Tag

Astrometry

All articles tagged with #astrometry

space1 month ago•29 min saved

Hubble and Webb reveal Omega Centauri's hidden stellar-mass black hole after 23-year hunt

Astronomers using two decades of precise astrometry from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope have identified the first stellar-mass black hole in the Milky Way's Omega Centauri, named oMEGACat BH-2, by tracking a visible star's sky motion around an unseen companion. The binary completes an orbit every 94 years, and the black hole weighs about 4.46 solar masses, confirming a black hole rather than a neutron star. The system likely formed through dynamical interactions in the cluster; this discovery supports Omega Centauri's hidden black-hole population and points to more finds as Hubble, Webb, and future missions survey the cluster.

via The Watchers - Watching the world evolve and transform|

#astrometry #hubble-space-telescope #james-webb-space-telescope

science1 month ago•13 min saved

Omega Centauri's 94-Year Binary Unveils Its First Stellar-Mass Black Hole

Astronomers using two decades of Hubble imagery and JWST data have identified the first stellar-mass black hole in the globular cluster Omega Centauri, designated oMEGACat BH-2, weighing about 4.46 solar masses and in a 94-year orbit around a sun-like star — the longest-period black hole binary yet found. The discovery, based on precise astrometry of stellar wobble, supports the existence of a hidden population of black holes in metal-poor clusters, though the period and mass have uncertainties due to partial orbital coverage; further observations with JWST and upcoming missions will refine the parameters and reveal more such systems.

via Space Daily|

#astrometry #black-hole #hubble-space-telescope

space1 month ago•107 min saved

Omega Centauri Unveils Its First Hidden Stellar-Mass Black Hole

Astronomers using over two decades of Hubble data and JWST observations have confirmed the first stellar-mass black hole in the Omega Centauri globular cluster, designated oMEGACat BH-2, with a mass of 4.46 solar masses orbiting a sun-like star every 94 years. The finding suggests Omega Centauri could host a large hidden population of such black holes and highlights astrometry as a key method, with plans to find more using Roman Space Telescope in the future.

via Space|

#astrometry #hubble-space-telescope #james-webb-space-telescope

science1 month ago•14 min saved

Astronomers uncover first stellar-mass black hole in Omega Centauri with Hubble and Webb

University of Utah researchers used two decades of Hubble data and recent JWST observations to measure stellar motions via astrometry, revealing Omega Centauri’s first stellar-mass black hole, oMEGACat BH-2, with a mass of about 4.46 solar masses and a 94-year orbit—the longest known for a black hole binary. The discovery in this metal-poor globular cluster challenges existing formation theories and suggests such black hole populations may be common, with future surveys (including NASA’s Roman Space Telescope) likely to find more.

via KSL News|

#astrometry #black-hole #hubble-space-telescope

space3 months ago•7 min saved

Roman Telescope to Uncover Hidden Neutron Stars Through Microlensing

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could detect isolated neutron stars—previously invisible to most telescopes—by using astrometric microlensing during its Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey, enabling direct mass measurements and advancing understanding of neutron star and black hole populations.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astrometry #galactic-bulge-time-domain-survey #microlensing

science3 months ago•6 min saved

Roman Space Telescope Could Weigh Hidden Neutron Stars via Gravitational Microlensing

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could spot and weigh isolated neutron stars in the Milky Way using astrometric microlensing in its Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey; by tracking tiny shifts in background starlight as a neutron star passes in front, Roman can directly measure the masses of otherwise invisible remnants, helping map the neutron star–black hole population and shedding light on neutron-star birth kicks, with even a few detections significantly advancing stellar evolution models.

via NASA (.gov)|

#astrometry #gravitational-lensing #microlensing

space7 months ago•76 min saved

Colossal exomoon candidate could redefine the meaning of 'moon'

Astronomers using the GRAVITY instrument on the VLT detected a small but measurable wobble in the gas giant HD 206893 B’s orbit, implying a massive unseen companion — an exomoon potentially about 40% of Jupiter’s mass (roughly nine Neptune masses) orbiting at ~0.2 AU with a ~9‑month period and a ~60° inclination. If confirmed, it would be among the most massive moons known and could force a reevaluation of what defines a moon, while guiding future exomoon searches via astrometry.

via Space|

#astrometry #astronomy #exomoons

science8 months ago•3 min saved

Potential First Discovery of an Exomoon Outside Our Solar System

Astronomers have identified a promising exomoon candidate orbiting the exoplanet HD 206893 B using a novel astrometry-based method, potentially marking the first confirmed exomoon, though further verification is needed. This new approach could revolutionize exomoon detection and enhance our understanding of moons beyond our solar system.

via Gizmodo|

#astrometry #astronomy #exomoons

science9 months ago•4 min saved

Euclid Mission Extends Fuel Life, Scientist Proposes Innovative Usage Plan

Scientists propose extending the Euclid space telescope's mission by using its remaining fuel to perform additional observations, which could enable the measurement of proper motion and parallax of faint objects, vastly enhancing our understanding of the universe beyond its original goals.

via Universe Today|

#astrometry #dark-universe #euclid

astronomy2 years ago•2 min saved

"Gaia Discovers New Tidal Stellar Stream"

Chinese astronomers have used data from ESA's Gaia satellite to discover a new tidal stellar stream in the northern hemisphere of the Milky Way, characterized by low metallicity and high energy. The stream, approximately 80 degrees long and 1.7 degrees wide, was found at a high Galactic latitude and is associated with the merging event Sequoia. Further studies, particularly spectroscopic observations, are needed to better understand this newly detected stellar stream and its properties, with implications for the potential discovery of more such structures in the galaxy.

via Phys.org|

#astrometry #astronomy #chinese-astronomers

space-science2 years ago•6 min saved

Gaia's Quest: Searching for Another Earth

The European Space Agency's Gaia mission, which aims to map over one billion stars in the Milky Way, has the potential to detect Earth-like planets up to 30 light-years away using astrometry. Gaia's astrometry method allows for more accurate determination of an exoplanet's orbital parameters and can detect planets far away from their host stars. If advanced astrometry precision is achieved, Gaia could detect the four giant planets in our solar system within 100 years. Additionally, over 300 stars within ten parsecs from our solar system could potentially detect Earth if they achieve microarcsecond accuracy. The possibility of extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs) using similar technology to Gaia raises the question of whether they could discover planets in our solar system, including Earth.

via Universe Today|

#astrometry #earth-like-planets #etis

astronomy3 years ago•6 min saved

"Newly Discovered Exoplanet Resembles a Younger Version of Jupiter"

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have used astrometry to directly capture images of AF Lep b, one of the lowest-mass planets ever observed. This groundbreaking technique could revolutionize the discovery of extrasolar planets that are challenging to detect due to their distance, mass, or orientation relative to Earth. AF Lep b is approximately three times the mass of Jupiter and orbits a young Sun-like star about 87.5 light-years away. The combination of direct imaging and astrometry allows for the identification of previously difficult-to-detect extrasolar planets and enables the direct measurement of a planet's mass. The researchers plan to further study AF Lep b using advanced telescopes.

via The Jerusalem Post|

#af-lep-b #astrometry #astronomy

astronomy3 years ago•5 min saved

"Revolutionary Exoplanet Discoveries: Young Jupiter's Sibling and Eclipsing Cataclysmic Variable System Unveiled"

Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory have successfully captured direct images of AF Lep b, one of the lowest-mass planets, using the astrometry technique. This marks the first time astrometry has been used to detect a giant planet orbiting a young Sun-like star. AF Lep b is approximately three times the mass of Jupiter and orbits a young star about 87.5 light-years away. This breakthrough could revolutionize the discovery of extrasolar planets that are challenging to detect due to their distance, mass, or orientation relative to Earth.

via SciTechDaily|

#af-lep-b #astrometry #astronomy

astronomy3 years ago•3 min saved

"Stunning Discovery: Young Planet Mirrors Jupiter's Features"

Astronomers have discovered a young exoplanet, AF Lep b, using the astrometry method, which involves measuring tiny changes in a star's position caused by the gravitational tugs of an orbiting planet. This is the first time astrometry has been used to find a giant planet orbiting a young star similar to the Sun. The team also used direct imaging to confirm the planet's existence and determine its mass, distance from its star, and orbital eccentricity. Further observations and studies of AF Lep b will be conducted using advanced telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.

via Universe Today|

#af-lep-b #astrometry #astronomy

astronomy3 years ago•4 min saved

'Jupiter's Younger Sibling' Marks Start of Exoplanet Discovery Era

Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii have directly captured images of AF Lep b, one of the lowest-mass planets ever discovered. The planet is about three times the mass of Jupiter and orbits a young sun-like star about 87.5 light-years away. The discovery was made using a technique called astrometry, which measures the subtle movements of a host star over many years to help astronomers determine whether hard-to-see orbiting companions, including planets, are gravitationally tugging at it. This new method of combining direct imaging with astrometry could help astronomers find extrasolar planets that were hard to find before with other methods.

via Phys.org|

#af-lep-b #astrometry #astronomy