How stars grow into heavyweights
Astronomers find a stable disk around a young, massive sun.
Posted: Nov 2nd, 2015
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Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines
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Researchers model birth of universe in one of largest cosmological simulations ever run
The simulation, run on the Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, modeled the evolution of the universe from just 50 million years after the Big Bang to the present day - from its earliest infancy to its current adulthood.
Posted: Oct 30th, 2015
Read moreSpirals in dust around young stars may betray presence of massive planets
A team of astronomers is proposing that huge spiral patterns seen around some newborn stars, merely a few million years old, may be evidence for the presence of giant unseen planets. This idea not only opens the door to a new method of planet detection, but also could offer a look into the early formative years of planet birth.
Posted: Oct 30th, 2015
Read morePreparing for extreme space weather
A newly published National Space Weather Strategy identifies high-level priorities and goals for the nation, while an accompanying Action Plan outlines how federal agencies will implement the strategy.
Posted: Oct 29th, 2015
Read moreVISTA discovers new component of Milky Way
The Vista Variables in the Via Lactea Survey (VVV) ESO public survey is using the VISTA telescope at the Paranal Observatory to take multiple images at different times of the central parts of the galaxy at infrared wavelengths. It is discovering huge numbers of new objects, including variable stars, clusters and exploding stars.
Posted: Oct 28th, 2015
Read moreWall-less Hall thruster may power future deep space missions
Scientists have experimentally optimized the operation of the first wall-less Hall thruster prototype, a novel electric rocket engine design suitable for long-duration, deep space missions.
Posted: Oct 27th, 2015
Read moreArtificial intelligence finds messy galaxies
An astrophysics student has turned to artificial intelligence to help her to see into the hearts of galaxies.
Posted: Oct 27th, 2015
Read moreScaling the universe
Some of the most intractable scientific problems involve natural and physical processes that span many scales and disciplines, from atoms to organs, and from quarks to galaxies. Developing coherent theories that can describe these fundamental phenomena will be crucial to understanding the origins of the Universe and life on Earth. Researchers are inventing solutions to link the vast with the tiny.
Posted: Oct 23rd, 2015
Read moreMilky Way photo with 46 billion pixels
Astronomers compile the largest astronomical image of all time. In order to view it, researchers have provided an online tool. The image contains data gathered in astronomical observations over a period of five years.
Posted: Oct 21st, 2015
Read moreDust particles from outer space
Researchers have analyzed the Ulysses interstellar dust measurements.
Posted: Oct 21st, 2015
Read moreTo save on weight, a detour to the moon is the best route to Mars
For a piloted mission to Mars, fueling up on the moon could streamline cargo by 68 percent.
Posted: Oct 15th, 2015
Read moreYoung stars' flickering light reveals remarkable link with matter-eating black holes
An international team of astronomers has discovered a previously unknown link between the way young stars grow and the way black holes and other exotic space objects feed from their surroundings.
Posted: Oct 13th, 2015
Read moreMysterious ripples found racing through planet-forming disk
Astronomers have discovered never-before-seen structures within a dusty disc surrounding a nearby star. The fast-moving wave-like features in the disc of the star AU Microscopii are unlike anything ever observed, or even predicted, before now. The origin and nature of these features present a new mystery for astronomers to explore.
Posted: Oct 7th, 2015
Read moreWhere to look for life? Astronomers devise 'habitability index' to guide future search
Astronomers have created a way to compare and rank exoplanets to help prioritize which of the thousands discovered warrant close inspection in the search for life beyond Earth.
Posted: Oct 6th, 2015
Read moreResearchers find a new way to weigh a star
Researchers have developed a new method for measuring the mass of pulsars - highly magnetised rotating neutron stars formed from the remains of massive stars after they explode into supernovae.
Posted: Oct 5th, 2015
Read moreDwarf planet Ceres - new name, new maps, new questions
Ceres continues to fascinate researchers; in particular, the dwarf planet's surface repeatedly raises new questions.
Posted: Oct 1st, 2015
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