All posts tagged: Astronomers

Study reveals clues to Milky Way’s past through stars from ancient ‘Loki’ galaxy

Study reveals clues to Milky Way’s past through stars from ancient ‘Loki’ galaxy

Published by Webster

The Milky Way was formed gradually, as smaller galaxies got subsumed into our own galaxy over billions of years, and stars left over still share characteristics. By studying their similarities, scientists can determine their galaxies of origin. Astronomers identified a sample of these 20 stars that may have grown up together in a dwarf galaxy, which the team has dubbed ‘Loki’. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Astronomers spot blue straggler star hosting brown dwarf companion

Astronomers spot blue straggler star hosting brown dwarf companion

Published by Parlour News

An artist’s impression of the discovered compact binary system showing a BSS primary orbited by a BD companion in an ultra-short, nearly circular orbit with a period of about 5.6 hours | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A team of astronomers from various institutions have made the world’s first confirmed discovery of a blue straggler star hosting a brown dwarf companion in a very compact binary system. This breakthrough by the team from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Gauhati University, and INAF-Catania Astrophysical Observatory, Italy, could reshape astronomers’ understanding of how stars evolve. Brighter and bluer According to the Department of Science and Technology, scientists have long been puzzled by blue straggler stars, which appear brighter and bluer than the main-sequence turn-off in star clusters, defying standard stellar evolution because all cluster stars are expected to be of similar age. The team consisted of Ali Hasan Sheikh, Biman J. Medhi from Gauhati University, Sergio Messina from INAF-Catania, Annapurni Subramanium and Ram Sagar from IIA, and Neelam Panwar from …

Astronomers Spot Nearly Perfect Supernova Remnant of Unknown Size and Distance

Astronomers Spot Nearly Perfect Supernova Remnant of Unknown Size and Distance

Published by Webster

Glowing faintly on the Milky Way’s outskirts, astronomers have found a nearly perfect spherical relic of a supernova, challenging accepted knowledge of stellar explosions. Apart from its terrible symmetry, the orb, G305.4–2.2 or “Telios”—Greek for “perfect”—is confusing in terms of size and distance. Captured on radio pictures from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), the object might be either remarkably young or old. Its remarkable shape raises fundamental questions about how such near-perfect remnants form, especially given the chaotic nature of typical stellar deaths. Astronomers Find Rarely Symmetrical Supernova Remnant in Milky Way Outskirts As per a recent study published on the preprint server arXiv and accepted by Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, Telios was detected during the Evolutionary Map of the Universe project. Most supernova remnants (SNRs) have spheroidal shapes, none close to the smooth circular extremity of this record-holding SNR. “This object is circularly symmetric, indicating that it is one of the most circular galactic SNRs ever seen,” the authors mentioned. Telios’ unusual symmetry is paired with extremely low brightness, making it …

Astronomers Discover Teleios, A Supernova Remnant with Perfect Symmetry

Astronomers Discover Teleios, A Supernova Remnant with Perfect Symmetry

Published by Webster

A Supernova remnant (SNR) with exceptional circular symmetry has been spotted by an international team of researchers. Supernova remnants (SNRs) are the remains of a supernova explosion, seen as diffuse,expanding structures. Observations show that SNRs harbor ejected material expanding from the supernova explosion. They also contain other interstellar material that has been swept up by the passage of the shockwave from the exploded star. This rather unusual SNR is named “Teleios”, the Greek term of perfect. The newfound SNR, officially designated as G305.4–2.2 was identified in the radio-continuum images of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU). Unusual structure and properties According to the research paper describing the “Teleios”, it stands out for its unusual symmetrical structure. SNRs generally are unsymmetrical due to uneven distribution of the interstellar medium (ISM) they expand into. A few remnants like lSNR J0624–6948, SN1987A, or MC SNR J0509–6731 exhibit similar morphology According to the paper, G305.4–2.2 or “Teleios” is located at a distance of 7,170 or 25,100 light years away, corresponding to a …

Astronomers Discover Closest Known Molecular Cloud to Earth

Astronomers Discover Closest Known Molecular Cloud to Earth

Published by Webster

Astronomers found the nearest known molecular cloud to Earth, providing scientists with a unique up-close look at the cosmic recycling of matter that drives the formation of new planets and stars.The newly discovered cloud, named “Eos” after the Greek goddess of dawn, is a massive, crescent-shaped mass of hydrogen gas that is only 300 light-years away from Earth. It is one of the biggest formations in the sky, spanning the equivalent of around 40 Earth moons arranged side by side at a width of nearly 100 light-years. How it escaped detection According to a paper published April 28 in the journal Nature Astronomy, Eos has so far escaped detection because of its low concentration of carbon monoxide (CO), a bright, easily detectable chemical signature that astronomers typically use to identify molecular clouds, despite its massive size and relative proximity to Earth. The researchers detected Eos through the fluorescent glow of hydrogen molecules within it — a novel approach that could reveal many similarly hidden clouds throughout the galaxy. Burkhart said to Live Sciences, “There definitely …

Super Earths are Quite Common Outside the Solar System, New Study Reveals

Super Earths are Quite Common Outside the Solar System, New Study Reveals

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A team of international astronomers, led by Weicheng Zang from the Centre for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (Cfa), had announced the discovery of a planet whose size is twice that of Earth, and orbits around its star at a distance farther out than Saturn. These findings reveal how planets differ from our existing solar system. The discovery was first published in the Journal Science on April 25, 2025. Scientists fetched this data from the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), also known as the largest microlensing survey to date. This Super Earth, called a planet due to its size being bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, is more significant as it is a large study where the masses of many planets have been measured relative to the stars that they orbit. As per physics.org, the team of researchers found fresh information about the number of planets that surround the Milky Way. Study by KMTNet According to the study conducted using Korean Microlensing data in which light from faraway objects is amplified through the use …

Scientists Reportedly Found a Potential Sign of Life on a Distant Planet: What You Need to Know

Scientists Reportedly Found a Potential Sign of Life on a Distant Planet: What You Need to Know

Published by Webster

A team of astronomers have reportedly discovered biological activity outside the solar system. The scientists have revealed that the distant planet, named K2-18 b, comprises more than one molecule in its atmosphere that potentially has been generated by living things. However, this revelation has made a sensation among astronomers across the world, more specifically for those who study biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres.   According to report by Nature.com, K2-18 b is a planet that is smaller than Neptune. It lies at a distance of 38 parsecs above the Earth. About the Discovery Dimethyl sulphide (DMS) has been discovered by scientists from the University of Cambridge, UK, in the atmosphere of K2-18b. The DMS molecule is generated by living organisms, which has raised speculations about the potential for life on this distant planet. The scientists used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to implement research. Also, the discovery happened when a molecule was detected in the starlight filtering through the planet’s atmosphere. These chemicals have raised curiosity amongst astronomers as they are generated by living organisms …

Astronomers Discover Potential ‘Dark Galaxy’ Near the Milky Way

Astronomers Discover Potential ‘Dark Galaxy’ Near the Milky Way

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Astronomers might have discovered a dark galaxy, primarily made up of dark matter, in the local universe. Dark galaxies are theoretical starless systems that could provide valuable insight for galaxy formation models. The candidate was in a massive, rapidly moving gas cloud, first discovered in the 1960s. At high resolution, the methyl formate cloud appeared to be a tight knot of gas, potentially forming a dark galaxy. But not all astronomers are convinced. It’s more likely to be a regular gas cloud at the edge of the Milky Way, says the astronomer Tobias Westmeier. The study was published in Science Adviser. It reveals that since the early 2000s, a few possible dark galaxies have been discovered close to the Milky Way. However, multiple studies have suggested that these alleged dark galaxies were misclassified. The study further highlights that the hypothetical dark galaxy evolved this way after a collision with cosmic gas close to our galaxy. Finding dark galaxies could enable better computer simulations and provide fresh insight into galaxy development. Astronomers Discover Dark Galaxy Candidate Near Milky Way …

NASA Hubble Space Telescope Helps Confirm the First Solitary Black Hole

NASA Hubble Space Telescope Helps Confirm the First Solitary Black Hole

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For the first time, the existence of a lone black hole has been confirmed by scientists. This black hole has no star orbiting it. According to the statement by Kailash Sahu, astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, “it’s the only one so far”. The discovery made headlines in the year 2022, when Sahu and his Team claimed a dark object was moving through the constellation Sagittarius. However, another team of researchers disputed the claims by identifying the object as a neutron star. About the Discovery This discovery came into the light three years ago. All the stellar-mass black holes are accompanied by stars that betray their presence and race around an invisible star, along with three times the sun’s mass. Such a procedure indicates the presence of black holes rather than a neutron star. On the contrary, the solitary black holes are expected to be common, but are very hard to find. Likewise, the one in Sagittarius was identified while passing through the dim background star and additionally shifting its position due …

Astronomers Detect Methane in the Atmosphere of the Nearest T Dwarf Star to Earth

Astronomers Detect Methane in the Atmosphere of the Nearest T Dwarf Star to Earth

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The scientists have found methane in the atmosphere of WISEA J181006.18 −101000.5, the T dwarf closest to Earth. The study was published in the online preprint journal arXiv on March 28, and the final, revised version was published on November 17. The WISE1810 is a metal-poor T dwarf planet, which is situated at a distance of 29 light years from the Earth. The effective temperature of the dwarf is reported to be within the range of 800–1,300 K. Methane Signature Surprises Astronomers According to a Phys.org report, the finding is made greatly possible by the present 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). The detection of methane in the atmosphere of the dwarf planet has further made its classification as T-type instead of L-type, which was earlier suggested in previous studies, the publication notes. The study further reveal that there are no traces of carbon monoxide and potassium in the atmosphere of the WISE1810.  The study further highlights that the carbon abundance in the planet is estimated to be -1.5 dex, while the effective temperature could be around 1,000 K. …