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The Murchison Widefield Array just doubled in size—what could it find now?

Radio astronomy took another step forward recently, with the completion of Phase III of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Western Australia. We’ve reported before on how the MWA has investigated everything from SETI signals to the light from the earliest stars. With this upgrade, the MWA will continue to operate with much needed improvements […]

Plasma propulsion system could help remove space debris without contact

Space has a trash problem, with defunct satellites, rockets, and smaller broken bits orbiting Earth at high speeds. The amount of space junk is only increasing, raising the risk of collision with active satellites and spacecraft, according to Kazunori Takahashi, associate professor in the Graduate School of Engineering at Tohoku University in Japan. Takahashi may […]

INTEGRAL observes exceptionally bright X-ray flares from Cygnus X-1

Using ESA’s INTEGRAL spacecraft, astronomers have detected exceptionally bright X-ray flares from the Cygnus X-1 X-ray binary system. This is the first time that such strong flaring activity has been observed in this system although it has been monitored for decades. The new findings were detailed in a paper published August 28 on the pre-print […]

Earth has an outer space treaty, but is it time for an orbital activity treaty?

Did you know nearly 17,500 satellites have been launched since 1957? Or what about the fact that more than 10% of those launches weren’t registered internationally?

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TRAPPIST-1e observations narrow down possibilities for atmosphere and surface water on elusive exoplanet

University of Bristol astrophysicists are helping shed new light on an Earth-sized exoplanet 40 light years away where liquid water in the form of a global ocean or icy expanse might exist on its surface. That would only be possible if an atmosphere is present—a big mystery that the scientists are attempting to unravel and […]

‘Blood Moon’ rises during total lunar eclipse

Stargazers enjoyed a “Blood Moon” Sunday night during a total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and swaths of Europe and Africa.

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Mars has a solid core, resolving a longstanding planetary mystery, according to new study

Scientists have discovered that Mars has an interior structure similar to Earth’s. Results from NASA’s InSight mission suggest that the red planet has a solid inner core surrounded by a liquid outer core, potentially resolving a longstanding mystery.

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Image: Hubble spies galaxy with much to see

While it may appear as just another spiral galaxy among billions in the universe, this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals a galaxy with plenty to study. The galaxy, NGC 7456, is located over 51 million light-years away in the constellation Grus (the Crane).

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Asia will get a prime view of this weekend’s total lunar eclipse

The year’s second total lunar eclipse is coming up fast, and this time Asia will have the best seats in the cosmos.

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A glimpse of a planet in formation: AB Aurigae b detected in H-alpha light

Since the first discovery of planets beyond the solar system in 1995, more than 6,000 exoplanets have been identified. Many of these planets have properties that differ significantly from the eight planets in our solar system. How are such diverse exoplanets formed and evolved, and which of them could potentially become Earth-like planets capable of […]

Kepler space telescope helps uncover true source of KOI-1755 transit signal

A research team led by Ph.D. candidate Wang Haozhi under the supervision of Prof. Ali Esamdin at the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has revealed the genuine source of the pulsating star KOI-1755 transit signal using the Kepler space telescope. Their findings are published in The Astronomical Journal.

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Clues in a dusty disk point the way to a potential exoplanet

Large exoplanets are more easily detected than small ones. It’s axiomatic. While large planets block out more starlight during transits, small planets block out much less, letting them hide in the overpowering glare from their stars. To help detect sub-Jupiter mass exoplanets, astronomers search for the effect these planets can have on their surroundings.

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Fomalhaut star’s warped ring shows evidence of sculpting by ancient planets

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have made the highest resolution image to date, revealing new insights into the unusual and mysterious architecture of the debris disk encircling Fomalhaut, one of the brightest and most well-studied stars in our cosmic neighborhood.

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Protostellar jet detection in Milky Way’s outer region reveals universal star formation

Astronomers have gained insights into star formation by capturing the first spatially resolved detection of protostellar outflows and jets in the Milky Way’s outer region.

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Astronomers and students capture growing tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during observing program

Astronomers and students working together through a unique educational initiative have obtained a striking new image of the growing tail of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS. The observations reveal a prominent tail and glowing coma from this rare celestial visitor, while also providing new scientific measurements of its colors and composition.

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