Astronomy II

Vivian Vance's go to vibrator😱

It's not a fucking planet anymore. I know, it's very sad, but that's how it is.

I ran into Pluto at Disneyland. I said, "I love you, Pluto! I'm rootin' for you to get your planet back."

R3 is my here!

Hero! I mean.

Meanwhile, back on the home planet, Pele was in a particularly good mood:

Can't keep astrology out of an astronomy discussion if you care about the history of the subject since once upon a time they were one and the same.

R7 is historically inaccurate. And Numerology was never a part of Mathematics. Phrenology and palm reading was never an accepted part of Medicine. Miss Cleo and other seers, fortune tellers, clairvoyants, mediums, are all charlatans. The popular culture has always generated those who construct cockamamie scenarios that they market to the gullible in this Idiocracy of ours because they weren't smart enough or disciplined enough to succeed in real science—or they could always make a go of it in religion. There are mindless followers out there by the thousands.

Astronomers found a large void of young stars in the Milky Way.

There is a surprising lack of Cepheid Variable stars in the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

Why did you mention astrology, OP? Now you have doomed this thread to be nothing like the first as every "sensitive" or "psychic" or aura-reading, crystal-humming, sage-burning idiot will try to derail us. ::sigh::

Aug 5, 2016 08:22 PM ET

Kepler's 'Alien Megastructure' Star Just Got Weirder

"Tabby's Star" has dramatically dimmed and we don't know why.

Wow, I thought we would never have news about that mysterious light dimming phenomemon anymore. R11

This object may open up new solar system mysteries.

It's not Niku itself that's weird. It's how and where it orbits.

Scientists to unveil new Earth-like planet: German weekly

An Earth-like planet that is about 60% bigger than Earth. I wonder if 60% bigger which means stronger gravitational pull would hinder the formation of bipedal lifeforms...

Nanocraft

Has anyone seen the meteors?

In 1999 a friend invited me along to an astronomy convention organised by a group of middle-aged men who were self-taught astronomer (so to speak). They invited a group of professional astronomers to give a speech and show the technology they used (at the time) to observe the universe. My friend and I were still in school so we were the youngest in the hall. We sat at the back where there were free seats.

The youngest of the astronomers had his turn to speak and he brought a fragment of a meteor that he made roll across the hall. When we had our turn to receive the fragment, we touched it and my friend realised there was a very little piece loose so he scratched it off, spitted it into to parts and gave one to me. They were very little pieces. Physically, it was like mixture of rock and metal almost perfectly fused together.

I remember I wrapped it around a little piece of toilet paper and left it on my desk. One day my mother entered my room to clean and without knowing she threw it away >.< But still, I got to see and touch and even take a little piece of a space rock that was once floating in space.

The Nearest Stars to Earth

362 days until the full solar eclipse in rural America.

Map of total eclipse path:

re: R21 -- Turn around, bright eyes...

Discovery of potentially Earth-like planet Proxima b raises hopes for life

Thought to be at least 1.3 times mass of Earth, planet lies within ‘habitable’ zone of Proxima Centauri, raising hopes for life outside our solar system

It would be awesome if they were able to identify signs of life on that planet. Just image how revolutionary that would be. Perhaps religions would collapse in some way...

R24, the Pope has already declared that extraterrestrial life would not negate Christianity. They are already ahead of this one.

The pope already making the mental gymnastics so that his unfounded belief doesn't vanish for eternity. Christians have been doing that for centuries whenever something revolutionaity threatens their faith. R25

Slavery is condoned in the bible and they didn't oppose it but when society agreed slavery is immoral christians changed their discourse and tried to dissociate themselves from the practice.

Every year, the Moon becomes about an inch further away from the Earth than it was the year before. Scientists know because astronauts left mirrors on the Moon. The time it takes a laser to travel from Earth, hit the mirror, and return to Earth, can be used to calculate the distance.

It is a coincidental quirk that the Moon, during an eclipse, appears from the Earth today to be exactly the same size as the Sun.

Bonus feature: The distance between Europe and North America grows by about an inch per year, due to plate tectonics. The island of Iceland has a scar that runs from North to South through it. The scar separates the two continents and get wider every year. Plate tectonics only gained general acceptance in the Scientific community around 1950.

R26, I bet you're a lot of fun at parties!

I recently learned that birds cannot be taken into space, presumably for testing purposes, because they require gravity to swallow.

Most people on Earth start to feel that their bladder is full when it is actually about a third full, due to gravity. Astronauts on the international space station don't sense the need to empty their bladder until it is close to 100% full.

Don't they wear a device that allows them to pee inside their suit?

If the Earth-like planet found in the "Centauri system" (to call it something) is possibly locked it means it doesn't generate a magnetic field to protect itself from the radiation sent by its star?

Are there caftan and earrings out there? That, and hot guys, lube, internet connections.

R30, the moon and earth are tidally locked to each other, but we still have our magnetism, Does that explain anything?

R30, I don't hear it mentioned often, but my suspicion is that 99.9999% of earth-like planets will be like Mercury, the moon, Venus, and Mars, and be completely inhospitable. I think the Earth got a lot of lucky breaks to make it the way we like it. ,

Sorry to rain on your little parade OP, but Founding Fathers and other brilliant scientific minds, believed that the planets influenced more than physical, gravitational and kinetic energies.. They believed in and practiced ASTROLOGY. In any case, Pluto is the ruling planet of the most powerful astrological sign Scorpio. And I just so happen to be born under this sign and influence. The METAphysical, and occult/spiritual matters interest Scorpio. Science is only the tip of the universal iceberg.

How can we get to Proxima Centauri b?

There's an exoplanet as close to us as one can get. So how will we get there?

Good news: Proxima Centauri b is the closest to us.

Bad news: At fastest conceivable speed the one-way trip will take 85 years

Wormhole

Youtube offers channels to see the Earth and the sun live. I was watching the sun last night. Impressive that those sort of flames that the sun gives off are up to 5 times bigger than our planet. They must be expelled almost at the speed of light.

This story was interesting. Although they claim it had no immediate and obvious effects, they don't understand why it happened.

R39, I was underwhelmed.

Astronomers: Star Cluster Terzan 5 is ‘Living Fossil’.

Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Telescope have revealed the unusual mix of stars in the star cluster known as Terzan 5. This object resembles a globular cluster, but is like no other cluster known, and is in fact one of the Galactic bulge’s primordial building blocks, most likely the relic of the early Milky Way.

Curiosity captures a snapshot of Mars' past.

NASA's rover captured images of layered rock formations on the "Murray Buttes" region of Mount Sharp last week.

I'm horrified the Earth is not almost prfectly spherical as we thought it was although still rounded.

I'm horrified that you have to go to Peru to get as far as you can from the center of this hellhole.

It's a tiny ball, under too small of a size they don't have enough gravity to become a ball. I'll bet it's fairly close, so it's no planet. But it's a dwarf planet for sure, has its decent size moon, at least for it, also just big enough to be round. Still the king of the dwarf planets, if not the absolute biggest, I don't think it is.

Light echoes reveal supermassive black holes eating stars .

Supermassive black holes, with their immense gravitational pull, are notoriously good at clearing out their immediate surroundings by eating nearby objects. When a star passes within a certain distance of a black hole, the stellar material gets stretched and compressed — or “spaghettified” — as the black hole swallows it.

‘Impossible’ cloud found on Saturn’s moon Titan — again.

The puzzling appearance of an ice cloud seemingly out of thin air has prompted NASA scientists to suggest that a different process than previously thought — possibly similar to one seen over Earth’s poles — could be forming clouds on Saturn’s moon Titan.

Titan has always done its own thing.

Sept. 26, 2016

RELEASE 16-096

NASA’s Hubble Spots Possible Water Plumes Erupting on Jupiter's Moon Europa

Water everywhere.

Elon Musk announces ambitious solar system colonization plans.

The SpaceX and Tesla founder is thinking beyond Earth.

How Vera Rubin discovered dark matter.

This famous astronomer carved herself a well-deserved place in history, so why doesn’t the Nobel committee see it that way?

Mysterious star still making news.

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Why is this star dimming? Astronomers still don't know.

A strange star in our galaxy has officially become even more enigmatic: According to data collected by NASA’s Kepler space telescope, the star mysteriously dimmed over a period of a few years.

The newest weird solar systems: lonely hot Earths.

The weird worlds may be the remnants of larger “hot Jupiters”

The world's oldest observatory? How Aboriginal astronomy provides clues to ancient life.

An ancient Aboriginal site at a secret location in the Victorian bush could be the oldest astronomical observatory in the world, pre-dating Stonehenge and even the Great Pyramids of Giza.

KIC 8462852 - The most mysterious star in the universe.

"Today is the best day to see Uranus is the sky" my "Starwalk" app messaged me, but the message disappeared, and I can't find it now to finish reading it!

In any event, Mars, Saturn, and Venus also look easily viewable this evening. "In the sky", of course! I don't know why Starwalk thought they needed to add that helpful direction, but thought you might enjoy it.

Nonetheless, I recommend the Starwalk app, especially for amateurs like me!

Dwarf Planets Aren’t Big News, Because Astronomy Is Doing a Great Job.

What's the difference between Earth-mass and Earth-like?

Why we shouldn't call exoplanets 'Earth-like' just yet

Every time astronomers discover another exoplanet, the first thing we all want to know is "Does it look like Earth?" Finding an Earth-like exoplanet would dramatically increase our chances of finding life as we know it there, and could finally prove that we're not all alone in this big, cold universe.

The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate — or is it?

Five years ago, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three astronomers for their discovery, in the late 1990s, that the universe is expanding at an accelerating pace.

Pluto's brown surface is due to organic molecules essential for life. If such a small planet has them then life may not only found on Earth...

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

It's most likely a natural phenomenon. An artifical megastructure that's capable of blocking up to 21% of the light emitted by a star might as well collapse under its own gravitational pull. And why would extraterrestrial need such a big structure?

The outer solar system keeps getting weirder.

New distant objects? Unseen planets? The unexplored region of our solar system

Astronomers Snap Picture of Giant Exoplanet 1,200 Light-Years Away.

An international team of astronomers has discovered a giant extrasolar planet orbiting a young star called CVSO 30. Not only have the scientists detected the planet, but they’ve also taken a direct image of it.

@v73 15 minutes ago

@NatGeo why is it that all of a sudden there are so many "super moons" and other different moons? Never heard of these b4.

Supermoon!

I came across this site the other day and found it really interesting. Didn't see it referenced in this thread but I didn't check the first thread.

The top explanations for the strange behavior of the "alien megastructure" star.

The article mentions a number of events in November that would be cool to see.

[quote] "The coming month brings the roaring lion of meteor displays, dazzling planets, and plenty more reasons to look up at the night sky. You’ll even have the chance to catch the most impressive supermoon in nearly seven decades. So dust off those binoculars and mark your November calendar!..."

This following paragraph is for 11/2, but it probably applies for 11/3, just not optimally, so get out there and look tonight!:

[quote] About an hour after local sunset, catch the razor-thin crescent moon hanging over Saturn. The cosmic pair will appear less than three degrees apart, or less than the width of your three middle fingers held at arm’s length. Adding to the sky spectacle, super-bright Venus will join the pair to the left.

Oh, no charge, btw.

If they could take a picture of a planet 1200 light years away from us why couldn't they take a picture of the star whose seeing its ligt partially blocked by a supposed megastructure? It is about 1400 light years away from here, just a little farther away than the other star.

The exoplanet closest to home has a new observer.

The Parkes telescope is studying Proxima Centauri b to see if there's life there.

R71, I couldn't concentrate to finish that article, but I'll bet that they saw evidence of the planet, but did not take a real photograph of the planet.

Such as, seeing a spectrum of light that suggests a planet, or perhaps the planet crossed in front of the sun and dimmed its light output as a result. Something like that.

But in the article there's the picture of that planet, R73

Astronomers look a spiral galaxy in the eye.

The massive eye in the middle IC 2613 is the product of a rare cosmic tidal wave

Are all stars created equal? .

Astronomers using critical observations from the Gemini Observatory have found the strongest evidence yet that the formation of massive stars follows a path similar to their lower-mass brethren — but on steroids!

‘Ice cauldrons’ could tells us if there’s life on Mars.

These craters be a key ingredient in Martian life

Major supercluster of galaxies found hidden by the Milky Way.

An international team of astronomers has discovered a previously unknown major concentration of galaxies in the constellation Vela, which they have dubbed the Vela supercluster. The gravitational attraction from this large mass concentration in our cosmic neighbourhood may have an important effect on the motion of our Local Group of Galaxies including the Milky Way. It may also help to explain the direction and amplitude of the Local Group’s peculiar velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background.

Hmm, supercluster, you say?

The new search for alien intelligence.

Hunting for ET now involves Dyson spheres, infrared signals, and laser communications. It’s definitely not your father’s method for locating cosmic intelligence

Gays don't understand physics let alone astronomy

Not quite astronomy, but I thought some reading this thread would be interested in these photos of Earth aboard the ISS

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Hello, is this planet Earth? by Tim Peake - in pictures

Based on over 150 photographs taken by British astronaut Tim Peake, the book documents his six months on the International Space Station

Tuesday 22 November 2016 08.00 GMT

Researchers discovered faint dwarf satellite galaxy in the Milky Way.

This discovery could bring us a step closer to understanding how galaxies form

International Astronomical Union formally approves 227 star names.

[quote] R80: The new search for alien intelligence.

I think I understand this correctly: "broadband" cable TV means sending a single message signal, broken-up into pieces, almost simultaneously over multiple frequencies at the same time. Then the signals are reassembled at people's homes and displayed. We do this now. It's efficient & effective.

This suggests that most broadcasting aliens would do this, or something more complicated. This kind of thing would mean almost unlimited possibilities of message-sending, and it would be almost impossible for us to figure out how to reassemble a foreign signal back together, without knowing in advance how to do so. We wouldn't even know it was a signal, or a broken-up one.

Unless they were purposely sending a message in the most primitive means, if that is even a universally accepted concept, we will never be able to understand their messages.

New of discoveries of Earth-like planets keep coming up.

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An Earth-like extrasolar planet could harbor extraterrestrial life.

This planet could be an important discovery in the search for life on other planets

Large ice sheet discovered on Mars.

Utopia Planitia is hiding a sheet of ice the size of New Mexico

I find it frustrating whenever there is excitement about the possibility of the discovery of an "Earth-like" extra-solar planet. The vast majority of these world will be more like Mars or Venus than like Earth. I'd bet there are a million dead planets to every one with some slime that's technically "life". Usually, that's never mentioned. It's great to search, but silly to think we'll find a lush planet with mammal-like animals and verdant plains.

Could there really be life under Pluto’s ice?

It’s a long shot, but it may still push the boundaries of the habitable zone

Massive Planet-Like Object Found Circling Nearby Red Giant Star.

A team of astronomers has discovered a giant object — an enormous, Jupiter-like exoplanet or a low-mass brown dwarf — orbiting an ageing red giant called L2 Puppis, and they have also precisely measured the mass and the age of the star.

Omg.

An old meteor yields a new surprise: a never-before-seen material.

The quasiperiod crystal manages to grow in non-repeating patterns.

Could these Earth fossils give clues to life in outer space?

Life in unusual places may give hints to what life on Mars, Enceladus, or Europa could look like.

this needs to be discussed more

Is There a Limit to How Large a Star Can Be?

“Is there a theoretical limit to how big can a star get, or would it collapse from gravity before? If no, then in theory could we get a star as big as a mini-galaxy?” Asked By: Théo De Freitas Neto

Astronomers spot 'planet-eating' star similar to our own sun.

HIP68468 is a 'solar twin' of our sun, and may have consumed some of its own planets.

Crash course?

It may look as though Saturn’s moon Mimas is crashing through the rings in this image taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, but Mimas is actually 45,000 kilometres (28,000 miles) away from the rings. There is a strong connection between the icy moon and Saturn’s rings, though. Gravity links them together and shapes the way they both move.

OP is such a Pisces!

Mystery of 'Alien Megastructure' Star Testing Astronomers' Creativity

CERN scientists get the first glance of the innards of anti-matter.

By peering into the spectra of anti-hydrogen, we may come one step closer to understanding matter's shadowy twin — and why it's so hard to find.

Anyone here have a telescope? Are they worth getting? Can you see anything with the small ones?

I don't but one of classmates in highchool had one. My other friend who now is an astronomer knew how to fix the parameters and thanks to him I remember we got to see the moon at night. It was awesome, we saw the craters and all marks left on the surface of the moon.

I bet they may be a little expensive, but iit is totally worth having one.

This researcher wants to initiate contact with Proxima Centauri b.

The exoplanet next door could soon get an out-of-this-world radio broadcast.

NASA’s WISE Spacecraft Spots Two New Near-Earth Objects.

Astronomers using NASA’s Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have discovered two celestial objects traveling through our neighborhood: 2016 WF9 and C/2016 U1 NEOWISE.

There was a recent Comet that looked just like a huge cock aimlessly traveling Space in search of a willing tight Bottom!

Fast radio bursts now a bit less mysterious.

For as long as astronomers have known about Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), they’ve been stumped. About a decade ago, researchers discovered in archived 2001 data an extremely fast — just a few milliseconds — burst of radio emissions. They’d never seen anything like it before, and didn’t know where it came from or what could cause it. Finally, we’re starting to get a few answers.

Continues...

R98 = wise acre

[quote] R101: Anyone here have a telescope? Are they worth getting? Can you see anything with the small ones?

I bought one for my nephew, though I seem to be the only one who uses it. It cost $400-something.

I can see four twinkling moons in Jupiter's orbit with it. I learned that Venus has phases, like the moon. I've seen Saturn and it's rings, too. Otherwise, I don't think there is a lot going on out there that you can see for under $500. If you have abundant cash, yeah, spring for it. Otherside, I wouldn't bother, but it's good to interest children, if they care.

There's an app called "Star Walk" which is pretty cool. It helps locate items in the sky, relative to other, known entities, like the Big or Little Dipper, which helps a lot.

I also learned that the international space station is visible with the naked eye and often flies overhead. You can clink the link to NASA (here), and set it up so that it emails you when it is going to pass overhead. It's pretty cool. If you have better eyes than me, you might be able to see the solar panels on it.

A chunk of interplanetary debris recently slammed into Mars and left this fresh crater and spray of ejecta.

Evidence of supermassive black holes found in neighbouring galaxies

Astronomers find evidence of black holes concealed behind clouds of gas and dust in two of Earth’s galactic neighbours

Press Association, Saturday 7 January 2017 16.15 GMT

Monster black holes may be lurking behind smokescreens in our cosmic backyard, say scientists. But they are still millions of light years away and much too distant to pose any threat to Earth.

Astronomers have discovered evidence of supermassive black holes at the centre of two of our galactic neighbours. One, the galaxy NGC 1448, is “just” 38m light years from our own body of stars, the Milky Way. The other, IC 3639, is 170m light years away. Both are classified as “active” galaxies that emit intense levels of radiation.

In each case the powerful black hole is concealed behind clouds of gas and dust. Scientists now believe most large galaxies have supermassive black holes at their cores, but many are hidden from view.

Black holes are places where gravity is so powerful it traps light and distorts time and space. They can only be detected from the last-gasp emissions of radiation from objects falling into them.

The hidden black holes were spotted by Nasa’s Nustar (nuclear spectroscopic telescope array) orbiting observatory.

British researchers from the universities of Durham and Southampton conducted analysis of the Nustar data. Ady Annuar, of the University of Durham’s centre for extragalactic astronomy, said: “These black holes are relatively close to the Milky Way, but they have remained hidden from us until now. They’re like monsters hiding under your bed.

“Their recent discoveries certainly call out the question of how many other supermassive black holes we are still missing, even in our nearby universe.”

Daniel Stern, project scientist for Nustar at Nasa’s jet propulsion laboratory, said: “It is exciting to use the power of Nustar to get important, unique information on these beasts, even in our cosmic backyard where they can be studied in detail.”

60 Minutes has a segment airing tonight, right now, about a new planet thought/predicted to be way out yonder. I haven't seen it yet. I'm watching on tape-delay. It's thought to be maybe 5x the size of Earth.

An asteroid swooped right between the Earth and the moon today.

The newly discovered asteroid came within half the distance from the Earth to the Moon

It was just the Christmas Moose flying back from Chicago to his zoo in Stoneham, MA. He missed the first day of work today and now the Management wants its purple sash back. It's his most prized possession, after his stuffed animals.

New images from Mars orbiter show the Earth and Moon.

What it’s like seeing our home planet from the red planet

Wow, R114, 127 million miles is a long way!

In 2022 we’ll be able to watch an 1,800-year old star collision

Tom Bawden 12:10 Tuesday January 10th 2017

A star created 1,800 years ago after the collision of two distant suns is set to appear in the night sky for the first time – as the light from the crash finally reaches the Earth.

Scientists predict that for six months in 2022, stargazers will be able to witness the birth of the new star, which formed at the time of the Romans’ war with Scottish tribes, by fixing their telescopes near the Pisces and Cygnus constellations.

Boom Star

Dubbed the Boom Star, it has taken nearly two millennia for its light to reach earth — where it will be able to be seen by the naked eye.

Before their collision the two stars were too dim to be seen without the aid of an extremely powerful telescope but astronomers expect the collision to increase the brightness of the pair ten thousand fold, making it one of the brightest stars in the heaven for a time. The explosion, known as a Red Nova, will then dissipate and the star will remain visible as a single bright, but duller, dot.

The prediction is based on a study of the two stars, which are orbiting each other in ever decreasing circles and appear to be on course for a collision. Assuming they are correct, it would be the first time such an event was predicted by scientists.

“If the prediction is correct, then for the first time in history, parents will be able to point to a dark spot in the sky and say, ‘watch kids, there’s a star hiding in there, but soon it’s going to light up,” said Matt Walhout, of Calvin College in Michigan, which has been researching the star, along with Apache Point observatory and the University of Wyoming.

“It will be a very dramatic change in the sky, as anyone can see it. You won’t need a telescope to tell me in 2023 whether I was wrong or I was right,” added Larry Molnar, also of Calvin College.

1800 years ago the Chinese began to have constant contact with the Japanese.

Dazzling, R117!

Pluto is ........where I want to send Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, The Koch Bros, Kelley Anne Conway, Sean Hannity, Rush Linbaugh, I could add hundreds more but you get the idea.

Pluto's not that big an object, R119! Especially with Trump, Christy, and Limbaugh.

Bulge in Venus’ atmosphere likely caused by gravity waves.

A massive, bow-shaped wave was spotted for the first time in the highest regions of Venus’ atmosphere, perplexing astronomers.

Geoengineering Effort Could Pose Big Problem For Astronomers.

Potential large-scale solutions to combat the influence that humans have on Earth's rising temperatures may directly affect astronomers.

Astronomers search for signs of life on Wolf 1061 exoplanet.

Is there anybody out there? The question of whether Earthlings are alone in the universe has puzzled everyone from biologists and physicists to philosophers and filmmakers. It's also the driving force behind San Francisco State University astronomer Stephen Kane's research into exoplanets—planets that exist outside Earth's solar system.

Ok, here is the DL poll answer, yay!

Pluto is:

A cartoon dog. - This is TRUE!

A real dog - This is probably true, somewhere, but not generally true for our purposes.

A proto planet - No, we fooled you!

A planet, damnit - No, sorry, denialists.

A proxy planet - Nope. What were you thinking? Are you even in the right thread?

A dwarf planet - YES! TRUE! Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet. Not to be sizist, but still.

Goofy's bitch - Possibly. It's a big world.

We bought a zoo! - Always TRUE!

None of your business - The truthfulness of this response is classified.

Ask again later - Truthfulness will be revealed in another year or so.

Burst!

The Farthest Galaxy Ever Found.

A Colorful ‘Landing’ on Pluto.

Speedy universe expansion challenges Einstein’s theory

The universe is expanding faster than we thought, causing problems for cosmologists. It could even mean Einstein’s theory of relativity needs revising

Stuart Clark, Thursday 26 January 2017 15.50 GMT

Its like a game of cat and mouse. Every time astronomers think they are getting close to understanding the universe, mother nature throws them another curveball to contend with.

Today’s googly comes from the H0LiCOW collaboration and takes the form of a faster than expected expansion rate for the universe. Based on new observations taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, it confirms that a serious discrepancy lies at the heart of our astronomical understanding.

The rate at which the universe is expanding is a fundamental quantity with which to test cosmological theory. It is called the Hubble Constant after Hubble, the American astronomer who first measured it in 1929.

Ways to measure Hubble’s constant fall into two camps: the study of relatively nearby celestial objects, and the study of far distant radiation left over from the origin of the universe.

Both methods should give the same expansion rate. The trouble – as confirmed today – is that they don’t.

The problem was first seen last June, when another team of astronomers known as the SH0ES project, published a surprisingly high Hubble Constant that conflicted with the value from two spacecraft: NASA’s WMAP and ESA’s Planck.

WMAP and Planck had calculated relatively slow Hubble Constants from the Universe’s microwave background radiation, which was produced during the split second in which the universe came into existence.

At the time, the astronomers were so confident with the spacecraft that they began referring to the era of ‘precision cosmology’. In their opinion, just about everything was known about the make-up of the universe, with just the astronomical ‘i’ dotting and ’t’ crossing to be done.

Today’s results, which are to be published in a series of five papers by the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society, show that there is much more to be done than the fine detail.

In a statement accompanying the results, H0LiCOW team leader Sherry Suyu, Technical University Munich Germany said, “The expansion rate of the Universe is now starting to be measured in different ways with such high precision that actual discrepancies may possibly point towards new physics beyond our current knowledge of the Universe.”

The bottom line is that the universe to almost certainly more complex than we thought – and its already byzantine. To explain other puzzling observations, cosmologists have postulated a number of substances that affect the expansion rate.

Firstly there is dark energy, which is designed to accelerate the expansion of the universe. Maybe these new observations suggest that it is growing in strength.

Secondly, there is dark matter. Despite suspecting its existence for decades now, astronomers and physicists are no closer to detecting a single particle of the stuff. Could it be behaving in a way that affects the expansion?

Thirdly, could there be a kind of dark radiation? This would invisibly carry energy around the cosmos, altering the expansion.

Fourthly, could there be a problem with Einstein’s general theory of relativity? This is the mathematical framework that astronomers use to calculate Hubble’s Constant based on the matter and energy contained in space. If those equations are even slightly off, then we could have everything else right and still be getting the wrong answer.

As yet no one knows which is the more likely solution.

Today’s results confirm that what started as a niggle has grown into a full-blown problem for cosmology. Put simply, our picture of the Universe does not add up and that means there is probably something fundamental we have not yet understood.

This is a good thing. The potential for discovery is huge. Exciting times are ahead.

Milky Way being pushed through space by cosmic dead zone, say scientists

It is known that our galaxy is being pulled through space, but cosmologists suspected it was being pushed as well – and new research might confirm it

Thanks, Astronomy guy.

A ground-breaking study released in the journal Physical Review Letters (arXiv.org version) offers what its authors call ‘the first observational evidence that the Universe could be a complex hologram.’ The study, led by University of Waterloo Professor Niayesh Afshordi, may lead to new beliefs on the Big Bang theory and quantum gravity.

It's only OK for those who fetishise g4p men.

I have trouble understanding "gravity". I know mass, like the Earth or Sun, warps space-time. So, it's a physical thing. I understand that, somewhat. I don't understand why there would be gravity waves, even though they are only a theory today and haven't yet been discovered.

Gravity is probably a fake, a plug to make the equations work out that acutally consists of a number of different things going on.

R134, there is an equation from Newton that describes gravity pretty well. I think Einstein's theory correcting Newton has been found to be correct, as far as it goes. We don't know all about it, but we know this much.

The case of Ceres’ disappearing volcanoes.

Is Ceres’ lone cryovolcano truly alone, or have its peers simply flattened out over time?

Hubble Space Telescope Observes NGC 7640

Astronomers discover a white dwarf that acts like a pulsar.

This star refused to simply go out — instead, the white dwarf it left behind continues to blast its companion with a beam of radiation as a pulsar.

R133, what are you talking about? Gravitational waves have been discovered... I would hardly call them "just theory"

I did not know that, R139. Can you recommend a reference?

The star Betelgeuse is just on the verge of going supernova. It should happen within 100,000 years. I hope it happens in my lifetime. That would be exciting.

Astronomers find a new class of black holes.

Welcome to the astronomical world, intermediate-mass black holes.

Here ya go, R133.

How the Universe can expand if there is no extra space

The Universe has been expanding ever since the Big Bang, but what is it expanding into?

13 February 2017

The Universe can expand without there being anything outside it for it to expand into, says science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker. He explains this mind-bending idea to BBC Earth's Michael Marshall and Melissa Hogenboom, with help from the animators at Pomona Pictures.

Massive supernova visible millions of light years from Earth

California observatory spots dying star 10,000 times brighter than the sun before explosion in a spiral galaxy 160m light years from constellation of Pegasus

What is matter stops being matter once it enters a black hole? What if all the forces and laws that make energy manifest itself in the form or electrons, photons, quarks, atoms, molecules, etc. are broken in a black hole and matter goes back to a state of simple energy like it was before these particles formed?

Astronomers observe black hole producing cold, star-making fuel.

Scientists are months away from peering into black holes for the first time.

We’ve seen indirect evidence for decades. Now it’s time for the Event Horizon Telescope to stare one in the eyes.

I want to get into astronomy again, but do you find it hard to read or conceptualize with all the theories, the infinite, huge distances etc?

R148 I happen to know a lot of the astronomers involved in the Event Horizon Telescope... really really pleased to see they're getting so much attention. It'll totally be potential for a Nobel Prize, if you ask me.

The brightest, most distant pulsar has a complex and powerful magnetic field.

Just how brightly can a neutron star shine?

Thrilling discovery of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby star

Exoplanets found orbiting Trappist-1 raise hope that the hunt for alien life beyond the solar system can start much sooner than previously thought

South pole, Jupiter. An image from NASA’s Juno spacecraft taken directly over Jupiter’s south pole from an altitude of about 62,800 miles. This enhanced colour version highlights the bright high clouds and numerous meandering oval storms. Photograph: NASA/AFP/Getty Images

South pole, Jupiter. An image from NASA’s Juno spacecraft taken directly over Jupiter’s south pole from an altitude of about 62,800 miles. This enhanced colour version highlights the bright high clouds and numerous meandering oval storms. Photograph: NASA/AFP/Getty Images

Even Google is celebrating the announcement R152

Adorable Google animation celebrating the discovery of the 7 exoplanets.

It would be aswesome if astronomers soon could find life on other planet. That would make Judeo-Christian religions collapse.

[quote] Thrilling discovery of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby star

A professor of astronomy said with our fastest present spacecraft it would take 80,000 earth years to reach these planets.

[quote] R157: It would be aswesome if astronomers soon could find life on other planet. That would make Judeo-Christian religions collapse.

The Pope has already issued a statement that the discovery of life on other planets would not negate the redemptive message of Jesus Christ or challenge the existence of God.

Really? R159

I'm trying to find any articles on that but can't find any. But regardless of that, these religions tend to do similar things in order not to be forgotten in time as when slavery was abolished and frowned upon but in the bible slavery is OK so they changed their attitude so that society doesn't look down on them.

Did you know that the Vatican has its own astronomical observatory? It's obsolete, but still functions.

Live and learn. That applies to people and long-lived institutions.

I think it was Benedict, but might even have been JPII. It was a while ago.

Well, it doesn't suprise me if the Vatican has an observatory. They have lots of treasures and money yet they want to school people on solidarity. The bible itself says they should give all their possessions to the poor and people in need but they don't follow the example at all. Greedy men.

Let's hope there no religion on other planets.

Edge of darkness: looking into the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way

It would take a telescope as big as a planet to see the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. But a team of scientists think they know how to do it

[quote] R163: ...The bible itself says they should give all their possessions to the poor and people in need but they don't follow the example at all. Greedy men.

My understanding is that you have misinterpreted this passage. It is more complicated than it seems.

In addition, the Vatican holds artwork and, I guess, the observatory, in trust for the benefit of the Church and it's people through the centuries. It is more complicated than just "give everything away".

"Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21)

If the bible says that Jesus, the son of god, could do his job without money then why doesn't the Vatican sells all its possessions and trust god to provide? R165

R166, this thread isn't intended to be for theological debates, and I'm not theologian, but as to this specific biblical passage: Firstly, you should look at it completely in context. "Jesus answered" what? What was he answering? Secondly, I recall reading that the passage is meant to be about how attachment to one's worldly possessions can separate you for God; not about impoverishing oneself for charity sake.

I'm sorry if I'm wrong about this, R166, but my sense is that you prefer a simplistic approach of taking things out of context or making a simplistic misinterpretation if it supports your preconception of Catholics being "bad" in whatever way you already believe. There is plenty of things wrong with the Catholic Church, there's no need to invent failings where they don't exist, if you are open minded.

The thing is very simple to understand. The Vatican is like a little kingdom with many kings and princes. As a little monarchy they are rich, VERY RICH, chock-full of treasures of all kinds that they are not willing to distribute in a way that can help poor people in anyway because they enjoy being little kings and princes sorrounded by treasures. It has been so for too long and they have grown attached to worldly treasures.

This is why they give themselves the pleasure of having their own astronomical observatory even though in theory it is not their job to spend money on looking at the stars.

It is not about being open-minded (as if the Vatican were open.minded especially when it comes to the liberties and rights of those the stigmatise); it is simply that the Vatican is a little kingdom of hypocrites who love to teach others about morality and austerity yet they are incredibly immoral and greedy. R167

There was Chilean priest who used to say "give until it hurts". Vatican, do you give until it hurts?

Astronomers exist for a reason. The Vatican having an observatory has nothing to do with what they want us to believe about them.

From Wikipedia:

[quote] The Church has had a long-standing interest in astronomy, due to the astronomical basis of the calendar by which holy days and Easter are determined. For instance, the Gregorian Calendar, promulgated in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, was developed by Aloysius Lilius and later modified by Christoph Clavius at the Collegio Romano from astronomical data. The Gregorian Tower was completed in 1580 for his purpose, designed by Bolognese architect Ottaviano Matte.

R168, if you want to continue this discussion, please srart a new thread. The topic doesn't belong here. Thank you.

This video explains why we cannot go faster than light

The Universe has a speed limit and it seems there is no way around it

28 February 2017

Science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker explains why we cannot go faster than light to BBC Earth's Melissa Hogenboom and Michael Marshall, with help from the animators at Pomona Pictures.

I liked the associated video about what the universe is expanding into. I've been wondering about that.

All our generation is left with is developing the technology to detect life on other planets. If we could detect evidence of intelligent life that would be awesome.

Who knows how many generations will have to pass until humans can develop the techology to travel to other planets and have direct contact with eventual intelligent life...

Trappist.

The fact the sky is dark reveals a lot about the Universe

It may seem utterly obvious that the sky is dark, but in fact it seems to give rise to a peculiar paradox about the cosmos

7 March 2017

Science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker explains why the sky is dark at night to BBC Earth's Michael Marshall, with help from the animators at Pomona Pictures.

Good one, R174 spaceman!

Kepler provides more information about TRAPPIST-1.

The spacecraft gives us another look at our cool new neighbor.

If the Earth got much of its ocean water from comets, it must have grown significantly in size from the other material in the comet. (In the "Late Heavy Bombardment".) They look like they are 99.99% solid material. I wish I heard more about this.

20% by weight water, I just heard. So, 80% rocky stuff.

The Andromeda Galaxy is on a collision course with the Milky Way Galaxy, bitches!

Building the universe’s first supermassive black holes.

Could galaxies cause black hole formation in their neighbors?

This is what Kepler sees when it stares at TRAPPIST-1.

Pixels all the way down.

Why almost all of the Universe is utterly invisible

About 95% of the cosmos cannot be seen by any telescopes, because it is made of mysterious "dark matter" and "dark energy" that do not interact with light

15 March 2017

Science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker explains why so much of the Universe is invisible to BBC Earth's Melissa Hogenboom, with help from the animators at Pomona Pictures.

Astronomers observe a dying red giant star's final act.

Why we do not know what the Big Bang looked like

This one cataclysmic event gave rise to our entire Universe, but it seems we can never truly know what it looked like

23 March 2017

Science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker explains why we cannot see the Big Bang to BBC Earth's Michael Marshall and Melissa Hogenboom, with help from the animators at Pomona Pictures.

Astronomers spot a runaway quasar.

This rogue black hole may have been ousted from the center of its galaxy by gravitational waves.

Astronomers find a puzzling pair of merging galaxies.

This minor galaxy merger hosts a major surprise: a tiny galaxy with a huge black hole.

See a trio of comets in the April sky.

The physics that tells us what the Universe is made of

Everything around us is made of atoms, but it turns out that the building blocks of the Universe are far stranger than that

5 April 2017

Science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker explains what the Universe is made of to BBC Earth's Michael Marshall and Melissa Hogenboom, with help from the animators at Pomona Pictures.

Hot and steamy atmosphere detected on Earth-like planet

Goal of finding alien life a step closer with discovery, which marks one of the first times an atmosphere has been spotted around a small, rocky world

Ian Sample, Science editor, Thursday 6 April 2017 12.37 EDT

But that planet is hot like Venus u.u

Incredible that they can detect an atmosphere. E entuslly, they'll find an atmosphere with whatever it is that indicates life. I can see that happening in my lifetime, though I think it it won't be provable in my lifetime, just highly believed.

Hubble captures auroras on Uranus.

The seventh planet puts on quite a light show.

Astronomers Found an Enormous Object Orbiting at the Edge of Our Solar System.

Watch asteroid 2014 JO25 brush by Earth on 19 April.

We are always reading about black holes eating stars. What eats a black hole?

Another black hole that's more massive giving birth to a bigger black hole R195

New contender in hunt for alien life discovered by astronomers

Exoplanet LHS 1140b is believed to be about 40% larger than Earth and lies 39 light years away in the constellation of Cetus, orbiting a red dwarf star

What Earth looks like from other planets.

NASA released Cassini’s final image of Earth.

Astronomers find black hole in Sagittarius constellation.

An international team of astronomers led The University of Manchester have found evidence of a new 'missing-link' black hole in the Milky Way galaxy, hidden in the Sagittarius constellation.

How a hidden population of pulsars may leave the Milky Way aglow.

Most people think dark matter is the culprit in this mysterious warm light — but the real answer may be much simpler.

Scientists found a wave of ultra hot gas bigger than the Milky Way.

Big waves keep on rolling. Perseus Galaxy Cluster keep on burning.

Thank you, R201. I enjoy your posts.

OP is SUCH a Capricorn.

Get ready for our first image of a black hole.

The Event Horizon Telescope will peer into the space immediately surrounding our galaxy’s supermassive black hole.

The first true-color images of Saturn taken during Cassini’s close encounter are coming in — and they’re beautiful!.

Wow R205 - great pics! Thanks for posting.

The circles and hexagon are amazing and a little spooky!

That image captioned "Saturn’s north pole Hexagon" is just stunning. Amazing.

The mysterious hexagon on Saturn's pole.

I don't know if it has been explained already.

The hexagon has been explained as being caused by six different jet streams, but it's still strange how all six are apparently of the proper size and strength to maintain that shape.

I'm a Libra and I love astronomy.

The weird star that totally isn’t aliens is dimming again.

The mystery of Tabby’s Star kicks in again.

Astronomers know TRAPPIST-1h’s orbit.

We now have a little more information about the mysterious, outermost planet.

Well, I'm glad that's settled, R213!

Juno peers below Jupiter's clouds

By Jonathan Amos, BBC Science Correspondent, 5 hours ago

Scientists working on the American space agency's new Juno mission say its initial observations at Jupiter have taken their breath away.

Jupiter looks like a sphere made of oil.

Idiots! Of course Jupiter has a dense core. It has a huge ball of heavy metals and other crap. It wouldn't have miraculously missed vacuuming up the heavy metals in its travels.

Jupiter surprises in first trove of data from NASA’s Juno mission.

Third gravitational wave detection gives hints on dark matter and black holes

Latest observation by Ligo brings scientists closer to goal of using gravitational waves to see ancient events invisible to optical and radio telescopes

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Thursday 1 June 2017 16.41 BST

VLA Reveals New Object Near Supermassive Black Hole in Famous Galaxy

A giant jet spanning continuously for over 300,000 light years is seen blasting out of the galaxy Pictor A.

This is what the world should be about. Science, discovering the world we live in; not unfounded belief systems that all they do is spreading hatred and killing innocent people.

Extreme exoplanet: Astronomers discover alien world hotter than most stars.

Gravitational lensing of luminous distant galaxies

I love you, spaceman!

Ingredient of life found around infant Sun-like stars.

ALMA has observed stars like the Sun at a very early stage in their formation and found traces of methyl isocyanate — a chemical building block of life. This is the first ever detection of this prebiotic molecule towards solar-type protostars, the sort from which our Solar System evolved. The discovery could help astronomers understand how life arose on Earth.

Does anyone know a good radio program or podcast about the subjects in this thread?

Astronomers explain the formation of seven exoplanets around Trappist-1.

Mining the Heavens: Astronomers Could Spot Asteroid Prospects.

Truth is? We'll never have a good start to avoid danger. Most people aren't astrophysicist or physicist. But-think back to-2/15/2014. No one saw that baby coming over Russia. Split itself in half on entry. There's this asteroid belt. Travels in the dark side of Jupiter & Mercury?. I forget now. Any way anything in this belt could collide, disintegrate & thrown into another orbit at any time & take us out. You just need to know this and demand $ spent on obliterating any threat. Not Korea, not Isis. We've evolved.

Wanna be hypnotized? You now how they say blah blah light is coming from the future blah blah. Well- here's a video of about 12 years that shows stars moving & circle black hole. There's something so natural about it but you can't put your finger on it. It's insane. WATCH

The Unbelievable Scale of Black Holes.

Nasa's Kepler telescope finds 10 Earth-like planets: 'We are not alone'

Rocky worlds discovered by Kepler telescope are right distance from their parent stars for water to pool on the surface This artist rendering shows some of the 219 new planet candidates, 10 of which are near-Earth size and in the habitable zone of their star.

Reuters, Monday 19 June 2017 23.40 EDT

Comets can shed 50 tons of debris a second. So how can a comet last for centuries?

Hubble captures massive dead disk galaxy

Jupiter’s “String of Pearls”.

See the sharpest-ever view of giant Betelgeuse.

NASA releases stunning views of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.

As Juno prepares for an up-close look at Jupiter’s giant storm, astronomers are supplementing their knowledge with Earth-based observations.

R238, I thought the great spot disapated a few years ago?

Surprise methanol detection points to evolving story of Enceladus’s plumes.

A serendipitous detection of the organic molecule methanol around an intriguing moon of Saturn suggests that material spewed from Enceladus undertakes a complex chemical journey once vented into space. This is the first time that a molecule from Enceladus has been detected with a ground-based telescope.

Thank you astronomer-in-chief! I expect life to be detected within the next 40 years!

Mars covered in toxic chemicals that can wipe out living organisms, tests reveal

Discovery has major implications for hunt for alien life on the red planet as it means any evidence is likely to be buried deep underground

Ian Sample, Science editor, Thursday 6 July 2017 14.00 BST

An oddball planet has astronomers scratching their heads.

The star too swift … the planet too far … so far, this system doesn’t make much sense.

Smallest-ever star discovered by astronomers.

The smallest star yet measured has been discovered by a team of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge. With a size just a sliver larger than that of Saturn, the gravitational pull at its stellar surface is about 300 times stronger than what humans feel on Earth.

Wouldn't the moon once have had water? I know Mars did.

Mars is too small to have liquid water. Unless it is undergroung liquid water...

Astronomers don't know what's causing these weird radio waves from a nearby star.

Probably not aliens, though

We've learned to send transmissions via broadband, which means the content is chopped up into pieces, the pieces sent simultaneously, then reassembled at the destination. This means that a particular frequency can not be used alone, in any way, to understand the message. This means that you can't just tune into a single frequency and hope to get an alien to send you a text.

First object teleported to Earth's orbit

Chinese researchers have teleported a photon from the Gobi desert to a satellite orbiting five hundred kilometres above the earth. This is achieved through quantum entanglement, a process where two particles react as one with no physical connection between them.

Really, teleportation?

I know at least some particles might have the property to teleport on their own, but human reaching the stage where they can cause it themselves...

"Alien megastructure" star may be a sign of a dying world.

Or, what disintegrating planets tell us about solar system formation.

Moon wetter than previously thought, raising new manned mission possibilities

Satellite data reveals trapped water across the moon’s surface – not just at the poles – in deposits from ancient eruptions, say researchers

Nicola Davis, Monday 24 July 2017 16.06 BST

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2017 shortlist - in pictures

The Milky Way, the Northern Lights and hurtling asteroids feature in the shortlist for the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The winners will be announced on 14 September, and an exhibition of the winning images will be displayed in a free exhibition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Centre from 16 September

Joanna Ruck, Wednesday 26 July 2017 07.00 BST

Signal may be from first 'exomoon'

By Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC News website, 2 hours ago

Astronomers have discovered an object that could be the first known moon located beyond the Solar System.

Smallest galaxy.

Astronomers discover ‘heavy metal’ supernova rocking out.

New Horizons may visit twice the object for the same price.

MU69 could be hiding a strange secret: it’s one object, not two.

The space station can be seen in the Boston area today, Mon Aug 07, at 9:49 PM. Max Height: 86°, Appears: 28° above NW, Disappears: 80° above ESE.

The Perseid meteor shower will be at its peak this weekend. Go out, lay on the grass, and look up!

Can you see it in cities?

R260, I don't know. I live in a city and I doubt it, but if you've got a comfy chair and a half hour, try it anyway. Maybe you'll see missiles flying by instead.

Spectacular Saturn: Cassini's epic pictures using a one megapixel camera

During its 20-year mission to Saturn, Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft has captured some breathtaking images of the ringed planet and its moons, revealing many unexpected secrets. Here are some of the best

Jonny Weeks, Sunday 13 August 2017 19.00 BST

Voyager: Inside the world's greatest space mission

In 1977, two spacecraft started a mission that has redefined our knowledge of the Solar System – and will soon become our ambassadors on a journey into the unknown. BBC Future looks at their legacy, 40 years after launch.

By Richard Hollingham, 18 August 2017

Antares: astronomers capture best ever image of a star’s surface and atmosphere

Pictures of red supergiant Antares, 550 light years from Earth, are the most detailed images even taken of a star other than the sun

by Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wednesday 23 August 2017 18.00 BST

It may be raining solid diamonds on Neptune and Uranus!

Why Black Holes Could Delete The Universe

Four of seven Earth-sized exoplanets may have large quantities of water

Hubble telescope readings suggesting watery outer planets of Trappist-1 – including three in habitable zone – boosts hope for life beyond our solar system

Nicola Davis, Thursday 31 August 2017 17.00 BST

Cool, thanks, r267!

Alien search detects radio signals from dwarf galaxy 3bn light years from Earth

Stephen Hawking’s Breakthrough Listen project picks up radio pulses that could be from black holes, neutron stars or, some speculate – UFO beacons

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent, Friday 1 September 2017 18.38 BST

Cool time lapse of Milky Way.

Supermassive black hole discovered near heart of the Milky Way

Astronomers find evidence of enormous black hole one hundred thousand times more massive than the sun in a gas cloud near the galaxy’s centre

Ian Sample, Science editor, Monday 4 September 2017 11.00 EDT

The single strange repeating fast radio burst is at it again.

Astronomers observed 15 new pulses from this mysterious source — now at higher frequencies than ever before.

Wow, R262!

I believe we'll find life on other planets, or on the moons in our own solar system, before I die. So, within 35 years. My first guess is the identification of chemical evidence of life in a planet's atmosphere, far, far away, found by a specialized telescope. I'd think we'll find slime or bacteria, not humanoids. I think we'll destroy the planet long before we find intelligent life.

Second-Fastest-Spinning Pulsar Found.

An international team of astronomers has discovered a pulsar — the core of a massive star that exploded as a supernova — spinning at more than 42,000 revolutions per minute, making it the second-fastest known.

The sun is acting pretty strange right now.

Explosive birth of stars can swell galactic cores.

Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2017 winners – in pictures

Awe-inspiring views of the universe were celebrated at the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2017 awards ceremony, held at the Royal Greenwich Observatory

Friday 15 September 2017 12.53 BST

The Saturn System Through the Eyes of Cassini (e-Book)

September 11, 2017

This free NASA e-Book celebrates Saturn as seen through the eyes of the Cassini spacecraft.

The Cassini-Huygens mission has revolutionized our knowledge of the Saturn system and revealed surprising places in the solar system where life could potentially gain a foothold—bodies we call ocean worlds.

Since its arrival in 2004, Cassini–Huygens has been nothing short of a discovery machine, captivating us with data and images never before obtained with such detail and clarity. Cassini taught us that Saturn is a far cry from a tranquil lone planet with delicate rings. Now, we know more about Saturn’s chaotic, active, and powerful rings, and the storms that rage beneath. Images and data from Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus hint at the possibility of life never before suspected. The rings of Saturn, its moons, and the planet itself offer irresistible and inexhaustible subjects for intense study. As the Cassini mission comes to a dramatic end with a fateful plunge into Saturn on Sept. 15, 2017, scientists are already dreaming of going back for further study.

Over a period of 13 years, Cassini has captured about 450,000 spectacular images within the Saturn system, providing new views of the “lord of the rings” and a plethora of iconic images. To honor the art and science of Cassini, this book was developed collaboratively by a team from NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD), NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). While these images represent the tip of the iceberg—each telling a story about Saturn and its mysterious moons—our hope is that the mission will inspire future artists and explorers. The sheer beauty of these images is surpassed only by the science and discoveries they represent.

[quote] R271: Supermassive black hole discovered near heart of the Milky Way

Just super, R271!

Where does matter in a black hole go? Nowhere, because that matter is what makes a black hole, right? Just hyper condensed matter/energy.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover climbing toward ridge top.

The proof is out there: extragalactic origins for cosmic rays.

After nearly 50 years, researchers show the highest-energy cosmic rays have extragalactic origins.

Gliese 3942b: Super-Earth Found Orbiting Nearby Star.

Gravitational wave hunters bag fourth black-hole detection

By Pallab Ghosh, Science correspondent, BBC News, 6 hours ago

Scientists have detected another burst of gravitational waves coming from the merger of two black holes.

New gravitational wave detection shows shape of ripples from black hole collision

For the first time, astronomers have detail on the 3D pattern of warping that occurs when black holes with masses of 31 and 25 times that of the sun collide

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wednesday 27 September 2017 17.30 BST

Black Hole Size Comparison 2017

Okay, so I know black holes are the result of collapsed stars of a certain mass, but any ideas of the mass needed for some of the super-giant black holes? Or could they possibly be the result of smaller mass star which collapsed and the black hole just grew and grew?

BY the way, Dwarf Planets don't like to be called that anymore. It's politically incorrect. They want to be called LPs.

Obviously, black holes attract and absorb matter around the event horizon. If the zone were a black hole just formed is a place full of stars, planets, etc that matter will be absorbed and the black hole will grow bigger and bigger. I guess... That's why black holes at the center of galaxies are really huge because there is a lot of matter at the center...

House-sized asteroid will pass by Earth at just above satellite altitude

Nasa says there will be ‘no danger’ when the asteroid 2012 TC4 shaves past Earth at just above the altitude at which most satellites operate on Thursday

Agence France-Presse, Tuesday 10 October 2017 17.51 BST

Astronomers Say Evidence is Growing for Existence of Planet Nine.

There are now five different lines of observational evidence pointing to the existence of Planet Nine, a super-Earth-sized world about 20 times farther from the Sun than Neptune, according to Caltech planetary astrophysicist Konstantin Batygin and co-authors.

Astronomers find half of the missing matter in the universe

Scientists produce indirect evidence of gaseous filaments and sheets known as Whims linking clusters of galaxies in the cosmic web

Hannah Devlin, Thursday 12 October 2017 15.38 BST

Ok, so what’s really going on with Tabby’s Star?

There’s no shortage of ideas. Here are a few of the scenarios explored.

New frontier for science as astronomers witness neutron stars colliding

Extraordinary event has been ‘seen’ for the first time, in both gravitational waves and light – ending decades-old debate about where gold comes from

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Monday 16 October 2017 15.00 BST

Gravitational Waves Show How Fast The Universe is Expanding.

Astronomers prepare to map Milky Way, using radio telescopes to measure unprecedented distances.

Why Quasars are so Awesome.

Mysterious object seen speeding past sun could be 'visitor from another star system'

If its origins are confirmed, the asteroid or comet, named A/2017 U1, will be the first object known to come from elsewhere in the galaxy, say astronomers

Nicola Davis, Friday 27 October 2017 15.27 BST

Finding Ceres' global ocean.

The inner solar system’s only dwarf planet likely once hosted an entire ocean, now locked away in its crust.

Astronomers time accelerating particles around black holes.

It takes less than an eyeblink to light up a black hole’s jet.

So, when you see images representeing a black hole the black sphere that you are seeing is actually the event horizon, the whole area of strong attraction nothing can scape from while the actual hyper consended mass is supposed to be an infinitly small point in space. Interesting and scary.

Astronomy team image one of the first massive galaxies to form, 12.8 billion years ago.

Thanks for the posts, mystery astronomer. I can’t wait to use my telescope on my new deck.

'Zombie star' amazes astronomers by surviving multiple supernovae

Star has exploded in ‘fatal’ supernovae multiple times since 1954 – and is the first star astronomers have witnessed doing so

Ian Sample, Science editor, Wednesday 8 November 2017 18.00 GMT

Astronomers discover a giant world – but is it a planet?

A recently-discovered giant world lies right on the boundary between being a star and a planet – and that could answer some big questions

Stuart Clark, Friday 10 November 2017 14.15 GMT

Hey mister astronomy, we sometimes detect planets when one passes between us and its star. The star’s light dims slightly, during this transit, and we can detect the dimming. But wouldn’t most stars have planets that don’t revolve in a way that puts the planet between their star and us? So most would not be detected this way, right?

Is there (frozen) life on Mars?

A new study finds frozen microbes could indeed survive the harsh martian climate for millions of years.

R307, this is why any astronauts to mars mustn’t come back. There’s no knowing how dangerous these Martian hitchhikers might be.

I don't think there is technology to send men to Mars anyway. It's too costly and so many things must be thought before sending a person there. The trip is like 7 months long too.

They can however, improve robots to keep sending them and receive information from them.

We have had astronauts in orbit for longer than the Mars trip, I think. But the cost would be obscene.

Powerful new robotic camera captures stunning new image of Orion nebula

First image from camera newly installed at the Palomar Observatory, California hints at the ‘treasure trove of discoveries’ to come from its survey of the skies

Ian Sample, Science editor, Tuesday 14 November 2017 17.00 GMT

So many observatories have names in Spanish and I immediately think they're from Chile.

Potentially habitable world found just 11 light years away

Ross 128 b has been discovered effectively on our cosmic doorstep. It will become a prime target in the search for life beyond the Earth

Stuart Clark, Wednesday 15 November 2017 13.49 GMT

R312, maybe. There’s an important observatory in Chile. In the Atacama Desert, I believe. Little pollution, water vapor, or atmosphere to interfere with observation.

A massive meteorite recently lit up the sky over Lapland.

They will find life on other planet before they find a cure for diabetes and hair loss.

One of the Oldest and Most Distant Objects in the Universe Has Been Discovered

A star-forming galaxy 12.8 billion light-years away offers insight into the early days of our universe after the Big Bang roughly 13.7 billion years ago.

By Elizabeth Howell, November 7, 2017, 3:54 PM EST

60 Minutes had a segment last Sunday on the Voyager space craft.

R316, I think they will find evidence of foreign life in my lifetime. I’m 57, fwiw.

Astronomers Want to Send a Probe to That Interstellar Asteroid, But There's a Catch.

First Interstellar Asteroid Wows Scientists.

Organic molecules make up half of Comet 67P.

The Rosetta spacecraft collected more than 35,000 dust grains from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to help determine its chemical composition.

R322, I forget what makes something “organic”. It’s carbon, plus hydrogen, but not sure if that’s all it is.

Double Supermassive Black Hole ‘Photobombs’ Andromeda Galaxy.

R324 - Presenting black hole(s)

Farthest monster black hole found

2 hours ago

Astronomers have discovered the most distant "supermassive" black hole known to science.

Evidence for plate tectonics mounts on Europa.

Sinking ice plates could carry nutrients to the ocean below.

Astronomers to Check Mysterious Interstellar Object for Signs of Technology.

Nasa find first alien solar system with as many worlds as our own

Kepler scientists team up with Google AI specialists to detect eighth planet orbiting distant star

Ian Sample, Science editor, Thursday 14 December 2017 19.14 GMT

Third rock from the star Kepler-90.

For the first time, researchers have used artificial intelligence to discover an exoplanet around another star.

Interstellar object ‘Oumuamua covered in 'thick crust of carbon-rich gunk'

Cigar-shaped body has a deep surface layer made of organic ices baked in interstellar radiation – and potentially has ice in its heart, say astronomers

Ian Sample, Science editor, Monday 18 December 2017 11.00 EST

Atmospheres are key to pulsar-proofing exoplanets.

For the first time, astronomers have determined what it takes for a habitable exoplanet to survive around a pulsar.

Bruce McCandless, Astronaut Who Made First Tetherless Spacewalk, Dies at 80

By Robert Z. Pearlman, Editor | December 22, 2017 04:54pm ET

Solar System May Have Been Born in Wolf-Rayet Bubble.

Hubble Space Telescope Spots Megamaser Galaxy: UGC 6093

Astronomers are one step closer to unlocking the mystery of Tabby’s Star.

Aliens are out, dust is in.

Starstruck: the best space images of 2017

With space missions in 2018 set to boldly go further than ever before, here is a look back at some of biggest breakthroughs and most breathtaking views offered by 2017

Eric Hilaire and Tash Reith-Banks, Fri 5 Jan ‘18 13.18 GMT

Astronomers may be closing in on source of mysterious fast radio bursts

Pulses may be from a neutron star cocooned by a strong magnetic field – though experts are not ruling out more unorthodox explanations such as alien ships

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 10 Jan ‘18 18.00 GMT

First Picture of Black Hole Update for 2018

Oddly behaving star reveals a black hole hiding in a globular cluster, a first.

By the way, it’s also the first stellar-mass black hole ever found based on its gravitational pull.

NASA Releases Stunning Photo of Cartwheel Galaxy.

NASA has released the sharpest image ever taken of the Cartwheel Galaxy, a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Sculptor.

Two planets in unusual star system are very likely habitable, scientists say

Exoplanets orbiting Trappist-1 have thrilled astronomers since their discovery last year thanks to their Earth-like potential to harbor water

Alan Yuhas, Tue 23 Jan 2018 22.44 GMT

What is Schwarzschild radius? How Earth can become a Black Hole?

Curiosity at Martian Scenic Overlook

Love it, R344!

On Mars, no one can hear you scream.

How could this get grayed-out? Awful troll.

Astronomers report a possible slew of extragalactic exoplanets.

Could a distant galaxy be home to a large population of unbound planets?

I'm a Gemini

Why aren’t we getting fireworks? I was told there would be fireworks.

Cosmic dawn: astronomers detect signals from first stars in the universe

‘Revolutionary’ observations suggest the first stars appeared 180m years after the big bang – and may hold information on dark matter

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 28 Feb 2018 13.00 EST

When Was the First Light in the Universe? Seeing As Far Back As Possible

Nasa spacecraft reveals Jupiter's interior in unprecedented detail

Juno mission paints dramatic picture of the turbulence within the solar system’s largest planet

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 7 Mar 2018 18.58 GMT

Biggest Black Holes May Grow Faster Than Host Galaxies.

Venus: Our mysterious neighbor.

Sometimes called our sister planet, despite similar properties, this "sibling" is nothing like Earth.

Stephen Hawking, modern cosmology's brightest star, dies aged 76

The physicist and author of A Brief History of Time has died, a family member has said

Ian Sample, Science editor, Tue 13 Mar 2018 23.46 EDT

R355, Venus has phases, like the moon. You can only tell with a telescope.

I like seeing TV depictions of 4 billion years ago, or so, when Venus, Mars, and Earth all had oceans visible from space, some think. Three blue planets!

Potentially habitable super-Earth found during exoplanet search.

Of 15 recently discovered exoplanets, one could hold liquid water.

Do Black Holes Ever Die?

Interstellar asteroid ‘Oumuamua came from binary star system.

The first known cosmic tourist was likely ejected from a system with two parent stars.

VideoFromSpace

Published on Mar 26, 2018

Watch as white dwarf and gigantic stars go BOOM in a variety of scenarios.

Credit: Space.com / animations courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech / produced and edited by Steve Spaleta

Galaxy without any dark matter baffles astronomers

Scientists surprised to find NGC 1052-DF2 devoid of mysterious substance, but say its absence strengthens case for its existence

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 28 Mar 2018 18.21 BST

Hubble space telescope captures image of most distant star ever seen

Icarus is a blue supergiant, a rare type of star that is larger than the Sun and far more luminous

Nicola Davis, Mon 2 Apr 2018 16.00 BST

Hearing the cosmic hum of 100,000 black-hole mergers.

Every few minutes, a pair of black holes slams together, producing a faint but steady drumbeat of gravitational waves. And thanks to a new technique, astronomers may soon be able to hear that harmony.

No Way Out? Aliens on 'Super-Earth' Planets May Be Trapped by Gravity.

The largest thing in the universe? Cosmic collision 12bn years ago created mega-galaxy

A spectacular pileup of 14 galaxies soon after the Big Bang has been seen and recorded for the first time

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 25 Apr 2018 18.00 BST

Stephen Hawking's final theory sheds light on the multiverse

Shortly before he died the eminent physicist completed his final theory of the cosmos, and it’s simpler than we thought

Ian Sample, Science editor, Wed 2 May 2018 15.39 BST

Sun 'will flare into massive planetary nebula when it dies'

In 5 billion years our dying sun will transform into a stunning planetary nebula visible for millions of light years around, scientists say

Ian Sample, Science editor, Mon 7 May 2018 16.00 BST

The answer to life, the universe and everything might be 73. Or 67

A new estimate of the Hubble constant – the rate at which the universe is expanding – is baffling many of the finest minds in the cosmology community

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Thu 10 May 2018 16.02 BST

Moon of Jupiter prime candidate for alien life after water blast found

Nasa’s Galileo spacecraft flew through a giant plume of water that erupted from the icy surface of Europa, new analysis shows

Ian Sample, Science editor, Mon 14 May 2018 16.00 BST

Asteroid from another star system found orbiting wrong way near Jupiter

For the first time, a permanent member of our solar system has been found to have originated elsewhere

Nicola Davis, Mon 21 May 2018 13.27 BST

Planet Nine from outer space: is there another world beyond Neptune?

A newly discovered asteroid’s unusual orbit supports the idea that a massive planet lurks in the far reaches of the solar system

Stuart Clark (Dr Stuart Clark writes Across the Universe for the Guardian, and is the author of The Search for Earth's Twin (Quercus), Wed 23 May 2018 01.30 EDT

The days are getting longer – but very, very slowly

As the moon pulls away from the Earth, our planet’s rotation is slowing, making our days 1/75,000 second longer each year

Ian Sample, Science editor, Mon 4 Jun 2018 20.00 BST

Nasa Mars rover finds organic matter in ancient lake bed

Curiosity digs up carbon compounds that could be food for life in sediments that formed 3bn years ago

Ian Sample, Science editor, Thu 7 Jun 2018 19.00 BST

Scientists solve mystery of interstellar object 'Oumuamua

Visitor from another solar system is actually a comet in disguise, say researchers

Nicola Davis, Wed 27 Jun 2018 18.00 BST

Space is full of dirty, toxic grease, scientists reveal

Research to calculate amount of ‘space grease’ in the Milky Way found enough for 40 trillion trillion trillion packs of butter

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 27 Jun 2018 16.33 BST

Ocean spray on Saturn moon contains crucial constituents for life

Nasa probe detected complex organic molecules in plumes of water and ice as it flew over Enceladus

Ian Sample, Science editor, Wed 27 Jun 2018 13.06 EDT

The Andromeda Galaxy is on a collision course with the Milky Way Galaxy, bitches!

This is not a drill!

First confirmed image of a newborn planet revealed

Nascent planet seen carving a path through the disc of gas and dust surrounding the very young star PDS70

Nicola Davis, Mon 2 Jul 2018 12.43 BST

So, it looks like the elements for life as we know it are more present in space than we thought. lien life seems more likely each time.

r378 Andromeda will collide with the Milky Way in 4 billion years - mark your calendars.

Yet another test for general relativity; yet another “A” for Einstein.

Thank you, R382!

Comet weather.

High-Energy 'Ghost Particle' Traced to Distant Galaxy in Astronomy Breakthrough

Neutrino that struck Antarctica traced to galaxy 3.7bn light years away

Discovery may solve 100-year-old puzzle of high-energy cosmic rays that occasionally hit Earth

Ian Sample, Science editor, Thu 12 Jul 2018 16.40 BST

What is a neutrino?

Astronomers discover 12 new moons orbiting Jupiter - one on collision course with the others

A head-on collision between two Jovian moons would create a crash so large it would be visible from earth

Ian Sample, Science editor, Tue 17 Jul 2018 10.01 EDT

NASA's Juno spacecraft captures Jupiter's southern hemisphere, as the spacecraft performed its 13th close flyby of Jupiter. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill/via REUTERS

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 shortlist – in pictures

The Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy and the Running Man nebula feature in the shortlist for the Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The winners will be announced on 23 October, and an exhibition of the winning images from the past 10 years of the contest will be on show at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich from 24 October

Thu 19 Jul 2018 07.01 BST

New detection method could quickly reveal exoplanets with Earth-like orbits.

Instead of waiting three orbital periods to confirm an exoplanet, this technique requires just one transit.

Yesterday, from my rooftop, with my telescope, I saw Venus, it’s a crescent at the time being. Also Jupiter, with four of its moons twinkling nearby. Also Saturn, with its rings in full display. Then the moon and it’s craters. .

It’s as if the moon is just such that it’s craters are out of the ability of human sight. Same with all of the above.

The Intl Space Station flies overhead tonight, too.

Discovered: Milky Way's long-lost galactic sibling

The M32 galaxy was shredded and consumed by our closest neighbour, Andromeda, scientists say

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Mon 23 Jul 2018 11.00 EDT

The Andromeda Galaxy is an insatiable bottom.

Mars: huge underground lake raises prospects of life on planet, say astronomers

Scientists have spotted a 12 mile-wide stretch of water underneath a slab of ice at the Martian south pole

Ian Sample, Science editor, Wed 25 Jul 2018 10.38 EDT

Star spotted speeding near black hole at centre of Milky Way

Chile’s Very Large Telescope tracks S2 star as it reaches mind-boggling speeds by supermassive black hole

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Thu 26 Jul 2018 08.38 EDT

Can a Black Hole be hit so violently, that it ruptures? Perhaps two hit each other, and split into a half dozen Black Holes? Or stuff gets expelled, despite their event horizons?

No, black holes can't be torn apart since they are so massive, gravitationally speaking. In the instances where two black holes combine, the smaller one is absorbed by the larger, creating a slightly larger black hole. The only stuff which gets expelled is higher range energy such as X-rays.

Imagine if scientists found life or vestiges of life on Mars. It would be revolutionary. Religions under the microscope.

The Perseid meteor shower - in pictures

The Perseid meteor shower has been spotted across Europe, the US and Canada. Darker skies have created a spectacular show. The annual occurrence can be seen until the 24 August, but peaked on 11-13 August

Joanna Ruck, Tue 14 Aug 2018 15.29 BST

Hottest of 'ultra-hot' planets is so hot its air contains vaporised metal

The temperature on Kelt-9b is 4,000C and its atmosphere contains iron and titanium vapours, say astronomers

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 15 Aug 2018 18.00 BST

Earliest galaxies found 'on our cosmic doorstep'

By Paul Rincon, Science editor, BBC News website, 52 minutes ago

Some of the oldest galaxies to form in the Universe are sitting on our cosmic doorstep, according to a study.

15,000 Galaxies Shine in This 1 View from the Hubble Space Telescope

By Meghan Bartels, Space.com Senior Writer | August 17, 2018 03:28pm ET

One-third of known planets may be enormous ocean worlds.

The densities of many exoplanets just a few times larger than Earth indicate they may host vast liquid water oceans.

Astronomers discover a new way to supersize baby black holes.

And it involves feeding on the leftovers of supermassive black holes.

Gamma-Rays Spewed As a Black Hole Forms Might 'Reverse Time'

By Yasemin Saplakoglu, Staff Writer | August 23, 2018 02:41pm ET

As a massive star collapses into a black hole, it sends out a brilliant SOS signal in the form of ultrabright gamma-ray bursts. Now, scientists have found something very peculiar about those mysterious signals: They seem to reverse time.

Well, sort of.

...

OSIRIS-REx snaps its first pic of asteroid Bennu.

After almost two years of space travel, NASA's spacecraft finally has a clear view of its destination.

Faster Than Light? Neutron-Star Merger Shot Out a Jet with Seemingly Impossible Speed

Saturn's hexagon could be an enormous tower.

The six-sided storm that dominates the gas giant's north pole may span stunning heights.

AI detects 72 fast radio bursts from a distant, unknown source.

Machine learning technology can help astronomers identify signals amidst the noise of the universe.

The Most Massive Star In The Milky Way Galaxy - HD 15558

Mystery of FRB 121102 - Probably Not Aliens, But Here's What We Know

Dwarf planet 'The Goblin' discovery redefining solar system

Massively elongated orbit suggests object is influenced by theoretical giant Planet Nine in Oort Cloud region

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Tue 2 Oct 2018 10.00 EDT

Astronomers discover first suspected 'exomoon' 8,000 light years away

Neptune-sized body would be the first known moon outside solar system and the largest moon yet discovered

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 3 Oct 2018 19.00 BST

How Could We Produce Energy on Titan?

Astronomers discover a galaxy supercluster growing in the early universe

This titanic group of galaxies was already forming just 2.3 billion years after the Big Bang.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018: the winning images

The US photographer Brad Goldpaint has beaten thousands of amateur and professional photographers from around the globe to win the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s title of Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018. The exhibition opens at the National Maritime Museum on Wednesday

Wed 24 Oct 2018 12.48 BST

This Pulsar Discovered in 2018 Goes Beyond Our Understanding

Two days ago, an enormous asteroid flew past Earth. It was half as close as the moon. And we barely saw it coming.

Voyager 2 Creeps Closer to the Edge of the Solar System

By Meghan Bartels, Space.com Senior Writer | November 15, 2018 12:37pm ET

Circinus Galaxy - Active Galactic Giant Next Door - Council of Giants

Astronomers measure total starlight emitted over 13.7bn years

Stars have radiated 4x10^84 photons since the universe begun with formation peaking 11bn years ago

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Thu 29 Nov 2018 18.27 EST

The arms and core of the Andromeda Galaxy glow among a sea of multicolored stars in this deep-space photo captured from the Cumeada Observatory at the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal.

We are not alone!

Nasa's Voyager 2 probe reaches interstellar space

Spacecraft becomes second human-made object to reach space between stars

Staff and agencies. Mon 10 Dec 2018 16.57 GMT

A New Year message from the edge of the solar system

On 1 January 2019 the New Horizons probe will begin transmitting data from Ultima Thule, 4bn miles from Earth in the Kuiper belt. What will it find?

Robin McKie, Sat 15 Dec 2018 15.00 GMT

Farout: astronomers identify most distant known object in solar system

Provisionally named 2018 VG18, it is 120 times further away from the sun than Earth is

Guardian staff, Mon 17 Dec 2018 18.33 GMT

Is gravity infinite then?

r428 Gravity is infinite. The size of the solar system is limited.

[quote]The Sun's gravitational field is estimated to dominate the gravitational forces of surrounding stars out to about two light years (125,000 AU).

How do all the spacecraft we send to outerspace avoid hitting asteroids, comets, and other space debris? Especially with the speed at which they travel, you would think it would be difficult to avoid hitting small objects.

Matter Sucked in by Black Holes MAY Travel into the Future, Get Spit Back Out

By Don Lincoln, Senior Scientist, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Adjunct Professor of Physics, University of Notre Dame | December 18, 2018 07:01am ET

Black holes are among the most mysterious places in the universe; locations where the very fabric of space and time are warped so badly that not even light can escape from them. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, at their center lies a singularity, a place where the mass of many stars is crushed into a volume with exactly zero size. However, two recent physics papers, published on Dec.10 in the journals Physical Review Letters and Physical Review D, respectively, may make scientists reconsider what we think we know about black holes. Black holes might not last forever, and it's possible that we've completely misunderstood their nature and what they look like at the center, according to the papers.

Mars Express beams back images of ice-filled Korolev crater

Ian Sample, Science editor, Fri 21 Dec 2018 12.07 GMT

Trapped layer of cold air keeps water frozen in 50-mile-wide impact crater

[quote] R430: How do all the spacecraft we send to outerspace avoid hitting asteroids, comets, and other space debris? Especially with the speed at which they travel, you would think it would be difficult to avoid hitting small objects.

What I’ve read is: Space is so vast, that asteroids in the asteroid belt rarely collide. Likewise for comets and such. So, spacecraft might need to lookout, but it’s probably not a big problem.

My hunch is that particles that are sand-sized would be more plentiful, and could do serious damage to a spacecraft due to the high speed of collision, but I don’t know how frequently collision with them and a spacecraft might happen.

Large objects like planets with large gravitational fields could obviously suck-in a passing craft, but these are all well known, anticipated, and planned for.

NASA Just Learned Saturn Rings Are Disappearing and Are Quite Young!

Something Twice the Size of Earth Slammed into Uranus and Knocked it Over on its Side.

Dwarf planet Haumea ring system.

Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft 'phones home' after flyby of Ultima Thule

Scientists celebrate probe’s successful completion of most distant space flyby in history

Ben Quinn and Ian Sample, Tue 1 Jan 2019 16.13 GMT

First close-ups of Ultima Thule reveal it resembles dark red snowman

Images of rock on the edge of the solar system were taken on the most distant flyby in history

Ian Sample, Science editor, Wed 2 Jan 2019 20.18 GMT

China holds breath as probe prepares to land on far side of moon

Chang’e 4 will explore giant crater, possibly offering more clues as to moon’s formation

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 2 Jan 2019 15.00 GMT

Nasa spacecraft spots gaseous planet 23 times the size of Earth

‘Super-Earth’ among trio of planets and six supernovae detected by Tess mission

Lucy Campbell, Tue 8 Jan 2019 13.21 EST

07 January 2019

Bevy of mysterious fast radio bursts spotted by Canadian telescope

Bounty includes second known example of a repeating burst.

We Were Wrong About the Andromeda Galaxy - Its Mass Redefined

My horoscope today was "you will post in the asronomy II board on DL." I thought it seemed rather specific, but I'm a scorpio so here I go!

Scientists Discover Rain in the Tropics of Titan

Milky Way is warped and twisted, not flat

Scientists in Australia and China create 3D map revealing the true shape of the galaxy

Ian Sample, Science editor, Mon 4 Feb 2019 16.07 GMT

One of the Weirdest Rocks in the Solar System.

'Breakneck speed' mini moon hurtles around Neptune at 20,000mph

Astronomers confirm orbit of tiny moon Hippocamp via multiple images from Hubble

Ian Sample, Science editor, Wed 20 Feb 2019 19.02 GMT

‘FarFarOut’: Nasa astronomer finds potential furthest object in solar system

Mystery shrouds ‘very faint’ planetary body that appears to be 140 times further from the sun than Earth

Nicola Davis, Mon 25 Feb 2019 08.17 EST

Super nice moon picture.

Black hole picture captured for first time in space breakthrough

Network of eight radio telescopes around the world records revolutionary image

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Wed 10 Apr 2019 10.23 EDT

Smithsonian Channel @SmithsonianChan

Breaking! The first image of a black hole has been captured using data from the #EventHorizon telescope. We captured the magic in this video. Catch the full story of this landmark discovery on Friday at 9PM when #BlackHole Hunters premieres: https://bit.ly/2I6tgUc) bit.ly/2I6tgUc #EHTblackhole

9:30 AM · Apr 10, 2019

From Earthrise to the black hole: astronomy's most famous images

Photographs from history that capture humanity’s exploration of the heavens

Compiled by Eric Hilaire, Wed 10 Apr 2019 18.11 BST

They made history today.

Honestly, I was skeptical a good image could be taken. I thought if anything matter would form a sphere of matter around the black hole so it would be impossible to see a black hole, but it turned out to be really revealing.

I bet Einstein and Haking would have loved this moment.

Dunstanburgh Castle, UK. The Milky Way and millions of stars over Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland, in the early hours of Thursday morning. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Most ancient type of molecule in universe detected in space

Helium hydride is thought to have played starring role in early universe

Nicola Davis, Wed 17 Apr 2019 18.00 BST

Black Hole Spits Out High-Energy Jets at Near Light-Speed

By Yasemin Saplakoglu, Staff Writer | April 30, 2019 06:38am ET

Black hole may have swallowed neutron star, say astronomers

Scientists analyse whether gravitational wave detectors picked up signs of collision

Hannah Devlin, Science correspondent, Fri 3 May 2019 11.56 EDT

It's quiet out there: scientists fail to hear signals of alien life

Breakthrough Listen project found no evidence of alien civilisations on 1,327 stars

Ian Sample, Science editor, Tue 18 Jun 2019 18.53 BST

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 shortlist – in pictures

The Milky Way over a Bavarian mountain, a colourful explosion of the Southern Lights in Tasmania, and the Horsehead and Flame nebulas, all featured in the Royal Observatory’s Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 shortlist.

The competition, now in its 11th year, has broken the record of entries, receiving more than 4,600 photographs from amateurs and professionals. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the National Maritime Museum on 12 September, with an exhibition of the winning and shortlisted images starting on 13 September.

Wed 19 Jun 2019 07.00 BST

We Just Discovered 2 Earth Like Planets In Nearby Teegarden Star

Nasa to send Dragonfly drone to explore Titan, Saturn's largest moon

- Major new mission part of Nasa’s New Frontiers Program

- Scientists to study whether Titan could support microbial life

Edward Helmore and agencies, Thu 27 Jun 2019 23.38 BST

How should we respond to alien contact? Scientists ask the public

Scientists searching the universe for aliens to conduct survey of the public for views on first contact

Ian Sample, Science editor, Mon 1 Jul 2019 07.00 BST

Abasár, Hungary. The Milky Way is visible in the clear night sky above the Saint Anne chapel. Photograph: Péter Komka/EPA

Solar eclipse in Chile in a couple of hours.

Transmission: from the Sea of Tranquility to planet Earth

This month sees the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, landing the first man on the moon. As the Observer’s science editor Robin McKie looks ahead to the future of manned spaceflight, we look back at how, in 1969, mankind viewed that giant leap

Greg Whitmore, Sat 6 Jul 2019 10.00 EDT

We Discovered Why Pluto and Other Dwarf Planets Have Unique Moons

The most beautiful photos taken on the Apollo 11 mission

During their nine days in space, the astronauts aboard Apollo 11 took some of the world’s most famous – and beautiful – photographs.

Most detailed ever 3D map of Milky Way shows 'warped' shape

Our galaxy is like a distorted disc, study based on Cepheid stars confirms

Scientifically Speaking: Why Hasn't Dark Matter Killed Anyone?

Something Just Smacked Jupiter and Here's the Photo to Prove It

By Meghan Bartels 7 hours ago

How medieval monks are revealing our universe's secrets.

[quote]How analysis of texts from the early medieval period can help us understand comets - and our universe.

I love the idea of identifying a comet as one that was seen by a Medieval monk a thousand years ago.

Nasa mission to Jupiter moon Europa moves step closer to launch

Mission that could shed light on possibility of life on icy rock is expected to lift off in 2025

Northumberland, UK. The Milky Way is seen over Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Perhaps this discovery could be even more important than having photographed a black hole for the first time.

Scientists have discovered water vapor on a potentially habitable super-Earth for the first time. That planet is now our best bet for finding alien life.

Hubblecast Light: Exoplanet K2-18b

Water found on most habitable known world beyond solar system

But humans would not fare well on planet K2-18b despite wispy clouds and huge red sun

This is the most exciting discovery of thee year. Now,some people are forgetting that planet is 8 times the mass of Earth. Extreme gravitational pull we are not capable of bearing, so even if we had the technology to go the we simply could not land there. If there is life there it adapted to stand such strong gravity.

Indeed ^. I predict that the planet will be populated by a planet of stocky dwarves.

I'm not a scientist but under such strong gravitational pull I don't the human structure is possible.

Black hole at centre of galaxy is getting hungrier, say scientists

Scientists say Milky Way’s Sagittarius A* has been more active in recent months

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 – winning images

Dust cloud sparked explosion in primitive life on Earth, say scientists

Smashing of monster asteroid half a billion years ago thought to have caused mini ice age

Northumberland, UK. Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland, taken showing the Milky Way. The picture is from a collection by PA news agency photographer Owen Humphreys showing some of the north east’s best-loved landmarks by night. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Rare Discovery! 3 Monster Black Holes Are About to Collide

They're at the core of a triple galaxy merger 1 billion light-years from Earth.

Surprise! Giant Planet Found Circling Tiny Red Dwarf Star

The discovery may force astronomers to rethink how planets form.

The Andromeda Galaxy Has Been Devouring Other Galaxies Since It Was a Baby (And Earth Is Next)

The cannibal next door has an even mightier appetite than we thought.

Scientists observe mysterious cosmic web directly for first time

Observations reveal cluster of galaxies about 12bn light years away linked by gas filaments

Cosmic Record Holders: The 12 Biggest Objects in the Universe

Saturn overtakes Jupiter as host to most moons in solar system

The gas giant has 82 moons, surpassing the 79 known to orbit its larger neighbour

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Nasa's Voyager 2 sends back its first message from interstellar space

Nasa craft is second to travel beyond heliosphere but gives most detailed data yet

Superfast star found leaving Milky Way at 1,700km per second

Astronomers say S5-HVs1 ventured close to supermassive black hole before being ejected

Big star energy: record-breaking explosion recorded

Astronomers note record-breaking observation of highest energy ever measured from gamma ray bursts

Nasa's Parker Solar Probe beams back first insights from sun's edge

Flying closer than any other mission, spacecraft set to unravel the sun’s mysteries

Betelgeuse Is Dimmer.

Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse, Betel...

Astronomers discover huge gaseous wave holding Milky Way's newest stars

‘It’s right up in our face’ – close proximity of stellar nursery to our solar system stuns scientists

'There's something here': teen discovers new planet while interning at Nasa

Wolf Cukier, 17, discovered a planet 6.9 times larger than Earth and only the 13th of its kind

Stardust older than the Earth and sun found in Australian meteorite

Granules, shed by dying stars over 5bn years ago, are oldest known solid material on Earth

'Giant, shape-shifting stars' spotted near Milky Way's black hole

Objects raise hopes of scientists managing to track ‘blobs’ being swallowed by black hole

'Not just a space potato': Nasa unveils 'astonishing' details of most distant object ever visited

It’s red, it’s cold, it’s 4bn years old: Nasa data from Arrokoth reveals ‘profound truths’ about the solar system

Biggest cosmic explosion ever detected left huge dent in space

Eruption in black hole 390m light years away punched cavity the size of 15 Milky Ways

Scientists identify rain of molten iron on distant exoplanet

Conditions on Wasp-76b in Pisces include temperatures of 2,400C and 10,000mph winds

Salgótarján, Hungary. Venus is seen amid the zodiacal light, also known as the false dawn. The phenomenon, which is characterised by a diffuse white glow, is caused by interplanetary dust reflecting sunlight

Nasa shortlists four astrophysics missions for 2025 launch

Four proposals will get funds for nine months of study before two are chosen to go ahead

Bamburgh, UK. The Milky Way over Bamburgh lighthouse at Stag Rock in Northumberland

Scientists capture image of black hole emitting high-energy jets

Detailed image taken by Event Horizon Telescope of black hole 5bn light years away

Black hole found 1,000 light years from Earth

Object found in HR 6819 system is the closest to Earth yet known – and is unusually dark

Astronomers capture new images of Jupiter using 'lucky' technique

Detailed pictures of planet glowing through clouds were taken with telescope in Hawaii

Scientists say most likely number of contactable alien civilisations is 36

New calculations come up with estimate for worlds capable of communicating with others

'Black neutron star' discovery changes astronomy

Scientists have discovered an astronomical object that has never been observed before.

Black holes may merge with light of a trillion suns, scientists say

First optical observation made of phenomenon previously thought to occur in darkness

Beyond Pluto: the hunt for our solar system's new ninth planet

Scientists think a planet larger than Earth lurks in the far reaches of the solar system. Now a new telescope could confirm their belief and change solar system science

Astronomers discover South Pole Wall, a gigantic structure stretching 1.4 billion light-years across #astronomy

Saint-Michel, France. Clear skies show the Milky Way galaxy. Photograph: Clement Mahoudeau/AFP/Getty Images

Comet Neowise's spectacular journey – in pictures

Comet Neowise was discovered on 27 March by Nasa’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission. Scientists say the comet is about 3 miles across. Its nucleus is covered with sooty material dating back to the origin of our solar system 4.6bn years ago. It is the brightest comet visible from the northern hemisphere in 25 years

Lausanne, Switzerland. Global astrophysicists have published the largest ever 3D map of the universe, the result of an analysis of more than 4m galaxies and quasars (ultra-bright objects that emit colossal energy) that lasted more than 20 years. The efforts of hundreds of scientists from about 30 institutions around the world have yielded a complete story of the expansion of the universe. Photograph: Swiss Federal Institute of Techn/AFP/Getty Images

Nevada, US. The Milky Way galaxy is seen in the sky above the International Car Forest of the Last Church in Goldfield. Photograph: David Becker/AFP/Getty Images

Planet Ceres is an 'ocean world' with sea water beneath surface, mission finds

Dwarf planet, believed to be a barren space rock, has an ‘extensive reservoir’ of brine beneath its surface, images show

Negev desert, Israel. A meteor streaks across the sky above a camping site. The Perseids meteor shower occurs every year when the Earth passes through the cloud of debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

Limnos, Greece. A view of the Milky Way during a Perseids meteor shower in the night sky over a beach. Photograph: Nikos Arvanitidis/EPA

Astronomers discover the fastest-spinning white dwarf yet — and it's a vampire

Black holes: Cosmic signal rattles Earth after 7 billion years

Imagine the energy of eight Suns released in an instant.

'It just sounds like a thud': astronomers hear biggest cosmic event since big bang

Researchers believe noise was two black holes colliding around 7 billion years ago, creating a previously unseen class of stellar object

Are aliens hiding in plain sight?

Several missions this year are seeking out life on the red planet. But would we recognise extraterrestrials if we found them?

Astronomy photographer of the year (2020) winners – in pictures

Images of the Milky Way, California nebula and Andromeda galaxy are among the winners of the Insight Investment astronomy photographer of the year award. An exhibition of the winning pictures can be viewed at National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, south-east London, from 23 October

Scientists find gas linked to life in atmosphere of Venus

Phosphine, released by microbes in oxygen-starved environments, was present in quantities larger than expected

The search for life – from Venus to the outer solar system

While the discovery of the normally microbe-produced phosphine on our toxic neighbour is astonishing, other candidates for life are more promising

Salty ponds may be under Mars' icy surface, raising prospect of Martian life

Italian scientists provide further evidence of underground lake and smaller bodies of water in study

Astronomers spy galaxies caught in the web of a voracious black hole.

Water exists on the moon, scientists confirm

Proof of significant amounts of H2O has implications for future lunar missions

Burst of radio waves in Milky Way probably came from neutron star

First fast radio burst found in our galaxy is traced to magnetar 30,000 light years away

Babak Tafreshi: Home Planet in the Cosmic Ocean

The Milky Way gleams in all its splendour, as seen from a mountaintop in Chile. The bright core of the galaxy and the pale-blue zodiacal light (sunlight reflection from asteroid dust in the solar system plane) appear through the fading dusk colour and above the cloud-covered shores of the Pacific Ocean

Photograph: Babak Tafreshi/Prints for Nature

Australian telescope maps new atlas of the universe in record speed

Scientists use powerful new instrument in outback WA to map three million galaxies in 300 hours, unlocking deepest secrets of the universe

Astronomers unveil most detailed 3D map yet of Milky Way

Images will enable scientists to measure acceleration of solar system and mass of galaxy

Terrifying footage shows collapse of Arecibo Observatory's massive radio telescope

The demise of the Arecibo radio telescope has left everyone reeling.

Northumberland, UK. The core of the Milky Way becomes visible in the early hours as it moves over Bamburgh Lighthouse at Stag Rock. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Dorset, UK. The galactic centre of the Milky Way glows brightly in the clear night sky as it rises from behind the ruins of Corfe Castle. Photograph: Graham Hunt/Alamy Live News

Astronomers create largest map of the universe’s dark matter

International team reveal vast cosmic voids over the Earth’s skies that could challenge Einstein

Nasa releases new image that shows Milky Way’s energized ‘downtown’

The picture is a composite of 370 observations made over the past two decades and depicts billions of stars and black holes

Astronomers find blinking giant star near heart of Milky Way

Huge star, 25,000 light years away, dims by 97% then slowly returns to former brightness

Cosmic dawn: scientists hope to peer back in time to see birth of stars

Telescope may be able to observe event now calculated to have taken place 250-350m years after big bang

Gravitational waves from star-eating black holes detected on Earth

Spacetime-altering shock waves came from massive neutron stars crashing into black holes millions of years ago

Galileo Project: scientists to search for signs of extraterrestrial technology

Team will search for evidence of extraterrestrial life by looking for advanced technology it may leave behind

Champagne moment as supernova captured in detail for the first time

Researchers record the earliest moments of a supernova as a shockwave blasts its way through a star

‘Mini-Neptunes’ beyond solar system may soon yield signs of life

Cambridge astronomers identify new hycean class of habitable exoplanets, which could accelerate search for life