Stellar Astronomy

Earth Receives Laser Message from 16 Million Kilometers Away

Psyche Probe's Deep Space Optical Communications Sets Record for Distant Laser Data Transmission. Credit: ProleR/ShutterstockIn a groundbreaking achievement, a deep space experiment conducted aboard NASA's Psyche spacecraft has successfully transmitted a laser message to Earth from a location surpassing the Moon's distance for the first time. The achievement by the Deep Space Optical Communications...

ALMA Reveals High-Resolution Structure of Old Star

Credit: UnsplashALMA, a big telescope, looked at an old star and saw it really well. The star has a ring of gas around it, and some of the gas is moving away into space. Using this powerful telescope in the future will help us understand not only how stars end but also how planets...

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...

A Breakthrough Discovery: Oxygen Atoms Unveiled in Venus’ Dayside Atmosphere

Planet Venus. Credit: Unsplash.For the first time, oxygen atoms have been identified in the dayside atmosphere of Venus, free from being part of larger molecules. This revelation not only marks a significant advancement in our understanding of Venus but also paves the way for future missions to the enigmatic planet.Revised TextFor the first time...

Kepler Discovers a New System of 7 Planets

Seven Sweltering Worlds - A Glimpse of the Kepler-385 System. Credit: NASA/Daniel RutterNASA's Kepler missions have concluded, but astronomers persist in refining their data, leading to remarkable discoveries in exoplanets. Among these findings is identifying the hottest seven-planet system, facilitated by meticulous data analysis.A Fiery Star at the Center: Kepler-385At the heart of this...

The First Lunar Eclipse of 2023 Slightly Darkens the Full Moon

Roof decorations depicting mythical sacred beasts are silhouetted near a penumbral lunar eclipse partially blocked by clouds during the early hours of Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han GuanStargazers in Asia and Australia were treated to a spectacular lunar eclipse as the moon slipped into the outer part of Earth's...

Dozens of Variable Stars Were Spotted in the Open Cluster NGC 6611

A 30' × 30' fragment of the DSS-1 plate containing the observed fields of NGC 6611. Credit: Michalska et al, 2023Astronomers have used three ground-based telescopes in Chile to search for variable stars in the open cluster NGC 6611. They identified 95 variable stars, most of which are likely cluster members. This discovery was...

The Coming Solar Eclipse Will Be the Last Visible in United State Until 2045

Elipse solar. Credit: EUMETSAT."Throughout my life, I have constantly noticed articles and news about total solar eclipses, just to be let down by the fact that the eclipse was invisible in the United States. Fortunately, the following year, this will alter." said Harley Manson.On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse from the United...

Flashes on the Sun Could Aid Researchers in Predicting Solar Flares

Two images of a solar active region (NOAA AR 2109) taken by SDO/AIA show extreme-ultraviolet light produced by million-degree-hot coronal gas (top images) on the day before the region flared (left) and the day before it stayed quiet and did not flare (right). The changes in brightness (bottom images) at these two times show...