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Cosmic Dust

All articles tagged with #cosmic dust

Lab-made cosmic dust sheds light on life's origins
science1 month ago

Lab-made cosmic dust sheds light on life's origins

A Sydney PhD candidate recreated interstellar dust in a lab by charging a nitrogen/CO2/acetylene gas mix with about 10,000 volts, producing carbon-rich dust whose infrared fingerprints match those seen in space. The work helps scientists study how CHON-based building blocks form under space-like conditions and aims to build a database of infrared signatures to compare with observations of star-forming regions and meteorites, offering new insights into the origins of life on Earth.

via ScienceDaily|
#astrochemistry#chon#cosmic-dust
Lab-made cosmic dust sheds light on life's beginnings
science6 months ago

Lab-made cosmic dust sheds light on life's beginnings

A University of Sydney doctoral student creates tiny cosmic-dust analogues in the lab by exciting a mix of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and acetylene with 10,000 volts of electricity, reproducing conditions around stars to study how dust catalyzes organic molecules and potentially seeded life; the team aims to build a database of dust types to compare with meteorites and astronomical observations.

via cnn.com|
#astrochemistry#cosmic-dust#linda-losurdo
Webb Zooms in on Helix Nebula: A Dying Star’s Dusty Curtain
space7 months ago

Webb Zooms in on Helix Nebula: A Dying Star’s Dusty Curtain

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captures a sharp close-up of the Helix Nebula, a planetary nebula about 650 light-years away formed when a Sun-like star shed its outer layers and left a white dwarf at its center; Webb’s infrared view reveals hot gas and cooler dust, illustrating how dying stars recycle heavier elements into the cosmos and seed future planets, with binary interactions potentially triggering novae.

via Futurism|
#cosmic-dust#helix-nebula#james-webb-space-telescope
Origins of Cosmic Dust
science11 months ago

Origins of Cosmic Dust

Cosmic dust, composed mainly of small particles of silicates, ices, and metals, originates from processes like supernova explosions, stellar outflows, and planetary nebulae, but the primary source of the universe's dust appears to be core-collapse supernovae, which produce large amounts of dust that can survive destructive processes, playing a crucial role in star and planet formation.

via Big Think|
#cosmic-dust#infrared-astronomy#science
Scientists Investigate Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS and Its Mysteries
science1 year ago

Scientists Investigate Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS and Its Mysteries

3I/ATLAS is an interstellar object observed to lack a typical cometary tail, with surface characteristics suggesting a large, rocky body around 20-46 km in diameter. It shows signs of CO2 ice shedding but no water vapor, raising questions about its origin and composition. Its trajectory and properties hint it may have been purposefully directed into the Solar System, and further observations are needed to understand its true nature.

via Avi Loeb – Medium|
#3iatlas#cosmic-dust#hubble-space-telescope
Webb Telescope Uncovers Unexpected Phenomena in Spiderweb Protocluster
science-and-exploration1 year ago

Webb Telescope Uncovers Unexpected Phenomena in Spiderweb Protocluster

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered new galaxies in the Spiderweb protocluster, challenging previous assumptions about galaxy formation in dense cosmic regions. The findings suggest that gravitational interactions are less significant than previously thought, with star formation fueled by gas accumulation across large-scale structures. This discovery was made possible by Webb's infrared capabilities, which penetrate cosmic dust, revealing obscured galaxies. The research, published in the Astrophysical Journal, marks a significant step in understanding galaxy cluster formation.

via European Space Agency|
#cosmic-dust#galaxy-formation#infrared-astronomy
"Scientists Hunt for Space Dust on English Cathedral Roofs"
astronomyplanetary-science2 years ago

"Scientists Hunt for Space Dust on English Cathedral Roofs"

Scientists are scouring the roofs of English cathedrals, such as Canterbury Cathedral, for cosmic dust particles known as micrometeorites. These tiny particles, which likely originate from comets and asteroids, provide valuable insights into the chemistry of asteroids and meteorites, as well as Earth's history and changes over time. Researchers are using vacuum cleaners to collect thousands of dust particles in the hopes of finding minuscule cosmic spherols, and are also exploring the potential influence of cosmic dust on Earth's chemistry and early prebiotic chemistry. The abundance of urban micrometeorites is opening up planetary science to a wider audience and providing a snapshot of the different processes and bodies in outer space.

via The Guardian|
#astronomyplanetary-science#canterbury-cathedral#cosmic-dust
"Study Suggests Life Spreads Through Space on Invisible Particles"
science2 years ago

"Study Suggests Life Spreads Through Space on Invisible Particles"

New research suggests that life could spread throughout the galaxy via cosmic dust, a process known as panspermia. The study explores how planetary dust particles could escape their host planet's gravitational pull and travel through interstellar space, potentially carrying life or complex organic molecules to other worlds. While the idea is intriguing, the origins of life and the frequency of its appearance on other planets remain unknown, leaving a stubborn nugget of the unknown at the center of these thought experiments and calculations.

via ScienceAlert|
#astrobiology#cosmic-dust#interstellar-travel