Tag

Astrophysics

All articles tagged with #astrophysics

astronomy18 hours ago•7 min saved

JWST Reveals Three Active Black Holes in Ancient Galaxy J0148-4214

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified three actively feeding supermassive black holes within the galaxy J0148-4214, located 12.5 billion light-years away. This discovery, published in Astronomy, provides a rare snapshot of the universe just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. The finding challenges existing models of black hole growth and offers insights into how massive black holes formed and merged during the cosmos's infancy.

via Science Daily|

#astronomy #astrophysics #black-holes

science2 days ago•1 min saved

Cosmic Microwave Background Data Rules Out Supermassive Black Holes as Major Dark Matter Component

A new study indicates that 'stupendously large' black holes, with masses exceeding 100 billion solar masses, do not constitute a significant portion of dark matter. Researchers analyzed the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the remnant light from the early universe, to test if dark matter is concentrated in these massive objects. If dark matter were packed into such large black holes, the universe would appear 'grainy' on large scales, causing detectable variations in the CMB temperature. However, the CMB shows a smooth distribution of matter, contradicting this hypothesis. While the largest known black hole is about 36 billion solar masses, no stupendously large ones have been detected. The study, published in Physical Review Letters on October 26, concludes that these objects cannot make up a major fraction of dark matter, though they do not rule out their existence entirely. The researchers are now investigating whether tiny, asteroid-sized black holes could be a significant dark matter component.

via Space|

#astrophysics #black-holes #cosmic-microwave-background

science3 days ago•3 min saved

White Dwarf WD J1330+6435 Breaks Stellar Color Rules with Chartreuse Glow

Astronomers have identified WD J1330+6435 as the first star to appear green to the human eye, challenging the long-held belief that stellar color is determined solely by temperature. This white dwarf, located 280 light-years away, glows chartreuse due to a dense atmosphere rich in sodium, calcium, and lithium. These elements, likely accreted from destroyed planetary bodies, absorb orange and violet light, leaving a green hue. The study, published in RAS Techniques and Instruments, also reveals that other white dwarfs can appear pink, purple, or yellow, demonstrating that atmospheric chemistry can override thermal emission in determining a star's perceived color.

via ZME Science|

#astronomy #astrophysics #planetary-debris

astronomy5 days ago•120 min saved

Hubble Captures Dusty Edge of Spiral Galaxy NGC 1827

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has released a new edge-on image of the spiral galaxy NGC 1827, located 37 million light-years away in the constellation Columba. The image, captured by the Advanced Camera for Surveys, highlights dark dust lanes and blue star-forming regions. This observation is part of a broader survey of 260 low-mass satellite galaxies orbiting Milky Way-like hosts, aiming to refine cosmological models. Hubble has already observed 111 of the target galaxies, with 149 remaining. A bright foreground star in the image is a diffraction artifact, not part of the galaxy.

via Space|

#astronomy #astrophysics #galaxy-survey

science5 days ago•0 min saved

White Dwarfs Break the Color Rule: First Green Star Identified

A University of Warwick study reveals that white dwarf stars can appear in colors beyond the traditional orange, white, and blue, including a newly identified green star. By analyzing spectral data from 151 nearby white dwarfs, researchers found that dense atmospheres and accreted planetary debris alter light absorption, creating hues like green, pink, and yellow. While most white dwarfs remain white, this discovery challenges the assumption that stellar color is determined solely by temperature.

via Nautilus | Science Connected|

#astronomy #astrophysics #science

science6 days ago•6 min saved

Mapping the Milky Way's Core: From Dust-Blocked Views to Black Hole Shadows

Observing the center of the Milky Way requires multi-wavelength techniques because dust blocks visible light. While infrared and radio waves reveal star distributions and jets, the Event Horizon Telescope used global interferometry to image the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. Future observations aim to capture time-evolution of the event horizon.

via Big Think|

#astronomy #astrophysics #black-holes

science6 days ago•155 min saved

Japan's MMX Mission Launches to Return First Samples from Mars' Moon Phobos

Japan's JAXA successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission on October 19, 2026, from Tanegashima Space Center. The spacecraft, riding an H3 rocket, aims to become the first mission to land on Mars' moon Phobos, collect 10 grams of surface material, and return it to Earth by 2031. This historic sample return could resolve decades-old debates about the origin of Mars' moons and potentially provide pristine samples of Martian material.

via Space|

#astrophysics #jaxa #mars

science6 days ago•8 min saved

Magellanic Clouds Face Inevitable Absorption by Milky Way

The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the closest galaxies to the Milky Way, are currently being torn apart by tidal forces. While the Large Cloud hosts the massive Tarantula Nebula, both systems are on a trajectory for eventual absorption into our galaxy within billions of years.

via Daily Kos|

#astronomy #astrophysics #deep-space

science8 days ago•0 min saved

James Webb Telescope Finds Mysterious Signal in 'Empty' Space

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected an unexplained emission line in a region of the sky previously cataloged as empty. The signal, observed twice in 2023, remains unidentified despite multiple hypotheses, prompting calls for further observation.

via Futurism|

#astronomy #astrophysics #hubble-ultra-deep-field

science8 days ago•2 min saved

Astronomers Identify First Microblazar Candidate: A Stellar Black Hole Jetting Plasma at Earth

Astronomers have identified IRAS 18293-0941 as the strongest candidate for a 'microblazar,' a stellar-mass black hole system in our galaxy emitting a plasma jet at 75% of light speed directly toward Earth. Located 12,000 light-years away, this object poses no threat but offers a rare local laboratory for studying extreme astrophysical processes.

via Metro.co.uk|

#astrophysics #black-holes #iras-18293-0941

science11 days ago•9 min saved

Dark-Matter-Free Galaxies DF2, DF4, and DF9 Challenge Modified Gravity Theories

Three faint galaxies located 65 million light-years from Earth, designated DF2, DF4, and DF9, appear to lack dark matter, a finding that supports the existence of dark matter as a physical substance and undermines alternative gravity theories. A June 2026 study suggests these galaxies formed after an ancient collision stripped their dark matter, leaving only ordinary matter behind. While experts debate the exact mechanism of this separation, the absence of dark matter in these systems is difficult to explain without treating dark matter as a distinct, physical entity.

via Quanta Magazine|

#astrophysics #cosmology #dark-matter

cosmology12 days ago•1 min saved

LBT Yp Project Measures Primordial Helium at 24.58%, Aligning with Cosmic Microwave Background Data

The Large Binocular Telescope Yp Project has determined that primordial helium constitutes 24.58% of the early universe's mass, a figure closely matching Planck satellite observations. By analyzing metal-poor galaxies, researchers confirmed that 90% of current cosmic helium originated from the Big Bang, while 10% was produced by stellar fusion. This precise measurement strengthens the Big Bang model by resolving previous uncertainties regarding helium abundance.

via Universe Today|

#astrophysics #big-bang-nucleosynthesis #cosmic-microwave-background

science13 days ago•13 min saved

Francis Halzen Wins 2026 Physics Nobel for IceCube Neutrino Breakthroughs

Francis Halzen, an 82-year-old Belgian-born physicist affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics. The honor recognizes his foundational role in developing the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica, which uses a cubic kilometer of ice to detect high-energy neutrinos from cosmic events. Halzen, who first proposed the concept in 1988, expressed surprise at the award and noted it may help secure funding for future proposals. The prize carries a monetary value of 12 million Swedish kronor.

via HuffPost|

#astrophysics #francis-halzen #icecube-observatory

science13 days ago•5 min saved

Visualizing the Invisible: A Tour of Black Hole Imaging Techniques

Black holes are invisible but detectable via the light emitted by their surrounding accretion disks and jets. Recent advancements in X-ray, radio, and infrared imaging have produced detailed visuals of supermassive black holes, including the first direct image of Sagittarius A* and the first capture of two orbiting black holes in quasar OJ287.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#astrophysics #black-holes #chandra-observatory

science15 days ago•3 min saved

New Images Reveal 'Cosmic Pearls' in 1,000-Year-Old Supernova Remnant

Astronomers have captured the most detailed image to date of the Pa 30 nebula, the remnant of a supernova observed in 1181. Using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, researchers discovered that the nebula's filaments are not smooth streaks but chains of uniform, pearl-like gas knots. This high-resolution view, published in The Astrophysical Journal, offers new clues about how the central 'zombie star' survived the explosion and how the ejecta formed.

via WIRED|

#astronomy #astrophysics #gemini-observatory