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The next-generation Very Large Array prototype gathers its first light

The Very Large Array, the iconic field of radio antennas featured in the film “Contact” (inspired by Carl Sagan’s novel), has a long and distinguished history of service. But after more than 45 years of studying the radio sky and probing the mysteries of the universe, the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory, […]

Asteroid dirt is ‘fluffier’ than we thought

The strength of gravity is different on every body in the solar system. Whether it’s the crushing weight of Jupiter or the minuscule pull of a small asteroid, this fundamental force of physics still has a major impact on the material those bodies are made up of. A new paper from researchers at the University […]

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS reveals no technosignatures in seven-hour radio scan

Scientists at the SETI Institute recently searched for technological signals from 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object observed in our solar system. Using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Northern California, the team scanned a wide range of radio frequencies for signs of extraterrestrial technology and found none, as expected […]

How Jupiter may have redirected life’s ingredients toward Earth 4.5 billion years ago

NASA-supported scientists have provided new information about how the early Earth may have acquired some elements necessary for the planet to become habitable. They also suggest a new role for Jupiter in the distribution of these elements throughout the young solar system. The study, published in Science Advances, examines this history by looking at the […]

Sunrise III data release opens rare high-altitude solar views that could sharpen space weather forecasts

Close to 100 scientists from all over Europe, the United States, and Japan are gathering this week at the Institute for Solar Physics (KIS) in Freiburg to present and discuss the first scientific results from the successful third flight of the balloon-borne solar observatory SUNRISE. KIS is a key contributor to the SUNRISE project. The […]

Brightness ‘gap’ in ancient star cluster reveals missing red dwarfs

Scientists from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, sought to study one stellar subject and ended up finding something even more exciting. The team’s results published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

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We can predict space weather—what if we could also stop it?

The weather on Earth can get pretty messy sometimes. But in space, it can be wild, and the effects can be far-reaching. Solar flares, giant explosions on the sun, can send out streams of energy that block radio communications and fry satellite electronics. Geomagnetic storms, caused by variations in solar wind, can mess with GPS […]

Most detailed map of the universe’s hidden magnetic fields released

The largest magnetic map of the universe ever produced—five times larger than all previous efforts combined—marks the beginning of a new generation of research into intergalactic magnetism. Magnetic fields influence how galaxies grow, how matter moves through space, and how the universe has evolved over billions of years.

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HETDEX opens massive Cosmic Noon dataset to scientists, novices and AI

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX)—which recently completed the largest survey ever taken of the early universe—has released all of its immense, information-rich database to the public. Built from more than half a petabyte of raw and processed data, it will allow astronomers to study how the first galaxies formed and evolved, measure how […]

Studying impact flashes to detect missile and meteorite composition

Southwest Research Institute, or SwRI, is studying impact flashes generated by high-speed collisions. One application of understanding impact flashes is to remotely identify what materials are involved in the collisions. Advances in understanding optical impact flashes can be highly beneficial for missile defense, making it possible to determine the composition of an intercepted missile and […]

Mars mission ends: NASA declares Maven dead after six months of silence

After six months of radio silence, NASA’s Maven spacecraft at Mars has been declared dead.

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‘BBQ sauce’ phase may link little red dots to quasars

Everyone knows that finding the right sauce recipe can make or break a barbecue, but now astronomers are using BBQSORS (pronounced “barbecue sauce”) as part of the recipe to explain quasars, some of the brightest objects in the universe. These results were made possible by data from a new instrument on the Subaru Telescope.

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Solar sails edge closer to reality, but interstellar travel is another story

From planetary rovers and asteroid sample return missions to the recent Artemis II flight above the far side of the moon, we are seemingly good at doing space. But our achievements still do not match many of our space dreams, science fiction or otherwise.

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Distant blazar OP 313 emits very high-energy gamma rays above 100 GeV

An international team of astronomers have employed one of the Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) at the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) to observe a distant blazar known as OP 313. Results of the observational campaign, published May 26 on the arXiv preprint server, shed more light on the behavior and nature of this object.

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Astronomers uncover statistical evidence for recoiling supermassive black holes

Galactic collisions are events of breathtaking proportions. The supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at their centers plunge into a chaotic orbital dance that eventually coalesce into a single remnant. On their way to that point, they could eventually get “kicked” out of the center of their galaxy—and finding these “recoiling” black holes has been a challenge […]