published August 16 on the preprint server arXiv.

…

Summing up the findings, the authors of the paper noted that eFEDSJ0828−0139 is likely in a particular phase in which SMBH and its host galaxy are actively growing in the framework of galaxy-SMBH co-evolution.

"We may be witnessing the growing phase of both SMBH and its host galaxy in the course of the galaxy–SMBH coevolution, as expected by the numerical simulation," the researchers concluded.

New hyperluminous quasar discovered

An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new hyperluminous quasar. The newfound quasar, which received the designation eFEDSJ0828–0139, has a high star-formation rate and its black hole is accreting mass at a super-Eddington rate. The discovery was detailed in a research...

phys.org

Related paper:

[2408.08498] Discovery of a hyperluminous quasar at z = 1.62 with Eddington ratio > 3 in the eFEDS field confirmed by KOOLS-IFU on Seimei Telescope

 

[Flyaway]

In the quest to understand the universe’s many mysteries, astronomers are looking for potentially trillions of elusive space objects called rogue worlds. These stellar objects blur the lines between planet and star–to better understand the cosmic processes that form both.

A team of astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently spotted six new rogue worlds in a young nebula. The findings are detailed in a study published August 27 in The Astronomical Journal and indicate that rogue worlds may help create celestial objects that are even bigger than the planet Jupiter. These newly discovered worlds may even be gas giants 5 to 10 times bigger than our solar system’s biggest planet.

JWST spots six new 'rogue worlds,' neither planet nor star

'We are probing the very limits of the star forming process.'

www.popsci.com

The link to the related paper in the article doesn’t work.

 

[NMaude]

Anton Petrov has a new video out concerning the origin of the Chixulub-impactor that caused the KT-extinction event ending the Cretaceous period:

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs once again

Links:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/s...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4868&v=9A_jOMVFTpw
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/s...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev....org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp0114&v=9A_jOMVFTpw
Previous videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw5ZHPWRUOg&t=0s
• What Really Happened on The Day Dinos...

• Evidence Shows We Don't Really Know W...

• Unexpected Discovery of Another Crate...

• Wow, Dinosaur DNA Remnants May Have B...

• Where Exactly Did the Dinosaur Killin...

• Ripples From Megatsunami That Killed ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrGNYkIYio0&t=0s

0:00 K-Pg event and dinosaurs
1:40 Exact time when this event most likely happened
2:40 Bird DNA and evolution
3:20 Where this asteroid came from - new study
4:00 How this study was conducted - ruthenium
5:10 C-type asteroids and their origins
7:10 Definitive evidence
7:35 Why this matters - water
8:15 How likely will this happen again?
9:00 Largest dangerous asteroid right now
10:40 Conclusions

 

[NMaude]

Here's an interesting what if video about visiting Kepler-22b:

Welcome to Kepler-22 b. Chase: Hey y'all! I've got an exciting mission. To land on and explore a planet that could easily be Earth 2.0. Exoplanets are like the planets inside our Solar System, but they orbit different stars. It's cool, but there's only one problem. Exoplanets are far away. So your Solar System is this little neighborhood of planets and moons with the Sun in its center. And light-years away from this neighborhood, there are potentially billions of others. What If guy got tired of sending me to die in the Solar System. This time, I'm travelling to an exoplanet where I might actually have a chance to survive.

Interestingly enough Ripley Scott's cancelled SF TV-series Raised by Wolves was set on Kepler-22b.

 

[Flyaway]

The LUX-ZEPLIN, or LZ, experiment has searched for and ruled out the existence of dark matter particles with a wide swath of properties, researchers report August 26 at two conferences. Dark matter is a substance whose influence can be seen on the scale of galaxies and galaxy clusters, but which has never been directly detected.

LZ searches for a hypothetical type of dark matter particle called a weakly interacting massive particle, specifically WIMPs with masses above 9 billion electron volts. (For comparison, a proton has a mass of around 1 billion electron volts). The LZ detector, filled with 10 metric tons of liquid xenon, monitors for atomic nuclei recoiling when WIMPs plow into the liquid (SN: 7/7/22).

The possibilities for dark matter have just shrunk — by a lot

The LZ dark matter experiment has ruled out weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs, with a wide range of properties.

www.sciencenews.org

Related papers:

TeV Particle Astrophysics 2024

TeV Particle Astrophysics (TeVPA) is an international conference that covers the most recent advances in the field of Particle Astrophysics. This year, TeVPA returns to Chicago for the first time since its inaugural edition in 2005 (at Fermilab). This meeting will feature morning plenary...

indico.uchicago.edu

LIDINE 2024: LIght Detection In Noble Elements

Sponsored by CAEN, ALLECTRA, MDPI, OPTO, AKAER, FCA and Autocoat. Support: LNA The objective of the LIDINE conference series is to promote discussion among members of the particle and nuclear physics communities about detector technologies based on noble elements and their applications such as...

indico.cern.ch

 

[FighterJock]

So that is WIMPs out of the equation to be a candidate for Dark Matter, though there is another possibility of Dark Stars, so called because scientists think that they are made up of Dark Matter. And if they are then the Universe must be full of Dark Stars.

 

[Michel Van]

This here is speculative Exobiology

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hcI7FxP0fc&t=82s

 

[NMaude]

Some major Moon updates from Anton Petrov:

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about new discoveries coming from the Moon

Previous Moon videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCMf35iO0Z0&t=0s
• Lunar Crater That Formed a Quasi Moon...
• Moon Mission Updates! Japanese Missio...

• Major Moon Updates: Rock Anomaly, Wei... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siIPmpQJia4&t=0s
#moon #nasa #space

0:00 Moon updates! And a new time zone?
2:00 Mystery of Lunar atmosphere possibly solved
4:25 Lunar swirly mystery - what are these?
6:05 Possibly solution for the magnetic anomaly
8:00 Best colony location!
9:05 Scanning the lunar caves and the new Chinese missions
11:05 Graphene found too
12:00 Conclusions

 

[Rhinocrates]

An exploration of the recent discovery of a new deep ocean source for dark oxygen production and how that may play into a new potential solution to the Fermi Paradox.

TL;DW - Manganese nodules produce 'dark oxygen' useful to complex deep sea life. There's no reason why nodules wouldn't be common in ice moons throughout the galaxy, if they aren't under a thick layer of high-pressure ice. This could allow the evolution of complex life in such moons. However, they can't develop metals-based technological civilisations, because if they did, they're deprive themselves of oxygen (and die). Also, it's not likely they'd even be aware of the universe beyond their ice shells.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hcI7FxP0fc

EDIT, since Michael Van's posted this, let's add some more to make it worthwhile.

Interesting but on the wider speculation in the later part of the video, I'm sceptical of any argument that relies on one factor and specifically, I don't think that metals are the only possible basis for technology. I call it the rice pudding fallacy: rice pudding is certainly a 'signature' of life and civilisation on earth and if we found it elsewhere, we could reasonably suppose that a civilisation had made it. However, rice pudding is not a sole and essential requirement for life and there are substitute foods that are as good or even better (and certainly more interesting). Yet again, we're back to the problem of 'signatures.' Just what are simple molecules signatures of? There's far too much anthropomorphism in SETI and astrobiology as a whole in my opinion.

'Assembly theory' might provide a way out of this conundrum.

Identifying molecules as biosignatures with assembly theory and mass spectrometry - Nature Communications

The search for life in the universe is difficult due to issues with defining signatures of living systems. Here, the authors present an approach based on the molecular assembly number and tandem mass spectrometry that allows identification of molecules produced by biological systems, and use it...

www.nature.com

A New Theory for the Assembly of Life in the Universe | Quanta Magazine

If we want to understand complex constructions, such as ourselves, assembly theory says we must account for the entire history of how such entities came to be.

www.quantamagazine.org

The focus here is looking for molecules that can be produced through complex lifelike processes.

Assembly theory explains and quantifies selection and evolution - Nature

Assembly theory conceptualizes objects as entities defined by their possible formation histories, allowing a unified language for describing selection, evolution and the generation of novelty.

www.nature.com

AT, objects are not considered as point particles, but instead are defined by the set of possible histories of their formation as an intrinsic property. Defined in this way, we show how objects themselves can provide measurable evidence of selection, whether within the well-defined boundary of an individual or selected unit, or not.

 

[NMaude]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hcI7FxP0fc

Michael Van has already posted that video a couple of posts upthread.

 

[Rhinocrates]

Michael Van has already posted that video a couple of posts upthread.

Aha, so he did! I decided to edit and add some more.

 

[Flyaway]

A mysterious ring of radio light could have been created by a type of massive star with a powerful wind of radiation blowing away its outer layers, according to astronomers who made the discovery with the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.

Astronomers discover new 'odd radio circle' near the center of our galaxy

A mysterious ring invisible at all wavelengths except radio could be a trace of a dramatically unstable star shedding its skin.

www.space.com

Related paper linked to at end of the article.

 

[Flyaway]

JWST discovers New Planet - it’s the coldest, oldest exoplanet ever imaged:

View: https://youtu.be/oJYWOWylZ94?si=x85-lYS8I6hjVVqs

 

[Flyaway]

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

A Dazzling Comet is Heading Our Way! It Will Outshine Brightest Stars

Aug 28, 2024
A dazzling comet is headed our way and it will most certainly outshine even the brightest stars in the night sky. The comet is named C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). It was discovered in early 2023 when it was a billion km away, between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn.

This comet has the potential to become the next great comet, a term used to describe comets that are so exceptionally bright that they capture the attention of even casual observers who aren't actively looking for them. These comets often become widely recognized outside of the astronomical community, making headlines and sparking public interest. The last comets to earn this title were Hale-Bopp in 1997 and McNaught in 2007, both of which put on spectacular displays.

View: https://youtu.be/z9SLAokDS_4

 

[NMaude]

Anton Petrov has a video out about a galaxy sterilising quasar:

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about a strange quasar that killed all galaxies near it (VIK J2348-3054)

Links:
https://www.aanda.org/component/artic...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEVmR0RjZ1NzRHFhLWJ2dElURWJ1QmR1T1hZZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsQkZFUHk0Zy1fTWNrbmNQWjBqY1NyS21ob2s1czRhcXdhUzNWTG45c0E3emw4NkdRZzNrel90UDlDeVEtUHBPTnJmOXFJaU1Va1c2X0RBUXpPanNLMDkxS3lrajRjb0RoZ0F2Ym9tV01SWjBTblZtOA&q=https://www.aanda.org/component/article?access=doi&doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202449566&v=uVgYWlgfisk
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbC1tOEp0R2RhVHB0Ui1MWTZmRGhucWZseFFVZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsNElIRTNyanhGZHlKLXdqckk1dTZlMlBvUWZRYW5palhSUldSOVFWb0djVTJjLVYtOExyeUYtb2ZLb3JmOGN4dlFjcG1JODVKZFJUNEtzWXd6S2xRQWkwa1hTVFM4VV9LdnVHckRtUFAxdEhPSVpsOA&q=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ad35c7&v=uVgYWlgfisk
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnRTb0d3WWFsQUdVY0NKdHZhSmN0bnI2NXRXUXxBQ3Jtc0tuUEJxQ2hoZHN0clZfZEdnMWxlSFJwcVdWX2FfOVFWSUtHWlpaZVJtLUlpZ0dyRG8xYkh4Y1Ftd0hUSWdKSk5qdHdJeXVCdWJaOGtFRFliYmJJYVJmT040VEh5RldPZ0tIRnlYckYxOWlmRC1WNFVZOA&q=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad429e&v=uVgYWlgfisk

#quasar #universe #astronomy

0:00 Quasar updates
0:28 First ever quasar collision
1:35 Clarification about quasars
2:10 Quasar gas and galactic wind extremes
3:40 Effects
4:05 Insane quasar found that killed all galaxies around itself
6:55 Did something happen to Milky Way and M87?
7:50 Conclusions

 

[Flyaway]

Cool Worlds - Do ‘Grabby Aliens’ solve the Fermi Paradox?

He explains why he doesn’t buy this particular theory. He did send his criticisms of the theory to the person who originated the video before making the video, and discussed it with them.

View: https://youtu.be/tR1HTNtcYw0?si=O9afou6z9Owl_S6-

 

[NMaude]

Astrographics has a rather interesting video about intergalactic supervoids:

Explore the universe’s vast cosmic voids, where nothingness defies cosmic laws. Dive deep into the mysteries of these immense empty spaces and uncover the secrets they hold.

 

[Flyaway]

NASA spacecraft collision may have created a meteor shower that will last for 100 years

Rocky debris blasted away from the tiny asteroid Dimorphos when NASA’s DART spacecraft intentionally slammed into it in 2022 could create the first human-made meteor shower known as the Dimorphids, new study has found.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/31/science/dimorphos-dart-impact-debris-meteor-shower/index.html

Related paper:

[2408.02836] Delivery of DART Impact Ejecta to Mars and Earth: Opportunity for Meteor Observations