10:01, 19 Dec
The new temporary satellite of Earth turned out to be a fragment of the Moon.
A team of American astronomers has examined the near-Earth asteroid 2024 PT5, which temporarily became a companion to our planet for nearly two months, and has determined its nature. It appears to be a fragment of lunar rock. According to the authors of a new scientific study, there is a hidden population of such objects drifting in space, all awaiting discovery.
10:00, 19 Dec
The Moon is actually tens of millions of years older than previously believed.
There are too few craters on the Moon to account for its ancient formation alongside Earth. Analysis of surface rocks also reveals a significant variation in the age of the natural satellite, ranging from 4.35 to 4.51 billion years. In a new study, researchers have found an explanation for these discrepancies and concluded that the Moon is, in fact, older than previously believed.
10:01, 18 Dec
For the first time, a "photographed" black hole has produced a rare flare.
The very black hole, whose silhouette was first observed by the world, is situated at the center of the massive galaxy M87. It has drawn significant attention long before the iconic image was captured, as it continuously emits a colossal stream of plasma towards us, and occasionally experiences unpredictable and somewhat mysterious events. One such event was successfully recorded during recent observations for the first time in many years.
10:01, 18 Dec
The low metallicity of stars did not hinder the formation of planets in the ancient universe.
In the early Universe, stars contained few heavy elements, which hindered the formation of planets. In conditions of low metallicity, protoplanetary disks dispersed before they could form bodies the size of Jupiter or larger. However, observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed that even under such conditions, massive planets were forming in the dawn of the Universe.
10:01, 18 Dec
The first double star system near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way has been discovered.
Supermassive black holes are not as destructive as commonly believed. In the vicinity of the Milky Way's center, where researchers previously discovered young solitary stars, they have now identified the first binary star system. This finding could provide insights into the nature of the enigmatic G-objects.
10:01, 18 Dec
An unusual spiral galaxy with two arms has been discovered in the early universe.
In the early stages of the universe's evolution, its inhabitants were primarily "clumpy" and turbulent galaxies, while spiral disks were virtually nonexistent during that epoch. However, using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have, for the first time, observed a massive spiral galaxy with two distinct arms—just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
10:00, 18 Dec
Planetologists have clarified the "elusiveness" of water on Mars.
For many years, a curious phenomenon has been observed on the steep slopes of Martian craters and canyons: every summer, numerous narrow dark streaks appear and gradually extend downward. These markings vanish during the colder months. The prevailing theory suggests they are indicators of liquid water still existing on the Red Planet. However, the authors of a recent study express significant skepticism regarding this notion.
10:00, 17 Dec
Saturn's rings are likely much older than scientists previously thought.
Saturn features a complex ring system, with rings spaced several hundred thousand kilometers apart. In 2017, the Cassini space probe transmitted data about the gas giant, allowing researchers to estimate the age of its rings, which turned out to be relatively young. However, a team of astronomers from Japan questioned their colleagues' conclusions and conducted a new analysis. Their findings suggest that the rings may have formed around the same time as the planet itself.
10:00, 15 Dec
An unusual cosmic flare may have concealed a long-awaited black hole of intermediate mass.
Astronomers have observed a highly unusual phenomenon in a distant, small galaxy: an unknown object flared up and faded away so rapidly that it stands in stark contrast to most similar events in the cosmos. There is speculation that this occurrence is linked to a black hole—specifically, the elusive intermediate-mass black hole that has long been sought after.
10:00, 14 Dec
Radiation has erased any traces of potential life on Mars.
On the Red Planet, an increasing number of locations are being discovered where organic traces of ancient life may have been preserved. However, the authors of a new study express skepticism about the success of these searches: it turns out that potential signs of life are deteriorating due to cosmic radiation more quickly than previously thought. Furthermore, the saline environment, often considered promising for the preservation of life signs, actually accelerates these processes.
10:01, 13 Dec
The volcano-covered moon of Jupiter was found to lack a magma ocean beneath its surface.
The tidal forces generated by its proximity to the gas giant sustain volcanic activity on Io, the most geologically active body in the Solar System. Scientists have even suggested that these forces could be strong enough to melt rock within the interior of this moon of Jupiter. However, recent measurements indicate that there is no magma ocean beneath Io's "crust" after all.
10:01, 13 Dec
A universe-sized laboratory: what experiments are astronomers monitoring?
Just recently, at the beginning of the 20th century, our Universe appeared quite different from how it does today. It's enough to say that a century ago, there was only one galaxy in the Universe—the Milky Way (which essentially constituted the entire Universe). Naturally, it was seen as eternal and unchanging, "stationary," as scientists would describe it. Since then, the landscape has transformed dramatically.
10:00, 13 Dec
Astrophysicists have determined the frequency of super flares occurring on sun-like stars.
Powerful flares on sun-like stars are explosive events that release energy thousands of times greater than that of typical solar flares. If such an event were to occur on our sun, it could disrupt energy systems and satellites responsible for navigation and satellite communication. While researchers are currently unable to predict these types of phenomena, they have learned to calculate the frequency of super flares occurring in space. It turns out that these events happen much more often than previously thought by scientists.
10:00, 13 Dec
An unidentified interstellar object may have altered the orbits of planets in our Solar System.
The solar system is 4.6 billion years old, and the current arrangement of the planets reveals its distinctly dynamic past: something has caused these worlds to shift. A recent discovery of the first known interstellar objects has led astronomers to speculate that such an object may have visited our cosmic family in the distant past, potentially shaping the configuration we observe today.
10:01, 12 Dec
Astronomers have discovered seven asteroids that exhibit behavior similar to that of tailless comets.
Comets are distinguished from asteroids by their abundance of ice and other volatile substances, which can be observed around the celestial body in the form of a coma—a small "atmosphere." However, there are instances when no coma, and certainly no tail, is present. Nevertheless, it appears that material can sometimes be ejected from what seems to be a solid body. These unusual occurrences are classified as a special category of celestial objects known as "dark comets." While it's challenging to determine their exact number, scientists recently discovered seven more and even mapped their distribution throughout the Solar System.
10:01, 12 Dec
A small galaxy in the young universe turned out to be a youthful version of the Milky Way.
For the first time, astronomers have studied a young, forming galaxy of relatively small mass just 615 million years after the Big Bang. This galaxy has a mass similar to that of the Milky Way in its early stages. Thanks to gravitational lensing, scientists were even able to observe clusters of stars within this young galaxy.
10:00, 12 Dec
An unusual V-shaped structure has been observed near a supermassive black hole.
For many years, astronomers have been observing massive plasma jets emanating from the core of the Centaurus A galaxy. However, they recently discovered something unusual: an unidentified object near one of the jets has expelled a distinctive double trail. The "arms" of this trail spread out from a single point in opposite directions, forming an angle. Researchers now need to investigate how this phenomenon occurred.
10:02, 11 Dec
Astronomers have identified over a hundred potential "Tunguska meteorites."
Most meteorites that fall to Earth originate from the main asteroid belt. Using a new method, an international team of scientists has successfully identified over a hundred record-small asteroids within this belt for the first time. Smaller asteroids are more likely than larger ones to break away from the belt and reach our planet.
10:01, 11 Dec
Astronomers have clarified how spherical structures formed in ancient galaxies.
Until recently, scientists were unable to determine how massive elliptical galaxies, whose star-filled cores resemble convex spherical structures, formed in the early universe. However, data from observations made with the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) radio telescope have now provided crucial insights into their formation. These research findings could serve as a missing piece in the astrophysical puzzle.
10:01, 11 Dec
A system of black holes has been discovered in the largest star cluster of the Milky Way.
In the Omega Centauri globular cluster, scientists hoped to discover a so-called intermediate-mass black hole—something that lies between the small black holes left behind by "dying" stars and the supermassive black holes found at the centers of galaxies. Despite extensive searches for these elusive black holes, efforts in space have thus far been unsuccessful. It appears that there are none in Omega Centauri; however, the cluster does host an entire system of other black holes.
10:02, 10 Dec
The shape of the Moon's ancient crater may reveal its origins.
The South Pole-Aitken Basin is the largest and oldest impact crater on the Moon, preserving memories from the very beginning of the Solar System's history and possibly even shedding light on the origins of Earth's satellite. Recent discoveries indicate that during future lunar landings, astronauts will have a significant opportunity to collect the very rocks that were ejected from the depths of our natural satellite by this ancient impact. Analyzing these samples could provide valuable insights, including a definitive answer to the question of how the Moon came into existence.
10:00, 09 Dec
The cosmological constant has turned out to be variable.
Data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument indicate that the cosmological constant has been gradually changing since the universe came into existence. This suggests that it is not entirely constant and significantly undermines the hypothesis that the source of this "constant" is the vacuum.
10:01, 08 Dec
A new strange radio wave has hinted at the possible nature of this phenomenon.
Another unusual massive structure has been discovered in space — a peculiar radio sphere. Although it appears circular, it is actually a sphere that surrounds certain galaxies for reasons that remain somewhat unclear. Nevertheless, this new finding offers some insights into the potential nature of this phenomenon.
10:00, 07 Dec
An ancient quasar has emitted radio jets longer than our Galaxy.
One of the most remarkable objects in the universe, quasars, are the active cores of galaxies powered by supermassive black holes at their centers. The electromagnetic radiation emitted by these entities enables astronomers to investigate the structure of the universe during its early developmental stages. However, the powerful radio jet emanating from the recently discovered extremely bright quasar J1601+3102 challenges current theories about the "cosmic dawn."
10:00, 06 Dec
Astronomers have discovered over 40 hidden galaxies within the ancient web of the universe.
One of the largest galaxy clusters, known as the Spiderweb, is observed by astronomers as it was over 10 billion years ago. This mysterious object, teeming with cosmic inhabitants, formed in the relatively early universe, when it was about three billion years old. While the Spiderweb is considered a well-studied cluster, two research teams recently discovered more than 40 new galaxies within it.
10:00, 06 Dec
The organic material on Ceres is native to the dwarf planet rather than being brought in from space.
Complex organic compounds have been observed on the surface of the dwarf planet located between Mars and Jupiter. When these compounds were first discovered in a single crater, scientists speculated that they originated from a fallen celestial body. However, planetary scientists have now detected signs of organic material in 11 additional regions of Ceres, leading them to conclude that these compounds are not imported but rather products of local origin.
10:01, 05 Dec
A new comet has been discovered in the Main Asteroid Belt.
In the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, unusual objects have been observed that exhibit characteristics of both asteroids and comets. These are referred to as active asteroids. Recently, one such celestial body was discovered. Initially, it was identified as a typical asteroid, but it has since been observed twice displaying a distinct comet-like tail.
10:00, 05 Dec
An unusual radio signal has been linked to the remnant of a supernova.
Experiencing extreme cosmic events isn't always possible. As a result, astronomers "listen" to the universe using radio telescopes, capturing repetitive radio signals emitted by white dwarfs and neutron stars. However, there are exceptions. For instance, a recently discovered signal by Chinese researchers, which repeats every 44 minutes, was found to be associated with the remnant of a supernova. Scientists had never encountered anything like this before.
10:00, 05 Dec
The water found on the comet is identical to that on Earth.
Water from our planet can be distinguished from extraterrestrial sources by the frequency with which its molecules contain deuterium, a heavier isotope of hydrogen, instead of regular hydrogen atoms. Scientists have concluded that the ratio of these isotopes on the well-known comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko is approximately the same as that found in the Earth's oceans.
10:00, 04 Dec
Nearly three billion years ago, volcanoes erupted on the far side of the Moon.
It is impossible to view the far side of the Moon from the Earth's surface. However, this little-explored region of our natural satellite is gradually revealing its secrets. In the summer of 2024, China's Chang'e 6 automatic interplanetary station brought back soil samples from the southern part of the Apollo basin, situated northeast of the largest and oldest lunar crater (the South Pole-Aitken basin). A detailed analysis of the soil has enabled scientists to accurately determine the age of the rocks and conclude that volcanic activity was prevalent on the far side of the Moon in the past.