Tag

Very Large Telescope Interferometer

All articles tagged with #very large telescope interferometer

space13 days ago•158 min saved

Milky Way's fastest star rockets around Sagittarius A* at 8% light speed

Astronomers have identified S301, the Milky Way’s fastest star, racing around the galaxy’s supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at about 15,500 miles per second (over 8% of light). Its tight 8.7-year orbit, roughly 12 AU from the black hole, offers a novel way to probe Sagittarius A*’s spin and test general relativity via frame dragging, using the GRAVITY instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The discovery, reported in Nature, could allow direct measurements of the black hole’s spin within a decade as researchers continue to monitor two full orbits; S301 may have been captured from a binary system.

via Space|

#frame-dragging #gravity #s301

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Historic First: Detailed Image of Dying Star Beyond Our Galaxy

Astronomers have captured the first detailed image of WOH G64, a dying red supergiant star located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The image reveals the star's expulsion of gas and dust, forming a cocoon-like structure around it, providing insights into the end stages of stellar life. This breakthrough allows scientists to better understand the dynamics of such stars as they approach a supernova explosion.

via Gizmodo|

#astronomy #european-southern-observatory #large-magellanic-cloud

astronomy2 years ago•8 min saved

"Unveiling Cosmic Origins: Observing Three Iron Rings Redefining Planet Formation"

Observations with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer found a three-ringed structure in the inner planet-forming disk of a young star, suggesting the formation of two Jupiter-mass planets in the gaps between the rings. The detailed analysis indicates the presence of abundant solid iron grains, resembling conditions during the formation of rocky planets in the early Solar System. This discovery offers insights into planet formation and the composition of planetary building blocks, potentially redefining our understanding of cosmic origins.

via SciTechDaily|

#astronomy #iron-rings #max-planck-institute-for-astronomy

astronomy2 years ago•5 min saved

"Astronomers Discover Triple Iron Rings in Planet-Forming Disk"

Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer have observed three concentric iron-rich rings in the planet-forming disk of the young star HD 144432, resembling the region where rocky planets formed in the early solar system. The presence of iron and silicate compounds in the disk suggests similarities to the conditions of the early solar system, potentially shedding light on the composition of rocky planets like Earth. The high-resolution observations also indicate the potential formation of planets within the gaps of the ring system, providing valuable insights into the planet formation process around young stars.

via Phys.org|

#astronomy #iron-rings #planet-forming-disk