Tag: Astrophysics
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Astronomers Uncover an Iron Bar in the Ring Nebula: A New Clue for Cosmic Chemistry
Overview: A familiar object with an unfamiliar feature The Ring Nebula, known to skywatchers and scientists as Messier 57 (M57), has long served as a quintessential example of a planetary nebula. Its bright ring, illuminated by a dying central star, has been studied for decades. Yet a recent discovery has added a twist: researchers have…
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Hubble Spots Infant Star Firing a 32-Light-Year Jet of Hot Gas
Hubble Captures a Stellar Jet in Real Time Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have unveiled a remarkable sight: a newborn star, still in the early stages of its life, ejecting a blazing jet of hot gas that stretches about 32 light-years across the surrounding nebula. This rare close-up view provides a vivid glimpse into…
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Black Hole Space Volcano Erupts After 100 Million Year Nap
Overview: A Dormant Giant Reawakens In a striking turn of cosmic events, a supermassive black hole nestled within a distant galaxy cluster has bursts of activity after an astonishing 100 million-year slumber. Researchers describe the renewed energy as a dramatic “eruption” of material and jets, offering a rare glimpse into how these titanic engines switch…
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What are dark stars? How they could solve three cosmic mysteries
What are dark stars? Dark stars are a theoretical idea proposed to explain how the first generations of luminous objects in the universe formed during cosmic dawn. Unlike ordinary stars powered by nuclear fusion, these hypothetical stars would be energized in part by the annihilation of dark matter particles in their cores. This extra energy…
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Black Holes Act Like Cosmic Seesaws, Shaping the Universe, Says NASA X-Ray Study
Introduction: A Delicate Balance in the Cosmos New observations from a NASA X-ray instrument are reshaping our understanding of how black holes influence their surroundings. Rather than merely consuming matter and radiating power, these enigmatic objects appear to operate like cosmic seesaws, simultaneously generating powerful winds and high-energy jets while restraining one another. The result…
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Astronomers Capture a Twisted Dance of Two Supermassive Black Holes and Unseen Jet Behavior
Overview: A cosmic waltz at the edge of a galaxy In a landmark observation, scientists using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) have captured evidence of a dramatic interaction between what appears to be two supermassive black holes at the center of a distant galaxy. The data reveal a violent, energy-packed dance — a gravitational ballet…
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A Cosmic Pas de Deux: Two Supermassive Black Holes in a Twisted Jet Dance
Global telescope catches unprecedented dance between titanic black holes In a landmark observation, astronomers using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) have captured compelling evidence of a pair of supermassive black holes locked in a violent, choreographed encounter at the center of a distant galaxy. The data show a strikingly twisted arrangement of relativistic jets and…
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Supermassive Stars Explain Nitrogen Boost in GN-z11
Introduction: A Nitrogen Enigma in the Early Universe Astronomers have long suspected that the first galaxies formed with simple chemical footprints. Yet recent observations of GN-z11, a galaxy seen as it was when the universe was just about 420 million years old, reveal unusually high nitrogen levels. This surprising finding challenges conventional models of early…
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Platypus Galaxies: JWST’s Baby Cosmic Objects Spark Astronomical Debate
What JWST Has Observed The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured images and spectral data of strange, compact objects in distant regions of the early universe. These features appear to blend traits of both newborn stars and nascent galaxies, prompting astronomers to nickname them “platypus” objects—an analogy to the duck-billed, multi-faceted creature that embodies…
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Winners of the 2026 RAS Awards Revealed: Groundbreaking Pulsar Discoveries and Magnetic Field Geophysics Honored
Celebrating Pioneering Minds: 2026 RAS Award Winners The Royal Astronomical Society has announced the winners of its prestigious 2026 prizes, recognizing two researchers whose work spans the most extreme corners of the cosmos and the dynamic geophysics of our own planet. One recipient is famed for transformative discoveries in millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae.…