Tag

Vlti

All articles tagged with #vlti

space4 hours ago•2 min saved

S301: Milky Way’s Fastest Star Skims the Central Black Hole

Astronomers have found S301, the Milky Way’s fastest star, zooming around the central black hole Sagittarius A* at about 25,000 km/s on a tight 8.7-year orbit, coming within roughly 12 AU of the hole. Its extreme proximity could enable a direct measurement of the black hole’s spin and a stringent test of Einstein’s general relativity, using the ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer to track the orbit back to 2017 and observe the 2031 pericentre passage; spin measurements could come within a decade.

via The Guardian|

#black-hole-spin #general-relativity #s301

space1 month ago•1 min saved

ESO fires lasers to create artificial guide stars for sharper cosmic observations

The European Southern Observatory uses lasers on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer to create artificial guide stars ~90 km up, enabling adaptive optics that correct atmospheric blur and deliver sharper observations of the Tarantula Nebula as part of the GRAVITY+ upgrade.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#adaptive-optics #astronomy #gravity

astronomy3 months ago•4 min saved

Four Laser Beacons Sharpen Our View of the Cosmos from Earth

Astronomers use ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer to project four laser guide stars into the upper atmosphere, enabling adaptive optics that correct atmospheric distortion and produce crisper, space-like images from ground-based telescopes, including detailed studies of distant regions like the Tarantula Nebula.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#adaptive-optics #astronomy #eso

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Astronomers Capture First Detailed Image of Distant Giant Star

Astronomers have captured the first close-up image of WOH G64, a massive red supergiant star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer in Chile. This achievement provides new insights into the final stages of massive stars' lives, revealing a complex, asymmetric envelope of gas and dust surrounding the star. The observations highlight the dynamic processes of mass loss and stellar evolution, offering a glimpse into the pre-supernova phase of such cosmic giants.

via The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel|

#astronomy #red-supergiant #science

science1 year ago•3 min saved

First Detailed Image of Star Beyond Milky Way Captured

Astronomers have captured the first detailed image of a star outside the Milky Way, the red supergiant WOH G64, using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. Located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, WOH G64 is 2,000 times the size of the sun and is in its final stages before a supernova. The image reveals a cocoon of gas and dust surrounding the star, indicating significant material ejection. This achievement was made possible by the VLTI's GRAVITY instrument, which combines light from multiple telescopes for enhanced sensitivity.

via Space.com|

#astronomy #large-magellanic-cloud #milky-way