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UrduAdam Leroy, a professor of astronomy at The Ohio State University, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Henry Draper Medal.
Tag: Space
A BLACK HOLE JET STUMBLES INTO SOMETHING IN THE DARK
Even matter ejected by black holes can run into objects in the dark. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found an unusual mark from a giant black hole’s powerful jet striking an unidentified object in its path.
Novel supernova observations grant astronomers a peek into the cosmic past
An international team of researchers has made new observations of an unusual supernova, finding the most metal-poor stellar explosion ever observed.
Health Research Launches Into Orbit to Discover How Spaceflight Affects Blood
NASA crew and ground-based scientists are sending blood cells to the International Space Station on November 4 to learn why astronauts have a higher risk of blood clots.
PLANETS BEWARE: NASA UNBURIES DANGER ZONES OF STAR CLUSTER
Most stars form in collections, called clusters or associations, that include very massive stars. These giant stars send out large amounts of high-energy radiation, which can disrupt relatively fragile disks of dust and gas that are in the process of coalescing to form new planets.
A team of astronomers used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, in combination with ultraviolet, optical, and infrared data, to show where some of the most treacherous places in a star cluster may be, where planets’ chances to form are diminished.
A Cosmic Chemical Breakthrough: Astronomers Discover New Building Blocks for Complex Organic Matter
The element carbon is a building block for life, both on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the vast reaches of space. There should be a lot of carbon in space, but surprisingly, it’s not always easy to find. While it can be observed in many places, it doesn’t add up to the volume astronomers would expect to see. The discovery of a new, complex molecule (1-cyanopyrene), challenges these expectations, about where the building blocks for carbon are found, and how they evolve. This research was published today in the journal Science.
WashU Expert: NASA’s Europa Clipper mission science goals
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Oct. 14. The Europa Clipper mission will conduct a detailed investigation of Jupiter’s moon Europa to determine whether there are places below its icy surface that could…
Astrophysicist takes ‘supermassive’ leap in the study of black holes
Nico Cappelluti has been studying supermassive black holes for nearly two decades. NASA recently selected a project he is involved with for closer review, taking him one step closer to understanding the origins of these mysterious cosmic objects.
Europa Clipper: U-M experts available to comment
The launch window will soon open for NASA’s Europa Clipper, the organization’s latest mission to Jupiter’s system of moons.
New lunar distress system could safeguard future astronauts
A team of international scientists has taken a significant step towards making lunar exploration safer, proposing a distress monitoring and rescue system designed for the Moon’s unique and challenging environment.
Q&A: UW researchers examine link between light pollution and interest in astronomy
Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, research scientist the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS), and Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of I-LABS and professor of psychology, recently co-authored a study in Nature Scientific Reports showing a link between the ability to see the stars unblocked by light pollution and an interest in astronomy.
Formation of super-Earths proven limited near metal-poor stars
In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near low-metallicity stars.
The future of space food touches down at Ohio State
In space, fine dining can be an alien experience.
Experiment on Photosynthesis by Scientists at PNNL Headed to the Space Station
As launch time draws near, PNNL scientists are eager to explore how plants might grow in space, where the effect of gravity is substantially weaker.
MD Anderson and collaborators to launch project studying T cells on International Space Station
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and collaborators are initiating a research project that will send T cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of prolonged microgravity on cell differentiation, activation, memory and exhaustion.
Bennu samples unveiled
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists recently received and will analyze samples from the asteroid Bennu that will help explain how it formed and where it came from.
XL-Calibur telescope launched to study black holes
Scientists from Washington University in St. Louis have launched a balloon-borne telescope to unlock the secrets of astrophysical black holes and neutron stars, some of the most extreme objects in the universe. The device known as XL-Calibur was launched from the Swedish Space Corporation’s Esrange Space Center, situated north of the Arctic Circle near Kiruna, Sweden, July 9.
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Could Help Researchers Detect the Universe’s First Stars
The universe’s earliest stars, known as Population III stars, are notoriously hard to detect with even our most powerful observatories due to their great distance and short lifetime.
First year of DESI results unveil new clues about dark energy
Researchers at The Ohio State University played a major role in analyzing the first year of data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument’s survey into the history of the universe.
Hubble Celebrates 34th Anniversary with a Look at the Little Dumbbell Nebula
To celebrate Hubble’s 34th launch anniversary, NASA released the telescope’s new observation of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. Also known as Messier 76, or M76, it is composed of a ring, seen edge-on as the central bar structure, where a central red giant star burned out, and two lobes of gas and dust that are on either opening of the ring.
FAU Engineering Selected by NASA for University Nanosatellite Program
Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science is among eight university teams in the United States selected to work with NASA and the U.S. military to foster innovation and expertise in the small satellite sector.
First Results from DESI Make the Most Precise Measurement of Our Expanding Universe
Researchers have used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to make the largest 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy, the mysterious cause of its accelerating expansion
Northern Arizona U. astronomer, “eclipse chaser” available to comment on April 8 total solar eclipse
In advance of the rare total solar eclipse coming on Monday, April 8, Northern Arizona University astronomer and “eclipse chaser” Cristina Thomas is available for comment. Thomas can share insights on: How solar eclipses work When and where this eclipse…
Condor Telescope Reveals a New World for Astrophysicists
A new telescope called the “Condor Array Telescope” may open up a new world of the very-low-brightness Universe for astrophysicists.
Missouri S&T spacecraft engineering experts available for comment
Spacecraft engineering experts from Missouri University of Science and Technology are available to discuss the first U.S. spacecraft successfully landing on the moon in over five decades. Dr. Hank Pernicka, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor of aerospace engineering, has been a…
GW Experts Available: First U.S. Spacecraft to Land on the Moon in Decades
WASHINGTON (February 23, 2024) – “The moon’s newest arrival was said to be “alive and well” a day after making the first U.S. landing in half a century, but flight controllers were still trying to get a better handle on its bearings.…
SETI institute employs SETI ellipsoid technique for searching for signals from distant civilizations
In a paper published in the Astronomical Journal, a team of researchers from the SETI Institute, Berkeley SETI Research Center and the University of Washington reported an exciting development for the field of astrophysics and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), using observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission to monitor the SETI Ellipsoid, a method for identifying potential signals from advanced civilizations in the cosmos.
Why studying astronauts’ microbiomes is crucial to ensure deep space mission success
Space exploration is a complex and risky mission that requires careful preparation and a thorough understanding of the challenges inherent to life in space
Astronomers spot 18 black holes gobbling up nearby stars
The detections more than double the number of known tidal disruption events in the nearby universe.
UC Irvine-led team unravels mysteries of planet formation, evolution in distant solar system
Irvine, Calif., Jan. 29, 2024 – A recently discovered solar system with six confirmed exoplanets and a possible seventh is boosting astronomers’ knowledge of planet formation and evolution.
New research shows quasars can be buried in their host galaxies
Quasars can be obscured by dense clouds of gas and dust in their host galaxies, not just by donut-shaped rings of dust in the close vicinity of the black hole.
Exploding stars
Search for witnesses of near-Earth astrophysical events
Dr. Jennifer Lotz Appointed Space Telescope Science Institute Director
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Lotz as the Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Dr. Lotz will begin her five-year appointment as STScI Director starting February 12, 2024.
Deep learning speeds up galactic calculations
A new way to simulate supernovae may help shed light on our cosmic origins
NASA’s Webb Makes First Detection of Heavy Element from Star Merger
Using Webb’s spectacular sensitivity, scientists captured the first mid-infrared spectrum from space of a kilonova, which marked Webb’s first direct look at an individual heavy element from such an event.
Engineer developing laser system to defend space assets from debris in Earth’s orbit
If West Virginia University research pays off, debris that litters the planet’s orbit and poses a threat to spacecraft and satellites could get nudged off potential collision courses by a coordinated network of space lasers.
Listening to the Radio on the Far Side of the Moon
Researchers can use the radio-quiet far side of the moon to listen for a never-before-heard signal from the “Dark Ages” of the universe. The LuSEE-Night experiment will act as a pathfinder for future experiments, testing equipment and techniques in the harsh lunar environment.
Engineered compound shows promise in preventing bone loss in space
Mice treated aboard the International Space Station showed significantly reduced bone loss
Increasing national security with satellites that team together
Sandia National Laboratories has been working on an autonomy project led by the Air Force Research Laboratory that could improve the nation’s ability to conduct national security missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, climate monitoring and emergency response.
Tough memory device aims for space missions
Among the many hazards encountered by space probes, exposure to radiation and huge temperature swings pose particular challenges for their electronic circuits. Now KAUST researchers have invented the first ever flash memory device made from gallium oxide, a material that can withstand these harsh conditions far better than conventional electronics.
New research points to possible seasonal climate patterns on early Mars
New observations of mud cracks made by the Curiosity Rover show that high-frequency, wet-dry cycling occurred in early Martian surface environments, indicating that the red planet may have once seen seasonal weather patterns or even flash floods.
Astronomers Reveal New Features of Galactic Black Holes
An international team of scientists, including UNLV astrophysicist Bing Zhang, reports in the July 26 issue of Nature a dedicated observational campaign on the Galactic microquasar dubbed GRS 1915+105. The team revealed features of a microquasar system that have never before been seen.
When the First Stars Turned On: The Origins of the Universe
All stories start somewhere – even the incomprehensibly vast expanse above us has a beginning. Scientists have long studied the cosmos, searching for answers to the “how’s” and “why’s” of life, and that effort continues to this day. From concepts such as ‘Cosmic Dawn’ and ‘redshift,’ UNLV astronomer and computer scientist Paul La Plante focuses on topics that improve our understanding of where it all began.
DESI Early Data Release Holds Nearly Two Million Objects
The universe is big, and it’s getting bigger. To study dark energy, the mysterious force behind the accelerating expansion of our universe, scientists are using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to map more than 40 million galaxies, quasars, and stars. Today, the collaboration publicly released its first batch of data, with nearly 2 million objects for researchers to explore.
UC San Diego First to Test Cancer Drugs in Space Using Private Astronaut Mission
The latest space experiments from UC San Diego and Axiom Space will explore therapies for breast and colorectal cancer aboard the ISS, and monitor astronauts’ stem cell health over time.
Georgia Tech to Lead NASA Center on Lunar Research and Exploration
Georgia Tech researchers have been selected by NASA to lead a $7.5 million center that will study the lunar environment, and explore the generation and properties of volatiles and dust.
WFIRM bioprinting research makes history when it soars to the ISS
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) will make history this month when the first bioprinted solid tissue constructs soar to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the next all private astronaut mission by commercial space leader Axiom Space.
Defying (micro)gravity
As part of its “Moon to Mars” initiative, NASA plans to send humans farther into space than ever before.
Pioneering research sheds new light on the origins and composition of planet Mars
A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the liquid core at the centre of Mars, furthering understanding of the planet’s formation and evolution.
JWST confirms giant planet atmospheres vary widely
An international team of astronomers has found the atmospheric compositions of giant planets out in the galaxy do not fit our own solar system trend.