Astronomy news
Ticking stellar time bomb identified (w/ Video)
Nov 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- "One of the major problems in modern astrophysics is the fact that we still do not know exactly what kinds of stellar system explode as a Type Ia supernova," says Patrick Woudt, from the University ...
Exoplanets Clue to Sun's Curious Chemistry
Nov 11, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A ground-breaking census of 500 stars, 70 of which are known to host planets, has successfully linked the long-standing "lithium mystery" observed in the Sun to the presence of planetary systems. ...
Close-up movie shows hidden details in the birth of super-suns (w/ Video)
Nov 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The constellation of Orion is a hotbed of massive star formation, most prominently in the Great Nebula that sits in Orion's sword. The glowing gas of the Nebula is powered by a group of young ...
Stellar family portrait takes imaging technique to new extremes
Dec 03, 2009 |
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Noted for harbouring Eta Carinae -- one of the wildest and most massive stars in our galaxy -- the impressive Carina Nebula also houses a handful of massive clusters of young stars. The youngest of these stellar ...
Suzaku spies treasure trove of intergalactic metal
Dec 02, 2009 |
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Every cook knows the ingredients for making bread: flour, water, yeast, and time. But what chemical elements are in the recipe of our universe?
A faraway planet intrigues: Exoplanet with extremely tilted orbit raises new interest in stellar astronomy
Nov 12, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Two teams of astronomers have found a planet outside the solar system that might be orbiting backwards compared to its star's rotation, a discovery that could shed light on how unique the ...
Blushing dusty nebula
Dec 01, 2009 |
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On Earth, we tend to find dust nothing more than a nuisance that blankets our furniture and causes us to sneeze. Cosmic dust can also be a hindrance to astronomers because cameras using visible light cannot ...
Scientists observe super-massive black holes using Keck Observatory in Hawaii
Dec 10, 2009 |
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An international team of scientists has observed four super-massive black holes at the center of galaxies, which may provide new information on how these central black hole systems operate. Their findings ...
A New View of Coronal Waves
Dec 11, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The corona is the hot outer region of the sun's atmosphere. The corona is threaded by magnetic fields that loop and twist upwards from the sun's surface, driven by motions of its dense atmosphere.
Galaxy Collision Switches on Black Hole
Dec 10, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- This composite image of data from three different telescopes shows an ongoing collision between two galaxies, NGC 6872 and IC 4970.
The Edge of a Black Hole
Aug 18, 2009 |
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The existence of black holes is one of the most amazing and bizarre predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity. Despite his original misgivings about their reality, massive black hole holes are today believed ...
Rapid supernova could be new class of exploding star
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- An unusual supernova rediscovered in seven-year-old data may be the first example of a new type of exploding star, possibly from a binary star system where helium flows from one white dwarf ...
Sharpest views of Betelgeuse reveal how supergiant stars lose mass
Jul 29, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Betelgeuse -- the second brightest star in the constellation of Orion (the Hunter) -- is a red supergiant, one of the biggest stars known, and almost 1000 times larger than our Sun. It is ...
Precise picture of early Universe supports 'dark matter' theory
Nov 02, 2009 |
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A detailed picture of the seeds of structures in the universe has been unveiled by an international team co-led by a Cardiff University scientist.
Carbon Atmosphere Discovered on Neutron Star
Nov 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Evidence for a thin veil of carbon has been found on the neutron star in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. This discovery, made with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, resolves a ten-year ...
