Astronomy Archives - Page 5 of 9

Mysterious Energy Bursts From Deep Space Have Baffled Scientists For Years. “Starquakes” Could Be the Solution.

Christopher Plain·October 11, 2023

Mysterious energy bursts that have baffled scientists for over a decade may finally have an answer that researchers are calling starquakes.

Hunt For a Ninth Planet Could Be Ended By Controversial Hypothesis That Challenges Our Concept of Gravity

Micah Hanks·October 11, 2023

The search for a ninth planet could soon come to an end, thanks to a hypothesis calling for modifications to our current ideas about gravity.

The Milky Way is Warped, and Scientists Can’t Explain Why. Now Dark Matter Could Help Solve the Mystery.

Christopher Plain·October 11, 2023

Harvard Astronomers say that there is a mysterious force warping the entire Milky Way galaxy, and no one knows what it is.

Mysterious Mound Structures on Strange Kuiper Belt Object Prompt Investigation, Revealing Clues to Their Origin

Micah Hanks·October 9, 2023

New research into the formation of odd mound-like structures on the mysterious Kuiper belt object Arrokoth may offer clues to its formation.

An Oddly Bright Object Can Now Be Seen Moving Through the Night Sky. Here’s Why It Has Astronomers Worried.

Micah Hanks·October 4, 2023

Have you seen an unusually bright object moving through the evening sky recently? So have astronomers, and it has them worried.

James Webb Space Telescope Has Spotted Something Lurking in the Orion Nebula That “Shouldn’t Exist,” and They Come in Pairs

Micah Hanks·October 2, 2023

New images of the Orion Nebula captured by the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed the existence of 150 free-floating objects once considered a scientific impossibility.

James Webb Space Telescope is Peering Back in Time and Upending Our Understanding of the Universe

Georgina Torbet·September 28, 2023

The James Webb Space Telescope is changing astronomy, capturing stunning images of distant cosmic phenomena.

‘Ghost Signals’ from Trappist-1 Exoplanetary System Revealed by James Webb Space Telescope

Christopher Plain·September 26, 2023

Readings from the Trappist 1 star system have revealed "ghost signals" that could affect the search for life on its habitable zone planets.

In-Depth: OSIRIS-REx Mission Achieves Historic Milestone with NASA’s Successful Delivery of Asteroid Samples to Earth

Micah Hanks·September 25, 2023

A mission to bring samples from a distant asteroid back to Earth made history on Sunday with the success of NASA's OSIRIS-Rex.

Mysterious Dark Matter Could Interact with Gravity Non-Locally, New Research Suggests

Micah Hanks·September 1, 2023

Dark matter, the mysterious nonluminous material thought to populate close to 85% of the universe’s matter, may interact with gravity in a non-local way, according to newly published research.

Dark Energy Mystery Could Be Solved by Studying Andromeda Galaxy, Say Astronomers

Christopher Plain·August 24, 2023

A team of Cambridge researchers says the mystery of dark energy might be solved by studying the movements of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Mysterious New Properties of “Ghost Particle” Neutrinos Unveiled With Help From an Ancient Supernova

Micah Hanks·August 24, 2023

Researchers may now be closer to understanding the secret interactions that occur between neutrinos when stars explode, according to new research into the behavior of the mysterious subatomic particles.

Eerie Afterglow of What May Be the Most Violent Cosmic Event Observed by Astronomers Could Challenge Existing Theories

Micah Hanks·August 22, 2023

On October 9, 2022, an unusual gamma-ray burst possessing a prolonged visible afterglow was observed by a team of astronomers that was unlike anything they had previously witnessed.

Strange New Stellar Object Has the Most Powerful Magnetic Field Ever Discovered, Astronomers Say

Micah Hanks·August 18, 2023

Researchers have discovered a new stellar object with “highly unusual” characteristics, which they say possesses the most powerful magnetic field anywhere in the known universe.

Mysterious Pulses Could Reveal Unknown Radiation and Plasma Properties of Distant Celestial Object

Micah Hanks·August 18, 2023

Researchers report that they have detected unusual pulses being generated by a celestial object that could help them unveil new clues about its behavior.

Breakdown of Standard Gravity Reported in New Study Defies Newton’s Law of Gravitation and General Relativity

Micah Hanks·August 9, 2023

The breakdown of standard gravity has been reported in a groundbreaking new study that challenges the theories proposed by Newton and Einstein.

Another Robust Phosphine Signal From the Clouds of Venus Significantly Bolsters Case for Alien Life

Christopher Plain·July 31, 2023

New readings and an evaluation of previous readings have confirmed potential biosignature phosphine in the clouds of Venus.

NASA Discovery of Water Where Planets Form Could Have Massive Implications on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·July 26, 2023

In a finding that could send ripples through the astronomical community, NASA says researchers have found evidence of water in a protoplanetary disc where new planets are forming.

Alien “Super-Earth” Discovery Reveals Existence of Large Planet 120 Light Years Away

Micah Hanks·July 21, 2023

The discovery of a newfound alien “super-Earth” observed orbiting a distant red dwarf star has been reported by an international team of astronomers.

Defying All Odds, Woman Reports Being Struck by Falling Space Rock Outside Her Home

Micah Hanks·July 18, 2023

A French woman says she was struck earlier this month by a falling space object in an incident that occurred outside her home in the village of Alsace, Eastern France.

Previously Theoretical “Dark Stars” Fueled by Dark Matter Likely Spotted by The James Webb Telescope

Christopher Plain·July 13, 2023

A previously theoretical type of stellar object known as a Dark Star because it is fueled by dark matter instead of nuclear fusion may have just been spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Gravitational Waves Could Soon Revolutionize the Hunt for Intelligent Alien Civilizations. Here’s How.

Conor Feehly·July 12, 2023

Scientists say that gravitational waves could play a more significant role in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) in the decades ahead. Here's why.

Travel 13.4 Billion Years Back in Time With This Video from the James Webb Space Telescope

Christopher Plain·July 11, 2023

NASA just released a stunning new video visualization using data from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes that magically transports the viewer 13.4 billion years back in time.

Buried on the Far Side of the Moon, the Detection of a Mysterious Heat-Emitting Object Leads to an Unexpected Discovery

Micah Hanks·July 7, 2023

The detection of a large, heat-emitting mass buried beneath the far side of the Moon suggests it may have a history more like our planet than scientists once realized.

Time Moved Five Times Slower After Big Bang Due to Time Dilation, Researchers Say

Christopher Plain·July 3, 2023

New research using the most advanced tools available to astronomers has proven that time moved five times slower a billion years after the Big Bang than it does in the present, proving Albert Einstein was right again.

Unraveling the Cosmic Symphony: The Top 5 Ways the Gravitational Wave Background Discovery Revolutionizes Our Understanding of the Universe

The GWB discovery is a big deal, so here's a quick list explaining why...

MJ Banias·June 29, 2023

Here are five ways detection of the gravitational wave background (GWB) by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) revolutionizes our understanding of the universe.

Mysterious Force Behind Cosmic Acceleration To Be Explored by New Joint NASA and ESA Effort

Micah Hanks·June 28, 2023

NASA and the ESA will team up to unravel the mysteries of dark energy and cosmic acceleration with the Roman and Euclid space telescopes.

Webb Space Telescope Makes Breakthrough Detection of Compound “Crucial” to Formation of Life

Micah Hanks·June 27, 2023

A new carbon compound has been detected in space for the first time using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, according to an international team of researchers.

Time Dilation Experiments Could Upend Einstein, Explain Dark Matter and Expanding Universe

Christopher Plain·June 23, 2023

New research looking into the effects of time dilation may help researchers unlock the mysterious nature of Dark Matter and the accelerated expansion of the universe by supporting or disproving the theories of Albert Einstein

“Essential for Life” Amino Acid Found in Interstellar Space, Increasing Chances Extraterrestrial Life is Common

Christopher Plain·June 21, 2023

A Spanish researcher who has previously discovered water, carbon dioxide and other key life-supporting chemicals in an interstellar region of space where planets and stars are born says she has now found the life-supporting amino acid tryptophan in the same place.

TRAPPIST-1 Could Have Lower Number of Habitable Planets, New Webb Data Suggests

Micah Hanks·June 20, 2023

New data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggests an exoplanet with once-promising potential for life shows no signs of having a thick atmosphere.

Theoretical Breakthrough Could Finally Solve the Mystery of Invisible Dark Matter

Micah Hanks·June 19, 2023

A team of Canadian researchers says that the lack of clumpiness in the structure of the universe could help to shed new light on the composition of dark matter.

What’s That Orbiting the Moon? Data Suggests a Lost Spacecraft Could be Lurking in Lunar Orbit

Micah Hanks·June 16, 2023

Recent calculations suggest a famous "lost" spacecraft could have been hiding for decades in orbit around the moon.

Newly Revealed Speed of Fastest Stars Ever Observed in the Milky Way Stuns Astronomers

Micah Hanks·June 16, 2023

An international team of astronomers reports they have succeeded in detecting the fastest stars ever observed within the Milky Way galaxy.

Phosphates Found in Ocean of Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Dramatically Increase Chances for Life

Christopher Plain·June 15, 2023

Organic phosphates have been found spewing from the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus, increasing its chances of hosting life.

There May Be Hundreds of Millions of Habitable Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy, New Analysis Reveals

Christopher Plain·June 14, 2023

A new study examining the orbital eccentricity of exoplanets has determined that as many as 1 in 3 planets orbiting the billions of M-dwarf stars in the Miky Way galaxy may be habitable.

Fastest Spacecraft in Existence Helps to Unravel the Mystery of “Fast” Solar Winds

Micah Hanks·June 13, 2023

NASA just sent the fastest spacecraft ever built close enough to the Sun to detect the fine structure of "fast" solar winds near its surface.

Study Doubles Number of Repeating Fast Radio Bursts, Also Reveals “Anomalous” Cosmic Radio Sources

Micah Hanks·June 12, 2023

A new study by researchers at MIT has doubled the number of repeating Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) that are known to exist.

Odd Structures Detected Near the Heart of the Milky Way Left This Team of Astrophysicists “Stunned”

Micah Hanks·June 7, 2023

Researchers have detected odd filament structures that may provide new insights into a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

Cosmic Expansion: The ‘Horizon’ for Intergalactic Travel

Avi Loeb·May 22, 2023

Avi Loeb examines some of the limitations imposed on intergalactic travel through accelerated cosmic expansion.

Will Your Home Be Hit by a Meteorite?

Avi Loeb·May 15, 2023

Could your home be hit by a meteorite? It isn't a frequent occurrence... but that doesn't mean it never happens.

James Webb Space Telescope Directly Measures Light from Sub-Neptune Exoplanet for the First Time

Christopher Plain·May 11, 2023

For the first time ever, researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have successfully measured the light coming from a sub-Neptune-sized exoplanet that orbits a star only 40 light years away.

Eerie Glowing Discs Spotted Around Fomalhaut in Infrared Images Captured by Webb Space Telescope

Micah Hanks·May 9, 2023

Astronomers studying the first asteroid belt ever seen beyond our solar system have detected a series of glowing discs encircling the star Fomalhaut, according to NASA.

Key to Ancient Mayan Calendar Mystery May Have Finally Been Discovered, Scientists Say

Micah Hanks·May 5, 2023

One of the great mysteries of the ancient Americas has finally been solved, according to anthropologists who say they may have unraveled the longstanding mystery of the ancient Mayan calendar.

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence to Get a Boost from This Colossal Radio Array in New Mexico

Micah Hanks·May 4, 2023

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) will soon be getting help from one of the world’s largest and most powerful radio telescope arrays, as scientists continue to scour the universe for evidence of extraterrestrials and their technologies.

Breaking the Eddington Limit? NASA Study Unravels Sources of Ultra-Luminous X-Rays

Micah Hanks·May 3, 2023

Astronomers say distant mega light-emitting objects may be defying the Eddington limit and offer a new hypothesis as to how that might occur.

The Mysterious Nature of Dark Matter May Finally be Solved

Christopher Plain·May 2, 2023

A new study proposes that Dark Matter, the elusive substance that makes up 85% of the universe, is likely made up of ultralight particles known as axions and not the Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPs, favored by most current theories.

Odd Green Light Filmed Over Japan Came from Space, but NASA Satellite Data Reveals It Was No Meteor

Micah Hanks·April 26, 2023

Whatever flashed through the skies over Japan certainly wasn’t a bird or a plane… could it have been a meteor? As it turns out, NASA satellite data had the answer.

Let There Be Gravity? New Theory Says Gravity May Have Created the Universe’s First Light

Christopher Plain·April 13, 2023

A potentially "illuminating" new theory says that the universe's first light may have been ripped from the fabric of space/time by the extreme forces of gravity in the form of gravitational waves that existed right after the big bang.

Einstein’s Theory of Gravity in Question? What a New Map Detailing One of the Great “Mysteries of the Cosmos” Helps Reveal

Christopher Plain·April 11, 2023

A stunningly detailed cosmological map that covers about of quarter of the entire sky shows the effects of dark matter on the cosmic microwave background radiation, lending strong support for Albert Einstein's theory of gravity.