Astrophysics

Unprecedented Light Show: The Spectacular Arrival of the “BOAT” Gamma-Ray Burst

A visual representation capturing the formidable burst of gamma rays, stemming from an explosion in the remote cosmos, which reached Earth on October 9 of the previous year.Last year witnessed an extraordinary celestial event as Earth encountered the brightest flash of light ever recorded in the night sky, unsettling the upper atmosphere in an...

Why Did Comet Erasmus Wag its Tail Happily as it Passed by the Sun?

In a static image, Erasmus appears indistinguishable from any typical comet. However, as time progressed, its tail revealed a lively wag, reminiscent of an animated and spirited puppy. Credit: NASA.Renowned astronomer David H. Levy once likened comets to cats, asserting, "They both have tails and do precisely what they want." With his extensive experience...

NASA’s Lucy Discovers a Surprising Asteroid Around a Satellite

NASA's asteroid-probing spacecraft, Lucy, has conducted its initial close-up observations, revealing an entirely unexpected find. The asteroid Dinkinesh not only possesses a small orbiting moon but, remarkably, this moon is composed of two objects fused together.Launched in 2021, Lucy is on track to explore more asteroids than any other spacecraft in history. Its primary...

Webb Unveils Previously Unseen Formations within the Renowned Supernova

Credit: PixaobayThe James Webb Space Telescope from NASA has initiated its examination of the famous supernova, SN 1987A, situated 168,000 light-years distant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This supernova has been under extensive scrutiny for nearly four decades, spanning from gamma rays to radio waves, since its detection in February 1987. Fresh observations using...

The August Night Sky is Set to be Illuminated by the Dazzling Perseid Meteor Shower

A Perseid meteor in the same frame as the galaxy M31. Credit: PixaobayThe Perseid meteor shower is set to peak on the night of 12-13 August this year, promising an exciting spectacle for skywatchers. This meteor shower is most visible from the northern hemisphere, and under perfect conditions with clear skies, observers might be...

Using Gravitational Waves to Hunt for Dark Matter

Credit: Unsplash.A global team of cosmologists has discovered through computer simulations that observing gravitational waves from merging black holes can reveal the real nature of dark matter. Dr. Alex Jenkins of University College London will co-author their discovery today at the 2023 National Astronomy Meeting.The team studied the production of gravitational wave signals in...

How a Scientist Weighed Black Holes Invisible to The Naked Eye

Black hole. Credit: Unsplash.Joseph Simon, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, employed computer simulations to make predictions about the masses of the largest supermassive black holes existing in the universe.In a press statement, Simon highlighted the substantial mass of the black hole situated...

Scientists are Developing a Sci-Fi-Like Tractor Beam to Clear Up Space Junk

Credit: PexelsAccording to a press statement, a group of engineers from the University of Colorado Boulder is creating a machine that draws inspiration from the tractor beams depicted in science fiction films. These engineers suggest that tractor beams, often seen in popular franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars, could soon become a reality....

Webb Space Telescope Shows Early Universe Crackled With Bursts of Star Formation

The James Webb Space Telescope’s JADES program is providing unprecedented insights into the early universe, discovering hundreds of ancient galaxies, and unveiling complex patterns of star formation. Credit: SCITECHDAILY.Equipped with a sizable mirror and the ability to detect infrared radiation, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is uniquely designed for the investigation of galaxies...

Elusive Intermediate-mass Black Holes Take Bites From Stars and Expel the Contents

This artist’s impression depicts a star being torn apart by an intermediate-mass black hole, surrounded by an accretion disk. Image credit: Hubble / NASA / ESA / M. Kornmesser.According to space experts, there is a possibility of the existence of intermediate-mass black holes. These are black holes that can consume some of the stray...