All articles tagged with #dust
Stagecoach 2026 delivered star moments—David Lee Roth joined Teddy Swims to sing Jump again—while new features like the Mustang Stage, extended pit access and a livestream schedule added to the buzz, and organizers warned of dusty air and high winds.
New evidence shows that ordinary nightly fan use does not cause irreversible lung damage; any irritation is typically temporary and linked to dryness, dust, or indoor pollutants. Those with asthma, allergic rhinitis, COPD, or dust sensitivities may notice symptoms more, but risks can be reduced by directing airflow away from the face, cleaning blades, using a HEPA purifier, maintaining 40–50% humidity, and ensuring some fresh air exchange. If wheezing or coughing persists, consult a healthcare professional.
New COLIBRE cosmological simulations include detailed physics for cold gas, dust (three grain types in two sizes), and powerful star/black hole outflows to model the early universe. The virtual universe produced by these high‑fidelity models resembles real JWST observations, suggesting that the presence of large early galaxies can fit standard cosmology when richer physics is included. The work, which required vast compute (about 72 million CPU hours), also highlights ongoing puzzles like the Little Red Dots. The study is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, combined with archival Hubble data, identified the red supergiant star that exploded as supernova SN 2025pht in the galaxy NGC 1637—Webb’s first published detection of a supernova progenitor. The progenitor appeared unusually red due to surrounding dust, supporting ideas that dusty, massive stars can be missed in pre-explosion imaging. The dust is likely carbon-rich, prompting future searches for similar progenitors, including with the upcoming Roman Space Telescope.
A major pile-up on southbound I-25 near Pueblo, Colorado, involved more than 30 vehicles in heavy wind and blowing dust, leaving at least four dead; I-25 was shut in both directions and the crash is under investigation as weather advisories warn of significant blowing dust with gusts to 65 mph on the plains.
Astronomers monitoring WOH G64, a red supergiant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, report real-time changes: the star has dimmed and appears warmer, while its surroundings show more dust and ionized gas. New SALT observations hint at a hotter, smaller companion heating gas near the star and influencing its wind, suggesting binary interaction. If this relationship persists, the star’s visible characteristics could continue to shift, offering a rare live view of the final stages in a massive star’s life.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first detailed image of a red supergiant star before it exploded as a supernova, revealing that many such stars are hidden behind thick dust layers, which obscures them from optical telescopes. This discovery helps explain the previously observed scarcity of luminous red supergiants in pre-explosion images and provides new insights into the life cycle of massive stars.
New research demonstrates that dust significantly influences cloud freezing, with satellite data showing regions with more dust have more ice-topped clouds, which could impact climate models by affecting how clouds reflect sunlight and trap heat.
Attendees at this year's Burning Man in Nevada's Black Rock Desert are facing challenging weather conditions, including dust storms, wind, and potential thunderstorms with hail, although some rain has helped reduce dust. The weather is expected to improve by Thursday, providing relief before the event concludes next Monday. Participants are advised to monitor forecasts and prepare for hazardous conditions.
A new Webb telescope image reveals a spectacular spiral nebula around two Wolf-Rayet stars in the Apep system, providing insights into star death and cosmic dust formation, and uncovering a third star influencing the nebula's shape.
New observations from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal that Uranus's largest moons are not showing the expected radiation damage from the planet's warped magnetic field; instead, dust accumulation from micrometeorites is darkening their leading sides, suggesting a more complex interaction between Uranus's magnetic environment and its moons. The inner moons appear unaffected, and further studies with the James Webb Space Telescope are planned to better understand these phenomena.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of the galaxy IC 4633 partially obscured by a dark nebula, revealing a bustling, star-forming galaxy with an active galactic nucleus. The dark dust blocking the view is part of a star-forming region called Chamaeleon, located closer to Earth than the galaxy. Astronomers are using data from both Hubble and ground-based instruments to study the galaxy and the role of cosmic dust in processes like star formation.
Requiring guests to take off their shoes at the door can help limit the spread of germs and potentially toxic dust in the home. Studies have shown that shoes can carry bacteria, including fecal material, as well as heavy metals and pesticide residues from outdoor environments. To minimize these risks, experts recommend keeping the home as dust-free as possible, using wet mops and damp cloths for cleaning, and vacuuming carpeted areas with HEPA filters. Providing washable slippers or nonslip socks for guests can also be a thoughtful gesture.
The Centaur object 2060 Chiron, a captured cometary object that orbits between Jupiter and Neptune, has been found to have a transforming disk of dust around it that changes shape and can mimic rings. Observations during stellar occultations in 2011 and 2018 revealed the presence of dusty material at different distances from Chiron's center, suggesting an evolving system rather than stable rings. Another Centaur, 10199 Chariklo, was previously shown to have rings, but the findings at Chiron raise questions about the nature of the structures around Chariklo as well. The origin and composition of the material around Chiron remain unknown.
Dust, composed of tiny flying particles, is a complex and ubiquitous substance that has both positive and negative impacts on our world. It nourishes life, contributes to climate change by darkening and heating ice and snow, and can be toxic when contaminated with microplastics or irradiated by nuclear bombs. Dust is intertwined with human activities such as land use changes and industrialization, leading to disastrous consequences like the Dust Bowl and air pollution. The invention of clean rooms, enabled by HEPA filters, has revolutionized modern technology by providing a controlled environment free of particles that could interfere with delicate processes. Dust's role in climate change is multifaceted, as it can both reflect sunlight and trap heat, and its interactions with clouds and ice contribute to feedback loops that amplify warming.