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☆ Black hole 'particle accelerators' are causing mysterious cosmic rays to rain down on Earth at the speed of light
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For the first time, a study showed how the cosmic rays are accelerated to near the speed of light. AdvertisementA small black hole is helping scientists understand how mysterious cosmic rays can barrel through the universe and hit Earth at nearly the speed of light. High-energy cosmic rays are constantly raining down on us from space, but scientists don't know that much about them. Speedy cosmic rays come from black holes and exploding starsOur planet is swimming in a sea of cosmic rays. But a nearby cosmic object called SS 433 provided a rare opportunity to peer into cosmic rays in unprecedented detail.

Persons: —, Laura Olivera, Nieto, it's, It's, Olivera Organizations: Jets, Service, Kernphysik, OSAKA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, KYOTO UNIVERSITY, SS, NASA, Science Locations: Heidelberg, OSAKA, Manatee

☆ Hubble finds water vapor in small exoplanet’s atmosphere
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have detected water molecules in the atmosphere of a small, blazing-hot exoplanet 97 light-years from Earth. The planet, named GJ 9827d, is about twice Earth’s diameter, and it’s the smallest exoplanet found to have water vapor in its atmosphere, according to a new study. Starlight filtering through the planet’s atmosphere helped astronomers measure the signature of water molecules. It’s possible that the planet is a mini-Neptune with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere that contains water vapor. Or astronomers suspect that GJ 9827d could be a warmer version of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which contains an ocean beneath a thick, icy crust.

Persons: ”, Laura Kreidberg, Max Planck, Björn Benneke, Hubble, Ian Crossfield, Pierre, Alexis Roy, we’re, ” Benneke, “, GJ, Benneke, Thomas Greene, James Webb, Webb, ” Kreidberg Organizations: CNN —, Hubble, Max, Max Planck Institute, Astronomy, University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute for Research, University of Kansas, University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute, GJ 9827d, NASA’s Ames Research, James Webb Space Telescope, ”, 9827d Locations: Heidelberg, Germany, Lawrence , Kansas, Silicon

☆ An Air Force pilot has been crowned Miss America 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMiss Colorado Madison Marsh was crowned Miss America 2024 on Sunday night. The 22-year-old is a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force and the first active-duty Air Force officer to be a Miss America state titleholder, per the Miss Colorado website. Marsh is also the first active-duty officer to compete for the Miss America crown, an Air Force Academy spokesman told Stars and Stripes, a daily American military newspaper, earlier this month. She also credited her time at the Air Force Academy for developing the leadership skills that won her the Miss Colorado title, per The Harvard Crimson. According to the Miss America website, the 2024 winner of the pageant will be awarded $60,000 in tuition scholarships and have the opportunity to travel the country as the Miss America brand ambassador.

Persons: —, Madison Marsh, Marsh Organizations: Service, Madison, Miss America, Air Force, Miss Colorado, Business, Air Force Academy, United States Air Force Academy, Harvard, Harvard Kennedy School, Air Education, Training Command, Harvard Crimson, Miss, Whitney Marsh Foundation Locations: Miss America, Fort Smith , Arkansas, El Paso County , Colorado, Miss Colorado

☆ A giant, boiling, shrinking planet has a tail stretching 350,000 miles into space, astronomers discover
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Astronomers have nabbed a rare opportunity to watch a planet shrink in real-time. The Jupiter-sized planet, located 160 light years away, is orbiting its host star so closely that the star is boiling the planet's atmosphere. The boiling is so intense, that the world has developed a comet-like tail stretching 350,000 miles behind it, scientists announced on Tuesday. Don't retire on this planetThe planet, called WASP-69b, circles very closely to its star, completing an orbit in under four days. Because it's so large, it takes much longer to lose its atmosphere, giving scientists plenty of time to study it.

Persons: Don't, Dakotah Tyler, Erik Petigura Organizations: Service, Business, American Astronomical Society, NASA, JPL, Caltech

☆ Harvard academic says school needs to stop subscribing to 'the extreme left of the political map'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb weighed in on discussions over the path forward for the university. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementHarvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has a few ideas on how Harvard should move forward following Claudine Gay's resignation as president . One of those: Stop subscribing to "the extreme left of the political map."

Persons: Avi Loeb, Claudine Gay, —, Claudine Gay's, Loeb, Loeb — who's, He's, Harvard, Alan Garber Organizations: Service, Harvard, Ivy League, University, D.C, Galileo, US President's, Advisors, Science, Technology, Physics, National Academies, Harvard Corporation, Gay Locations: Washington

☆ Fact Check: The moon is not a reflection of Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The moon is not a reflection of Earth, despite a viral TikTok clip circulating online. A clip (archived) circulating online opens with a visual of the moon and text printed across the upper-third that reads, “This Proves My Video ‘Moon is a Reflection of Earth.’”A voice over can then be heard claiming that the moon is a “translucent plasma luminary” which is why you can see the moon during the day. The individual moves the light source and with it, the two light points move, opposite each other, around the resin. The video does not prove that the sun and moon are reflections of another light source, or that the moon is a reflection of Earth. The moon is not a reflection of Earth.

Persons: ” Mike Boylan, Read Organizations: University of Texas, Reuters, European Space Agency, National Aeronautical and Space Agency, NASA, Reconnaissance, Thomson Locations: Austin

☆ Puzzlingly massive planet found orbiting a small star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The planet, about the mass of Neptune and more than 13 times as massive as Earth, was detected orbiting an ultracool M-dwarf star called LHS 3154 — which is nine times less massive than our sun. This graphic compares the sizes of our sun and Earth with the smaller, cooler LHS 3154 star and its orbiting planet, LHS 3154b. For example, small M dwarf stars are the most common throughout the Milky Way galaxy, and they typically have small, rocky planets orbiting them, rather than gas giant planets. “The planet-forming disk around the low-mass star LHS 3154 is not expected to have enough solid mass to make this planet,” Mahadevan said. A team of scientists led by Mahadevan built the HPF, which was designed to detect planets orbiting within the habitable zone of small, cool stars.

Persons: ”, Suvrath Mahadevan, Verne M, ” Mahadevan, Mahadevan, “, Megan Delamer, ” Delamer Organizations: CNN —, LHS, Penn, Penn State, McDonald Observatory Locations: Texas

☆ Got $1,350? Spend a Night in a Space Observatory. Here’s What It’s Like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Bob Davis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHECK IN TO OUTER SPACE Arizona’s Kitt Peak National Observatory is a rare astronomy center that lets star seekers spend the night. SlovinskyFROM THE TOP of Kitt Peak National Observatory, just 50 miles from downtown Tucson, the autumn night sky blazed; the Milky Way was so dense with stars it looked like a luminescent cloud. Jupiter shone like a beacon—so bright I wondered how I’d never noticed it before. After lifetimes in cities where urban lights blot out the night sky, my wife, Deb, and I have sought out stargazing opportunities. Count us among the many who have popularized so-called dark-sky tourism, in which star seekers travel to find better viewing conditions.

Persons: I’d, Deb, Count Organizations: Kitt Locations: Tucson

☆ Six exoplanets spotted in a cosmic waltz around nearby star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And the planets, labeled b through g, revolve around the star in a celestial dance known as orbital resonance. For every six orbits completed by planet b, the closest planet to the star, the outermost planet g completes one. As planet c makes three revolutions around the star, planet d does two, and when planet e completes four orbits, planet f does three. Detecting a mysteryResearchers first took notice of the star system in 2020 when NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, detected dips in the brightness of HD110067. “It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched.”The discovery is the second time Cheops has helped reveal a planetary system with orbital resonance.

Persons: TESS, Rafael Luque, Cheops, ”, Luque, “ Cheops, ” Luque, Maximilian Günther, they’re, James Webb, Webb, Jo Ann Egger Organizations: CNN —, ESA, University of Chicago’s, “, James Webb Space, Telescope, University of Bern Locations: Switzerland

☆ Scientists think they've finally solved the decades-long mystery of why our Milky Way galaxy is so rare
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are surprisingly rare in our galactic neighborhood. The Milky Way, for example, is a spiral galaxy because of the way that stars, dust, and gas spiral out from the center of the galaxy. But spiral galaxies like ours are surprisingly rare in our galactic neighborhood, and for years, astronomers have wondered why since the 1960s. The simulation showed that galaxies in dense clusters, like the one our Milky Way calls home, experienced frequent collisions and mergers. For example, when two spiral galaxies collide, it's thought to create what's called an elliptical galaxy.

Persons: —, Carlos Frenk Organizations: Service, Institute, Durham University

SEOUL, Nov 23 (Reuters) - One of the stages of North Korea's satellite launch rocket exploded after separation on Tuesday, video captured by an South Korean astronomy observatory showed, in what some analysts said may have been deliberate destruction to prevent recovery. North Korea launched its first spy satellite into orbit on Tuesday, after two previous attempts this year ended with the rockets crashing during flight. The South Korean military is seeking to find and salvage debris from the rocket, South Korea's defence ministry told parliament on Thursday. Recovering parts of the rocket could provide valuable intelligence on its capabilities and components, experts have said, and South Korea has accused Russia of providing technical aid to North Korea for this latest launch. Russia denied any military cooperation, but President Vladimir Putin in September publicly promised to help North Korea build satellites.

Persons: Byun Yong, Marco Langbroek, Langbroek, Vladimir Putin, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Gerry Doyle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Korea's Yonsei University, Yonsei University, Reuters, Delft University of Technology, South, South Korean, Russia, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korean, North Korea, U.S, Netherlands, China, South Korea, Russia

☆ ‘Travelling Telescope’ inspires children to look to the sky
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Instead, I was inspired too.”In 2006, Murabana joined a teacher training program called Global Hands-On Universe, where she led a space education project. Here, she realized she wanted children in Africa to be as exposed to opportunities as children in the US were. Daniel Chu Owen and Susan Murabana, co-founders of Travelling Telescope. Daniel Chu Owen, Travelling Telescope“There’s a satisfaction you get from going to a school, talking to the children, and seeing their reaction and their anticipation,” said Murabana. Daniel Chu Owen, Travelling TelescopeBut there is also a more personal motivation for Murabana’s work — combatting the perception that astronomy is a Western science.

Persons: Susan Murabana’s, “, ”, Murabana, —, Daniel Chu Owen, Susan Murabana, ‘, Owen Organizations: CNN, Cosmos Education, James Cook University, University of California, Kenyan, Travelling Telescope, Kenya Space Agency, International, European Space Agency, Travelling Locations: Kenya, Australia, Africa, Malindi, Western, Ghana, Mali

☆ Webb space telescope spies precocious 'teenage' galaxies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But Webb has obtained even better data on galaxies a bit further along in development. The gas detected in star-forming regions - stellar nurseries - of teenage galaxies was much hotter, at about 24,000 degrees Fahrenheit (13,350 degrees Celsius), than observed in galaxies today. The galaxies were observed glowing with eight elements - hydrogen, helium, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, argon, nickel and silicon. Incidentally, oxygen is also the third-most abundant element in the universe (behind hydrogen and helium)," Strom said. The new study presents the first results from the CECILIA Survey that uses Webb to scrutinize the chemistry of distant galaxies.

Persons: James Webb, Webb, Allison Strom, Gwen Rudie, Strom, Rudie, CECILIA, Cecilia Payne, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Hubble, Northwestern University, Astrophysical, Carnegie, CECILIA Survey, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Illinois, California

☆ Webb telescope reveals new details in Milky Way’s heart
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope has looked into the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, unveiling new features and mysteries within the chaotic region that could help astronomers unravel more details about the early universe. Astronomers used Webb to glimpse Sagittarius C, or Sgr C, an active region of star formation located about 300 light-years from the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. A light-year, equivalent to 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers), is how far a beam of light travels in one year. Astronomers are still trying to determine what has created the vast amount of energized gas, which surpasses what would normally be released by young massive stars. “Webb has provided us with a ton of data on this extreme environment, and we are just starting to dig into it.”

Persons: James Webb, Webb, ”, Samuel Crowe, “ There’s, ” Crowe, “ Webb, ” Young, Jonathan Tan, Rubén Fedriani Organizations: CNN, NASA, University of Virginia, Instituto Locations: Andalucía, Spain

☆ SpaceX Starship’s second test flight ends in loss of megarocket
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Michael Ryan | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. And after months of rebuilding following an explosive initial launch in April, SpaceX made a second attempt at launching its deep-space rocket system Starship, but not all went according to plan. Defying gravitySpaceX's megarocket Starship launched for a second test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on Saturday. The Wonder Theory team is taking some time off for Thanksgiving. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt.

Persons: CNN —, Jasmin Moghbeli, Eric Gay, “, ”, Marina Ascunce, Mertens, Anna Y.Q, Ho, James Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, SpaceX, US Department of Agriculture, Caltech, Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Telescope, CNN Space, Science Locations: Starbase, Boca Chica , Texas, of Mexico, Americas, Africa, South Africa, Iceland, Grindavík, Japan’s Iwo Jima

☆ ‘Tasmanian devil’ is a stellar corpse showing energetic signs of life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Space is full of extreme phenomena, but the “Tasmanian devil” may be one of the weirdest and rarest cosmic events ever observed. Astronomers dubbed the celestial object the “Tasmanian devil,” and they observed it exploding repeatedly following its initial detection in September 2022. But the Tasmanian devil is revealing more questions than answers with its unexpected behavior. While LFBOTs are unusual events, the Tasmanian devil is even stranger, causing astronomers to question the processes behind the repetitive explosions. We’d never seen that, period, in astronomy.”To better understand the quick luminosity changes occurring in the Tasmanian devil, Ho and her colleagues reached out to other researchers to compare observations from multiple telescopes.

Persons: supernovas, —, ”, Anna Y.Q, Ho, “, Jeff Cooke, ” Ho, We’d, Anna Ho, Jason Koski, ” Cooke, they’ve, Vik Dhillon Organizations: CNN, Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Australia’s Swinburne University of Technology, ARC Centre, Cornell University Altogether, Telescope, ”, University of Sheffield Locations: California, United Kingdom

☆ Astronomers are baffled after spotting strange cosmic flares that have 10 billion times more power than the sun
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The event, nicknamed Tasmanian devil, is puzzling scientists who don't know what is causing it. Ho and colleagues' observations suggest the Tasmanian devil released at least 14 irregular and highly energetic bursts, each lasting only a few minutes. This leaves a neutron star or a black hole surrounded by the remnants of a partial star. To produce such brilliant flares, a black hole or neutron star would need a lot of fuel. AdvertisementAnother possibility is that the Tasmanian devil was caused by a star merging with a black hole or a neutron star, said Ho.

Persons: —, Anna Ho, LFBOTs, Ashley Chrimes, Chrimes, Ho, We'd, haven't Organizations: Service, NASA, Cornell University, Nature News, European Space Agency

☆ I moved from New York to Taiwan for work. I had to take a pay cut to my $40,000 salary — but I have no regrets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Alex Teachey is a New Yorker who moved to Taiwan in 2020. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alex Teachey, a 38-year-old astronomer and New Yorker who moved to Taiwan in 2020. I landed my current job as a postdoctoral fellow at the Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, that same year. It's in a neighborhood that I love, in New Taipei City, the enormous donut that sprawls around the center of Taipei. I live a 20-minute bike ride from my office — I never could have have afforded anything remotely similar if I'd stayed in New York City.

Persons: Alex Teachey, —, I'd, New York Alex Teachey, it'd, I've, — it's, we're Organizations: New Yorker, Service, Yorker, New York University, Columbia University, Academia Sinica, Tap, Google, Taiwan's Locations: New, Taiwan, New York, Taipei, Here's, Tap Taipei, York City, New York City, Yonghe, New Taipei City, Qingshui Cliff, Hualien

☆ Comets that bounce around the universe could be delivering the ingredients for life to alien planets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They could also have delivered similar building blocks of life to other planets. Scientists at Cambridge University propose that comets may "bounce" around the universe, carrying the essential ingredients to create life on alien worlds. They specifically looked at systems carrying rocky planets around low-mass stars — stars that are smaller than our sun. AdvertisementStill, Bonsor said the research suggests a low-mass planetary system is less likely to carry life than a system with a brighter star. "We're all super excited in the community about the fact that we can find habitable zone planets around low-mass stars.

Persons: —, Richard Anslow, it's, Amy Bonsor, Bonsor, she's Organizations: Service, Cambridge University, Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Royal Society

☆ Cosmic ‘Christmas tree’ dazzles in new image captured by Hubble and Webb
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New details of the celestial feature have emerged in the colorful image, which unites the observational powers of Hubble Space Telescope in visible light and the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye. Hubble has long been used to search for faint, distant galaxies across different wavelengths of light. This cosmic effect occurs when closer objects — such as the galactic clusters — act like a magnifying glass for distant objects. The Webb and Hubble composite image includes "Mothra," a star system magnified by the galactic cluster pair as well as another unseen object. NASA/ESA/CSA/STScIThe team nicknamed the star system Mothra due to its extreme magnification and brightness.

Persons: James Webb, Hubble, Webb, ”, Rogier Windhorst, Windhorst, ” Windhorst, Haojing Yan, Yan, José Diego Organizations: CNN, Hubble, James Webb Space, Arizona State University’s School of Earth, Exploration, University of Missouri, Astrophysical Journal, NASA, ESA, CSA, Institute of Physics, Astrophysics Locations: Arizona, Japanese, Cantabria, Spain

☆ Scientists detect oxygen in noxious atmosphere of Venus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft and Pioneer Venus Orbiter is used in an undated composite image of the planet Venus. Its thick and noxious atmosphere is dominated by carbon dioxide - 96.5% - with lesser amounts of nitrogen and trace gases. In fact, with Venus getting far less scientific attention than other planets such as Mars, the direct detection of its oxygen has remained difficult. They noted that this atomic oxygen, which consists of a single oxygen atom, differs from molecular oxygen, which consists of two oxygen atoms and is breathable. "The Venus atmosphere is very dense.

Persons: Heinz, Wilhelm Hübers, Hübers, Helmut Wiesemeyer, Max Planck, Wiesemeyer, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NASA, JPL, Caltech, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Venus, Boeing, German Aerospace Center, Nature Communications, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Thomson Locations: SOFIA, Hawaii, Germany

☆ The Euclid space telescope's first images show distant, hidden, and irregular galaxies that could help solve 2 of astronomy's grandest mysteries
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Euclid space telescope returned its first photos and they're stunning. Scientists said they hope to use data from Euclid to better understand dark matter and dark energy. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Euclid space telescope, which launched in July, has a very important task ahead of it: produce the largest 3D map of the universe to help solve two of astronomy's grandest mysteries: What is dark energy? The other 95% is made of dark matter and dark energy. Astronomers can only observe the effect dark matter and dark energy have on regular matter.

Persons: —, Carole Mundell Organizations: Service, NASA, ESA, Science

☆ 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

☆ Gazing Into the Past and Future at Historic Observatories
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Kim Beil | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lick Observatory and Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., which opened in 1894, both remain active in astronomical research. Other historic observatories now focus primarily on public outreach and education, including Yerkes Observatory (1897) in Williams Bay, Wis., and Mount Wilson Observatory (1904), outside Pasadena, Calif. At each of these sites, you can step into the history of the cosmos — experiencing the deep time of the stars, as well as more recent histories of discovery. Looking through 19th-century glass at the Lick, you can see where E. E. Barnard spotted a new moon of Jupiter and James Keeler found a gap in Saturn’s rings. At Mount Wilson, Edwin Hubble, building on work done by Henrietta Swan Leavitt at Harvard, made an observation that proved there were other galaxies in the universe beyond the Milky Way. At Yerkes, you can peer through the 40-inch refracting telescope that surpassed Lick’s in size in 1897 and was used by a cadre of path-breaking women working in astronomy.

Persons: Barnard, James Keeler, Mount Wilson, Edwin Hubble, Henrietta Swan Leavitt Organizations: Lowell, Yerkes Observatory, Mount Wilson Observatory, Harvard, Yerkes Locations: Lick, Flagstaff, Ariz, Williams Bay, Wis, Pasadena, Calif, Mount

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have discovered the oldest black hole yet, formed a mere 470 million years after the Big Bang. The findings, published Monday, confirm what until now were theories that supermassive black holes existed at the dawn of the universe. Given the universe is 13.7 billion years old, that puts the age of this black hole at 13.2 billion years. Even more astounding to scientists, this black hole is a whopper — 10 times bigger than the black hole in our own Milky Way. That is nowhere near the miniscule ratio of the black holes in our Milky Way and other nearby galaxies, scientists said.

Persons: NASA’s James Webb, Chandra X, It's, Priyamvada Natarajan Organizations: —, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Ray Observatory, Yale, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla

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