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NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Sends First Space Images Before Full Sky Survey
NASA’s SPHEREx telescope has captured its first images from space, marking a critical milestone before its full-sky infrared survey begins. The observatory, launched on March 11, recorded thousands of light sources, including distant galaxies and stars. Unlike other space telescopes, SPHEREx is designed for large-scale cosmic mapping, scanning th...
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Wolf-Rayet 104's Orbit Tilt Reduces Gamma-Ray Burst Threat, Study Finds
New research using Keck Observatory’s instruments confirms that the orbit of Wolf-Rayet 104 is tilted 30-40 degrees away from Earth, lowering concerns about a possible gamma-ray burst. Previously, it was believed that the system’s alignment could pose a risk. However, spectroscopy data now challenges these assumptions, raising new questions abo...
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World's Largest Digital Camera Installed on Vera Rubin Observatory for Cosmic Exploration
Vera Rubin Observatory Installs World's Largest Digital Camera for Sky Survey
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NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Moon Probe Struggles with Power and Signal Loss
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, launched on 26 February, has lost communication and is running low on power. The spacecraft, meant to detect water ice on the moon, has been unable to perform key trajectory corrections. Ground controllers are using the Deep Space Network and observatories to assess its position, but recovery remains uncertain. The missi...
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X-ray Signal from Helix Nebula Suggests Planet Was Destroyed by White Dwarf
Astronomers have traced decades-old X-ray emissions from the Helix Nebula to a white dwarf possibly consuming planetary debris. Reports suggest a Jupiter-like planet may have been torn apart by the star’s intense gravitational forces. Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton indicate that remnants of the destroyed plane...
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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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A Neptune-Like Exoplanet Is Racing Through Space at Record Speed
Scientists have detected an exoplanet racing through space at 1.2 million mph, making it the fastest known planet. The Neptune-sized world orbits a hypervelocity star, first hinted at in 2011 via gravitational microlensing. Astronomers, using Keck Observatory and Gaia data, have confirmed the system’s extreme speed, suggesting it may even leave t...
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A Star With a Planet May Be Racing Through the Galaxy at Record Speed
Astronomers have identified a potential record-breaking exoplanet system moving at 1.2 million mph. Detected through microlensing, the discovery suggests a low-mass star with an orbiting planet is racing through the Milky Way. Data from the Keck Observatory and ESA’s Gaia satellite indicate a high-speed celestial body that may eventually escape t...
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Gravitational Waves Reveal Black Hole Ancestry Through Spin Analysis
A study published in Physical Review Letters explores how gravitational waves reveal the ancestry of black holes. By examining 69 black hole mergers, researchers found that spin shifts indicate repeated collisions in dense star clusters. This insight supports models suggesting black holes grow through sequential mergers. Observatories like LIGO and...
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Scientists Discover Hidden Clues to the Dark Universe in 3D Galaxy Maps
A breakthrough study has revealed new insights into the "dark universe," which consists of dark matter and dark energy. By using a novel technique called field-level inference (FLI), scientists have discovered previously hidden details in 3D galaxy maps. This method preserves the three-dimensional nature of the data, unlike traditional compression ...
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NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
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Vera C. Rubin Observatory to Detect Millions of Exploding Stars
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, set to begin its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) later this year, will track millions of Type Ia supernovae to advance our understanding of dark energy. These supernovae, resulting from white dwarf stars in binary systems, will be studied in detail to provide crucial data on the universe’s acceleratin...
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Asteroid 2024 PT5 Linked to Lunar Surface, Reveals Planetary Defense Insights
Asteroid 2024 PT5, sized like a school bus, passed Earth in January at 1.1 million miles. Research suggests it originated from the moon, ejected thousands of years ago by an impact. Spectral analysis matched it to Apollo 14 lunar rocks, ruling out artificial origins. This is the second known lunar asteroid after 469219 Kamo’oalewa. The study hint...
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Comet ATLAS Offers Stunning Display as It Nears the Sun
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) recently passed within 8 million miles of the Sun, capturing the attention of astronomers. Observed by NASA and ESA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the comet’s tail extended dramatically as it encountered intense solar winds, providing a unique opportunity to study the Sun’s impact on comets. The event, wh...
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World’s Largest Telescope Dome Complete in Chile’s Atacama Desert
The construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile's Atacama Desert has reached a significant milestone with the completion of its dome's frame. The ELT, which will be the world’s largest visible- and infrared-light telescope, is being developed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The dome, measuring 305 feet in diameter and...
-
NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Sends First Space Images Before Full Sky Survey
NASA’s SPHEREx telescope has captured its first images from space, marking a critical milestone before its full-sky infrared survey begins. The observatory, launched on March 11, recorded thousands of light sources, including distant galaxies and stars. Unlike other space telescopes, SPHEREx is designed for large-scale cosmic mapping, scanning th...
-
Wolf-Rayet 104's Orbit Tilt Reduces Gamma-Ray Burst Threat, Study Finds
New research using Keck Observatory’s instruments confirms that the orbit of Wolf-Rayet 104 is tilted 30-40 degrees away from Earth, lowering concerns about a possible gamma-ray burst. Previously, it was believed that the system’s alignment could pose a risk. However, spectroscopy data now challenges these assumptions, raising new questions abo...
-
World's Largest Digital Camera Installed on Vera Rubin Observatory for Cosmic Exploration
Vera Rubin Observatory Installs World's Largest Digital Camera for Sky Survey
-
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Moon Probe Struggles with Power and Signal Loss
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, launched on 26 February, has lost communication and is running low on power. The spacecraft, meant to detect water ice on the moon, has been unable to perform key trajectory corrections. Ground controllers are using the Deep Space Network and observatories to assess its position, but recovery remains uncertain. The missi...
-
X-ray Signal from Helix Nebula Suggests Planet Was Destroyed by White Dwarf
Astronomers have traced decades-old X-ray emissions from the Helix Nebula to a white dwarf possibly consuming planetary debris. Reports suggest a Jupiter-like planet may have been torn apart by the star’s intense gravitational forces. Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton indicate that remnants of the destroyed plane...
-
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...
-
A Neptune-Like Exoplanet Is Racing Through Space at Record Speed
Scientists have detected an exoplanet racing through space at 1.2 million mph, making it the fastest known planet. The Neptune-sized world orbits a hypervelocity star, first hinted at in 2011 via gravitational microlensing. Astronomers, using Keck Observatory and Gaia data, have confirmed the system’s extreme speed, suggesting it may even leave t...
-
A Star With a Planet May Be Racing Through the Galaxy at Record Speed
Astronomers have identified a potential record-breaking exoplanet system moving at 1.2 million mph. Detected through microlensing, the discovery suggests a low-mass star with an orbiting planet is racing through the Milky Way. Data from the Keck Observatory and ESA’s Gaia satellite indicate a high-speed celestial body that may eventually escape t...
-
Gravitational Waves Reveal Black Hole Ancestry Through Spin Analysis
A study published in Physical Review Letters explores how gravitational waves reveal the ancestry of black holes. By examining 69 black hole mergers, researchers found that spin shifts indicate repeated collisions in dense star clusters. This insight supports models suggesting black holes grow through sequential mergers. Observatories like LIGO and...
-
Scientists Discover Hidden Clues to the Dark Universe in 3D Galaxy Maps
A breakthrough study has revealed new insights into the "dark universe," which consists of dark matter and dark energy. By using a novel technique called field-level inference (FLI), scientists have discovered previously hidden details in 3D galaxy maps. This method preserves the three-dimensional nature of the data, unlike traditional compression ...
-
NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
-
Vera C. Rubin Observatory to Detect Millions of Exploding Stars
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, set to begin its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) later this year, will track millions of Type Ia supernovae to advance our understanding of dark energy. These supernovae, resulting from white dwarf stars in binary systems, will be studied in detail to provide crucial data on the universe’s acceleratin...
-
Asteroid 2024 PT5 Linked to Lunar Surface, Reveals Planetary Defense Insights
Asteroid 2024 PT5, sized like a school bus, passed Earth in January at 1.1 million miles. Research suggests it originated from the moon, ejected thousands of years ago by an impact. Spectral analysis matched it to Apollo 14 lunar rocks, ruling out artificial origins. This is the second known lunar asteroid after 469219 Kamo’oalewa. The study hint...
-
Comet ATLAS Offers Stunning Display as It Nears the Sun
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) recently passed within 8 million miles of the Sun, capturing the attention of astronomers. Observed by NASA and ESA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the comet’s tail extended dramatically as it encountered intense solar winds, providing a unique opportunity to study the Sun’s impact on comets. The event, wh...
-
World’s Largest Telescope Dome Complete in Chile’s Atacama Desert
The construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile's Atacama Desert has reached a significant milestone with the completion of its dome's frame. The ELT, which will be the world’s largest visible- and infrared-light telescope, is being developed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The dome, measuring 305 feet in diameter and...
