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☆ Astronomers say we may live at the center of a cosmic void 2 billion light-years wide that defies the laws of cosmology
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But the kicker is that this giant void shouldn't exist in the first place. For example, some people have correctly argued that such a void shouldn't exist in the standard model, which is true. Cosmologists have a value, called the Hubble constant, which they use to help describe how fast the universe's expansion is accelerating. The Hubble constant should be the same value wherever you look, whether it's close by or very far away. NASA/JPL-CaltechAstronomers can't agree on what's causing this discrepancy in the Hubble constant, and the contention has become known as the Hubble tension.

Persons: —, we're, Claire Lamman, Indranil, Andrews, Hubble, Brian Keating, Keating, Banik Organizations: Service, Business, Harvard, Smithsonian Center, Astrophysics, Indranil Banik, University of St, Banik, Royal Astronomical Society, KBC, Hubble, NASA, JPL, Caltech, ESA, Palomar, Sky, UC San Diego, Sky Survey

☆ This new photo of a supermassive black hole is unlike any before, showing powerful magnetic fields spiraling around it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThe supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy has a side you've never seen before. A new image reveals powerful magnetic fields swirling around our hometown black hole, which is called Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A-star"). EHT had previously imaged its first black hole, Messier 87, in polarized light as well, though it doesn't look quite as striking:The Messier 87 supermassive black hole imaged in polarized light. EHT CollaborationSince both black holes have similar structures of magnetic fields, despite their immense difference in size, the EHT scientists now suspect that all supermassive black holes might have magnetic structures like this. Bigger black hole breakthroughs may be in storeFurther imaging with new innovative techniques and technologies could reveal even more secrets of supermassive black holes, both big and small.

Persons: —, EHT, Sara Issaoun, Issaoun, We've, NASA's, Michael Johnson, Johnson, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Messier, Harvard, Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, American Astronomical Society Locations: Greenland

☆ North Korea's twice-failed spy satellite is now up and running, aerospace experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A North Korean spy satellite was spotted adjusting its orbit in space, experts said. AdvertisementA North Korean spy satellite has made maneuvers in orbit that show it is very much "alive," contrary to previous assessments that suggested it was inactive, experts said on Tuesday. North Korea announced it had launched Malligyong-1 into orbit in November, after two failed attempts. The launches drew condemnation from the US, which viewed them as cover for North Korea testing missile technology. The latest findings come as South Korea warned that Pyongyang could launch a new spy satellite as soon as March, The Korea Times reported.

Persons: Marco Langbroek, —, Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Langbroek, Jonathan McDowell Organizations: Service, Delft University of Technology, Korean Defense Minister, Korea Times, Harvard - Smithsonian Center, Astrophysics, NK News, White, Pentagon, US, Guardian, The Korea Times Locations: Korean, South Korea, Leiden, Netherlands, North Korea, Pyongyang

☆ What to know about North Korea's spy satellite launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

WHAT ARE THE CAPABILITIES OF NORTH KOREA'S ON-ORBIT SPY SATELLITE? To launch a more-capable satellite, North Korea will most likely need to develop a larger rocket, which it appears to be doing, he said. South Korea's spy agency has said North Korea may have overcome technical hurdles with the help of Russia, which in September publicly pledged to help Pyongyang build satellites. The United States and its allies called North Korea's latest satellite tests clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit development of technology applicable to North Korea's ballistic missile programs. "North Korea is no longer shy about testing ICBMs, so no - this really is an SLV," he said.

Persons: Jonathan McDowell, Hong Min, Kim Jong Un, Vann Van Diepen, Van Diepen, Jeffrey Lewis, Chang Young, Lee Choon, Pyongyang’s, Lewis, Hyun Young Yi, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S . Space Force, Korea Institute for National Unification, Stimson, North, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Korea Aerospace University, South Korea's Science, Technology Policy, United Nations, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, North, Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, Washington, South Korea, RUSSIA, Russia, Moscow, United States

North Korea said it placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Tuesday. South Korea's military said North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally. Critics have said the pact weakened South Korea's ability to monitor the North's near the border while North Korea had violated the agreement. South Korea said it was suspending a clause in the agreement and resuming aerial surveillance near the border. North Korea had notified Japan of a satellite launch after two failed attempts to put what it called spy satellites into orbit this year.

Persons: Kim, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Adrienne Watson, Jonathan McDowell, Shin Won, sik, Kim Jong, Shin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Moon Jae, Critics, Carl Vinson, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Hong Min, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Joyce Lee, Liz Lee, Satoshi Sugiyama, Ed Davies, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle, Alex Richardson, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, North, ., U.S, Andersen Air Force Base, Pentagon, . National Security, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S . Space Force, South Korea's Defence, National Security, South Korean, Korea's Defence, Korea Institute for National Unification, South, U.S ., Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Korea, South Korea, SEOUL, United States, . North Korea, Pyongyang, Pacific, Guam, U.S, South, Britain, North, Santa Fe, Korean, Japan, China, North Korea's, RUSSIA, Russian, Russia, Minwoo, Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo

☆ Most distant black hole discovered by Chandra, Webb telescopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Two powerful NASA telescopes have detected the oldest and most distant black hole ever found. “We needed Webb to find this remarkably distant galaxy and Chandra to find its supermassive black hole,” said lead study author Akos Bogdan, in a statement. Potential black hole theoryTypically, black holes located at the centers of galaxies only have about 0.1% the mass of the stars within their host galaxy. The unusual black hole could be an “Outsize Black Hole” that formed when a huge cloud of gas collapsed, as theorized in 2017 by Priyamvada Natarajan, a coauthor on both studies and the Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton professor of astronomy and professor of physics at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. “We think that this is the first detection of an ‘Outsize Black Hole’ and the best evidence yet obtained that some black holes form from massive clouds of gas,” Natarajan said.

Persons: Chandra, James Webb, Webb, ”, Akos Bogdan, “, ” Bogdan, Abell, they’ve, Andy Goulding, Priyamvada Natarajan, Joseph S, Sophia S, ” Natarajan Organizations: CNN, NASA, Telescope, Harvard - Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Chandra, telltale, Princeton University, Yale University Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Haven , Connecticut

☆ Black holes mysteriously burp up fragments of stars they destroyed years earlier, and scientists have no idea why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Black holes have been spotted spitting up remnants of stars years after gobbling them up. AdvertisementAdvertisementSince then, the collaborators have been turning their instruments to monitor 24 black holes for years on end. In another two of the cases, Cendes noticed the black holes peaking, then fading, then turning on again. Everything we know about accretion disks may be wrongThe findings could mean we need to rethink how black holes swallow up stars, Cendes said. The new findings suggest astronomers will have to rethink the relationship between stars and black holes.

Persons: Yvette Cendes, we'd, Cendes, They've, She's, Cendres, I've Organizations: Service, Harvard, Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, ESO, ESA, Hubble, Kornmesser Locations: Wall, Silicon, TDEs

☆ India's moon landing made history at a low cost
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

ISROThe list is grim reading: Stuck, failed, missed, failed, failed, stuck, failed, crashed, missed, crashed, crashed. Even in the modern era — with nine lunar landing attempts since 2013 — the track record is still shaky. Before India's success Wednesday, missions by China, India, Israel, Japan and Russia were three for eight in the past decade. School students watching the live telecast of Chandrayaan-3 landing on the Moon at Sector 20 Brahmananda Public School on August 23, 2023 in Noida, India. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of India's moon landing is the shoestring budget — by government standards — with which the country achieved the mission.

Persons: Jonathan McDowell, Sunil Ghosh, Jim Bridenstine, Bridenstine, They've, who's Organizations: ISRO, Soviet Union's, Harvard - Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Gravity, India, School, Hindustan Times, NASA, CNBC, Indian Space Research Organization, U.S, Payload Services, Space Foundation Locations: China, India, Israel, Japan, Russia, Noida, U.S, India's, United States

☆ A space race on the Korean Peninsula
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

It was not until 2013 that it became the first South Korean rocket to place a satellite in orbit. SPACE CENTRES Russia also helped South Korea build its Naro Space Center while training and launching the first South Korean astronaut on a mission to the International Space Station. In his first summit with former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to dismantle Sohae, but as talks stalled, North Korea expanded the site. North Korea faces the same challenges, and must avoid flying over South Korea. “The road from South Korea to space has opened now,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said after the 2022 Nuri launch.

Persons: Kim Jong, Moon Jae, Nuri, Jonathan McDowell, Markus Schiller, Schiller, “, ”, ” Schiller, Robert Schmucker, Pyongyang’s, McDowell, KARI, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Dave Schmerler, James Martin, “ Sohae, ” McDowell, Korea’s Nuri, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: North, South Korean, U.S, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, REUTERS, Elon, SpaceX, South, Soviet, Federation of American Scientists, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Space Center, International Space, Korea Aerospace Research, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, International Maritime Organization Locations: Seoul, Pyongyang, South Korea, North Korea, Korean, Japan, China, Korea, Washington, United States, Russia, Naro, Europe, U.S, Britain, Switzerland, Soviet Union, Soviet, Cholsan County, South Korean, South, Tonghae, North Korea’s, Sohae, Indonesia, Philippines, Okinawa

☆ Earth's neighboring star Betelgeuse unexpectedly got 50% brighter —part of a weird process that will end in the dying star going supernova
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This dying red giant had only recently mysteriously dimmed its shine after an enormous explosion. It is expected to explode into a supernova visible from Earth, though likely not for thousands of years. The red giant — a star not far from death — is now shining about 50% brighter than it usually would, scientists said. Scientists are keeping a close eye on Betelgeuse, as this red giant is a dying star that is close to turning supernova. Betelgeuse could burst into a supernova visible from Earth — one dayA pre-supernova star, called a Wolf-Rayet star, 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.

☆ With a gulp and burp, a bloated star swallows a Jupiter-sized planet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

As the star grew, its surface reached the orbit of the doomed planet, with mayhem ensuing. Red giant stars can swell to a hundred times their original diameter, engulfing any planets in their way. This planet, perhaps a few times bigger than Jupiter, orbited its star in less than a day at a distance closer than Mercury, our innermost planet, orbits the sun. Even before it is engulfed whole, our data provides evidence that the planet tries to rip out the star's surface layers with its own gravity. But the star happens to be a thousand times more massive so the planet can't do much and eventually makes the plunge," De said.

☆ Astronomers spot a sneak peek of Earth's death — a star swallowing a planet whole — for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Astronomers discovered a distant star swallowing a planet for the first time ever. Swallowing the planet whole produced a burst of energy that expelled the star's outer layers, causing it to expand and brighten rapidly. Except for a veneer of dust, the star pretty much looked the same as it had before, one year after devouring its planet. The distant planet that just got absorbed by its star was about the size of Jupiter, which is more than 1,300 Earths. (It later turned out, this pre-eruption dust was material from the planet skimming the atmosphere of the star as it orbited closer and closer.)

☆ How to see the Lyrids April meteor shower
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —After no major annual meteor showers for months, the Lyrids are here to end the drought. Known as one of the oldest-recorded meteor showers, the Lyrids are expected to produce 10 to 15 meteors per hour for three nights centered around its peak of 9:06 p.m. Lyrids’ history dates back centuriesThe Lyrids were first recorded in 687 BC, according to NASA, making this meteor shower to be one of the oldest recorded. “Only in the 19th century was when we kind of understood that they actually came from space.”Every meteor shower has a parent comet from which comes the debris that makes up the shower. For those in Africa, Asia and Australia, a penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on May 5, and on October 28, a partial lunar eclipse will be viewable in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, parts of North America and much of South America.

☆ Elon Musk's Starlink satellites are ruining images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, threatening future science
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is getting more satellites ruining its images, a new study found. Hubble images streaked with white lines show the impact of just one satellite flying through the telescope's field of view. The proportion of Hubble images that look like this is increasing as more satellites fill Earth's orbit, the study found. Hubble peers through a growing 'wall' between us and the universeThe Hubble Space Telescope in Earth's orbit. So far SpaceX has launched more than 3,000 Starlink satellites and plans to eventually maintain up to 42,000 satellites in orbit.

☆ Fact Check-Video does not show meteor in Mission, Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A video showing a luminous object shooting across the sky was filmed in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is unrelated to reports of a meteor crashing in Texas on Feb. 15, contrary to claims on social media. in a 10 mile radius.”Reuters identified the location of the recording in Daytona Beach. Two experts ruled out the object seen is a meteor. More information about the meteor near Mission, Texas, published by CBS Media, The Dallas Morning News and CNN can be seen (bit.ly/3Ibjgpf) (bit.ly/41i4t5d) (bit.ly/3lBdzcC).

☆ NASA telescope images reveal brightest explosion ever recorded, as a star collapses into a black hole
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NASA space telescopes detected the brightest explosion ever recorded. Images show the faint object erupting with powerful gamma rays. About 1.9 billion years ago, a dying star collapsed, exploding in a powerful burst of gamma rays that careened toward Earth. Images taken in visible light by Swift’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope show how the afterglow of GRB 221009A (circled) faded over the course of about 10 hours. It could be decades before another gamma-ray burst this bright appears again.

☆ O parte din racheta care a dus pe orbită modulul primei stații spațiale chinezești a scăpat de sub control
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-04 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

O parte din racheta care a dus săptămâna trecută pe orbită modulul primei stații spațiale chinezești a scăpat de sub control. Experţii estimează că aceasta va intra necontrolat în atmosfera Pământului în jurul datei de 10 mai, iar unele bucăți riscă să cadă și în regiuni locuite. Componenta care a fost scăpată de sub control are 30 de metri lungime și avea la momentul lansării în jur de 21 tone. Cercetătorii susţin că aceasta se deplasează cu aproximativ 27 000 km/h în jurul planetei, astfel că realizează o rotație completă în jurul Pământului în 90 de minute. Totuși, într-un final aceasta va fi atrasă de planetă și va intra în atmosferă, însă specialiştii nu pot estima când se va întâmpla asta decât cu câteva ore înainte.

Persons: Jonathan McDowell Organizations: Harvard, Smithsonian Center Locations: New York, Madrid, Beijing, Chile, Noua Zeelandă, Statele Unite

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