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Space Telescope Gaia Sent Into 'Retirement' But Legacy Endures
Europe's Gaia space telescope was powered down and sent into "retirement" on Thursday after a decade revealing the secrets of the Milky Way, but its observations will fuel discoveries for decades to come.
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Supernova Remnants Found in Oceanic Samples, Scientists Look to Moon
Scientists have identified supernova debris in deep-sea sediments, including a rare plutonium isotope linked to a kilonova. Researchers believe a neutron star collision occurred nearly 10 million years ago, scattering radioactive material across space. To validate this theory, they plan to analyze lunar soil, which remains undisturbed by Earth's ge...
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James Webb Space Telescope Captures Hourglass Nebula LBN 483 in Stunning Detail
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured unprecedented details of LBN 483, a nebula located 650 light-years away. The striking hourglass-shaped structure results from outflows driven by a forming binary star system. JWST’s infrared imaging and ALMA’s radio observations reveal how stellar winds, jets, and magnetic fields sculpt the nebula ove...
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NASA's MMS Mission Marks 10 Years of Magnetic Reconnection Discoveries
NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has completed a decade of discoveries, advancing the study of magnetic reconnection—a crucial process in space physics. The four-satellite fleet has enabled over 1,500 research papers, refining theories and revealing unexpected reconnection locations. The mission has also set records for GPS tracking...
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Smallest Galaxy Ever Found: Andromeda XXXV Defies Cosmic Evolution Models
Astronomers have discovered Andromeda XXXV, the smallest and faintest known galaxy, located 3 million light-years away. It challenges existing models of galaxy formation, as similar small galaxies were thought to be destroyed in the early universe. Researchers are studying how it retained conditions for star formation despite harsh cosmic environme...
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Water May Have Formed in the Universe 100 Million Years After Big Bang
A new study suggests water formed in the universe just 100–200 million years after the Big Bang, much earlier than previously estimated. Researchers examined ancient supernovas to understand how oxygen combined with hydrogen to create water. If confirmed, these findings could change perspectives on when the conditions for life first emerged. The ...
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Mysterious Planetary-Mass Objects May Form in Young Star System Clashes
Recent research challenges traditional views on planetary-mass objects, suggesting they may form through violent interactions between young star systems rather than standard planetary or stellar processes. Simulations indicate these clashes create dense gas filaments that evolve into free-floating objects, often in binary pairs. This discovery expl...
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New Research Reveals Mars’ Red Colour Linked to Ancient Water Presence
A recent study suggests that Mars’ red hue originates from ferrihydrite, an iron oxide that forms in water-rich environments. Scientists recreated Martian dust in labs and found that the mineral remained stable despite the planet’s dry conditions. Data from orbiting spacecraft and rovers confirm this discovery, reshaping theories about Mars’ ...
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Ancient Martian Ocean Shoreline Discovered Beneath Surface by Zhurong Rover
China's Zhurong rover has uncovered evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars, with ground-penetrating radar detecting a buried shoreline beneath the Utopia Basin. The rover’s scans revealed sloping sand layers similar to those found on Earth’s beaches, reinforcing theories of long-term water presence. Experts highlight that these formations are not...
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NASA Supercomputer Finds Spiral Structure in the Oort Cloud’s Inner Region
A NASA supercomputer model suggests that the Oort Cloud’s inner structure forms a spiral, influenced by galactic tides. The Oort Cloud, a distant icy shell surrounding the solar system, has remained unobservable due to its vast distance. Researchers believe this finding could redefine understanding of how comets originate and interact with cosmic...
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Unusual X-ray Flash in Large Magellanic Cloud Puzzles Astronomers
A brief yet intense X-ray flash, XRT 200515, was detected in NASA's Chandra telescope data from 2000. The signal, originating from the Large Magellanic Cloud, has left scientists debating its cause. Possible explanations include a neutron star pulling in gas from a companion star or a powerful flare from a distant magnetar. Researchers also specula...
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Strange Fast Radio Bursts Emerge from an Ancient Dead Galaxy, Baffling Scientists
Scientists have detected mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) from the outskirts of an 11 billion-year-old dead galaxy. This discovery challenges the belief that FRBs primarily originate from young, star-forming galaxies. Researchers suspect the bursts may result from colliding stars or a collapsing white dwarf. The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mappi...
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Astronomers Discover Largest Collection of Missing Link Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies
Astronomers have uncovered 2,500 dwarf galaxies containing active black holes using DESI data. This marks the largest-ever discovery of intermediate-mass black holes, with 300 new candidates identified. These findings could help scientists understand how black holes evolve from stellar-mass to supermassive sizes. The research, based on 410,000 gala...
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JWST Identifies Cooling Gas in Phoenix Cluster, Unlocking Star Formation Process
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the missing cooling gas in the Phoenix Cluster, a galaxy cluster located 5.8 billion light-years away. Researchers used the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to identify gas at around 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit trapped in cavities within the cluster. This discovery resolves a long-standing mystery of how sta...
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Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
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Space Telescope Gaia Sent Into 'Retirement' But Legacy Endures
Europe's Gaia space telescope was powered down and sent into "retirement" on Thursday after a decade revealing the secrets of the Milky Way, but its observations will fuel discoveries for decades to come.
-
Supernova Remnants Found in Oceanic Samples, Scientists Look to Moon
Scientists have identified supernova debris in deep-sea sediments, including a rare plutonium isotope linked to a kilonova. Researchers believe a neutron star collision occurred nearly 10 million years ago, scattering radioactive material across space. To validate this theory, they plan to analyze lunar soil, which remains undisturbed by Earth's ge...
-
James Webb Space Telescope Captures Hourglass Nebula LBN 483 in Stunning Detail
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured unprecedented details of LBN 483, a nebula located 650 light-years away. The striking hourglass-shaped structure results from outflows driven by a forming binary star system. JWST’s infrared imaging and ALMA’s radio observations reveal how stellar winds, jets, and magnetic fields sculpt the nebula ove...
-
NASA's MMS Mission Marks 10 Years of Magnetic Reconnection Discoveries
NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has completed a decade of discoveries, advancing the study of magnetic reconnection—a crucial process in space physics. The four-satellite fleet has enabled over 1,500 research papers, refining theories and revealing unexpected reconnection locations. The mission has also set records for GPS tracking...
-
Smallest Galaxy Ever Found: Andromeda XXXV Defies Cosmic Evolution Models
Astronomers have discovered Andromeda XXXV, the smallest and faintest known galaxy, located 3 million light-years away. It challenges existing models of galaxy formation, as similar small galaxies were thought to be destroyed in the early universe. Researchers are studying how it retained conditions for star formation despite harsh cosmic environme...
-
Water May Have Formed in the Universe 100 Million Years After Big Bang
A new study suggests water formed in the universe just 100–200 million years after the Big Bang, much earlier than previously estimated. Researchers examined ancient supernovas to understand how oxygen combined with hydrogen to create water. If confirmed, these findings could change perspectives on when the conditions for life first emerged. The ...
-
Mysterious Planetary-Mass Objects May Form in Young Star System Clashes
Recent research challenges traditional views on planetary-mass objects, suggesting they may form through violent interactions between young star systems rather than standard planetary or stellar processes. Simulations indicate these clashes create dense gas filaments that evolve into free-floating objects, often in binary pairs. This discovery expl...
-
New Research Reveals Mars’ Red Colour Linked to Ancient Water Presence
A recent study suggests that Mars’ red hue originates from ferrihydrite, an iron oxide that forms in water-rich environments. Scientists recreated Martian dust in labs and found that the mineral remained stable despite the planet’s dry conditions. Data from orbiting spacecraft and rovers confirm this discovery, reshaping theories about Mars’ ...
-
Ancient Martian Ocean Shoreline Discovered Beneath Surface by Zhurong Rover
China's Zhurong rover has uncovered evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars, with ground-penetrating radar detecting a buried shoreline beneath the Utopia Basin. The rover’s scans revealed sloping sand layers similar to those found on Earth’s beaches, reinforcing theories of long-term water presence. Experts highlight that these formations are not...
-
NASA Supercomputer Finds Spiral Structure in the Oort Cloud’s Inner Region
A NASA supercomputer model suggests that the Oort Cloud’s inner structure forms a spiral, influenced by galactic tides. The Oort Cloud, a distant icy shell surrounding the solar system, has remained unobservable due to its vast distance. Researchers believe this finding could redefine understanding of how comets originate and interact with cosmic...
-
Unusual X-ray Flash in Large Magellanic Cloud Puzzles Astronomers
A brief yet intense X-ray flash, XRT 200515, was detected in NASA's Chandra telescope data from 2000. The signal, originating from the Large Magellanic Cloud, has left scientists debating its cause. Possible explanations include a neutron star pulling in gas from a companion star or a powerful flare from a distant magnetar. Researchers also specula...
-
Strange Fast Radio Bursts Emerge from an Ancient Dead Galaxy, Baffling Scientists
Scientists have detected mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) from the outskirts of an 11 billion-year-old dead galaxy. This discovery challenges the belief that FRBs primarily originate from young, star-forming galaxies. Researchers suspect the bursts may result from colliding stars or a collapsing white dwarf. The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mappi...
-
Astronomers Discover Largest Collection of Missing Link Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies
Astronomers have uncovered 2,500 dwarf galaxies containing active black holes using DESI data. This marks the largest-ever discovery of intermediate-mass black holes, with 300 new candidates identified. These findings could help scientists understand how black holes evolve from stellar-mass to supermassive sizes. The research, based on 410,000 gala...
-
JWST Identifies Cooling Gas in Phoenix Cluster, Unlocking Star Formation Process
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the missing cooling gas in the Phoenix Cluster, a galaxy cluster located 5.8 billion light-years away. Researchers used the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to identify gas at around 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit trapped in cavities within the cluster. This discovery resolves a long-standing mystery of how sta...
-
Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
