This artist's impression shows the magnetic white dwarf WD 0816-310, where astronomers have found a scar imprinted on its surface as a result of having ingested planetary debris. Credit: ESO/L. Calçada As a star resembling our sun nears the conclusion of its lifecycle, it may devour neighboring planets and asteroids that originated alongside it. Recently,...
An artist's impression of the brightest object ever discovered – a quasar that shines with the light of 500 trillion Suns – which is also the fastest growing black hole, eating the equivalent of a Sun a dayESO/M. Kornmesser One might expect that locating the brightest object in the observable universe would be straightforward, but...
Earth may have gone through a bit of a flat phase, early in its developmentDepositphotos Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have discovered that newly formed planets could initially have a flatter shape before becoming more rounded, suggesting that the concept of a flat Earth might have some validity, albeit billions of years...
The eROSITA map seen in two different ways: Left shows extended X-ray emissions, while the right image shows point-like X-ray sourcesMPE, J. Sanders for the eROSITA consortium Astronomers have utilized the eROSITA space telescope to chart half of the universe in X-ray light. This newly created map, featuring nearly a million X-ray sources, serves as...
"Astronomers unearth a previously undiscovered celestial entity adrift in the cosmos" is a frequent news topic, yet it never fails to captivate. The most recent discovery introduces a novel category of stars – elderly red giants affectionately dubbed "Old Smokers" by the research team.
Fig. 1. Schematic of our experimental setup using the MZI for observations of WPS of photons. Credit: Zhong-Xiao Man Researchers detected the wave-particle duality in two photons. Unraveling the quantum world hinges on comprehending the behaviors of quantum objects, manifesting as a dual nature—both wave and particle—depending on the potential for interference. This phenomenon, known...
In the realm of galaxies, our minds often conjure images of luminous spiral formations teeming with stars and cosmic gases. However, a distinct category known as low-surface-brightness galaxies challenges this conventional perception. These galaxies, characterized by sparse stars and unconventional appearances, typically harbor more dark matter and predominantly consist of gas, with few discernible...
The depicted crew is not slated to complete a lunar orbit until at least September 2025, and the earliest prospect for human lunar landing won't materialize until the subsequent year. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA has officially confirmed a postponement in the schedule for human Moon landings and lunar orbit missions, with no expected landings until...
The authentic color rendition of Voyager photos reveals a striking similarity in hue between the ice giant planets. Photo credit: Patrick Irwin/University of Oxford/NASA Uranus and Neptune, the giant ice planets within our solar system, have long been recognized for their similarities. One noticeable distinction, their coloration, has captivated scientific curiosity, with Uranus appearing aquamarine...
The composite image features X-rays illuminated in purple overlaying the nebula structure and stars captured by Hubble.Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State Univ./L. Townsley et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI/HST; Infrared: NASA/JPL/CalTech/SST; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt, N. Wolk, K. Arcand An enigmatic nebula named Tarantula in the neighboring galaxy has been a cosmic theater of stellar births and...
