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Dec192024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Moon Could Be Much Older Than Previously Believed: New Study Reveals a 4.51 Billion-Year History

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space

A groundbreaking study published in Nature suggests the Moon may be over 100 million years older than previously thought, dating its formation to approximately 4.51 billion years ago. This challenges the long-standing estimate of 4.35 billion years and offers fresh insights into the Moon's tumultuous early history. For decades, scientists have theorized that the Moon formed after a Mars-sized object collided with early Earth. However, the new study, led by Francis Nimmo of the University of California, Santa Cruz, suggests that the Moon formed earlier, with a later event known as "re-melting" reshaping its surface. This re-melting occurred as the Moon gradually drifted away from Earth. Earth's gravitational pull generated intense tidal heating, resetting the "clocks" of lunar mineral...

Dec192024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Astronomers Discover Twin Stars Orbiting Galactic Black Hole: A World-First Revelation

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In an unprecedented discovery, astronomers led by Florian Peißker from the University of Cologne, Germany, have identified a binary star system named D9 orbiting the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way. This groundbreaking find, published in Nature Communications, unravels mysteries surrounding hypervelocity stars and the extreme environment near black holes. Binary star systems, where two stars orbit each other, are common in the universe, but none have been observed near a supermassive black hole until now. Using the Very Large Telescope, the team detected D9 through subtle shifts in its starlight, known as the Doppler effect, confirming its binary nature. The D9 system, approximately 2.7 million years old, likely formed elsewhere in the galaxy bef...

Dec112024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Big Bang to Boundless Expansion: A Physicist’s Guide to the Ever-Growing Universe

Breaking News, Space

Have you ever tried to imagine how the Universe expands? Picture baking a muffin. As it bakes, the batter rises, and chocolate chips spread apart. The Universe’s expansion works similarly except there's no pan or edge. It grows into itself, an idea that’s as fascinating as it is hard to grasp. Unlike a muffin expanding into a baking pan, the Universe doesn’t expand into anything. It’s all dough no pan. Even if a pan existed, it would also be part of the Universe and would expand with it. This concept is mind-boggling because it’s so different from anything we experience in daily life. It’s like asking what’s farther north than the North Pole. Yet scientists define the Universe’s expansion by observing galaxies moving away from us, not by needing something for the Universe to expand i...

Dec112024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Indian Astronomers Unravel Mysteries of Planet Formation in Unique Tri-Star System

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations, Space

December 11, 2024 – In a groundbreaking achievement, Indian astronomers from the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Odisha, have unveiled new insights into planetary formation within the unique tri-star system, GG Tau A, located 489 light-years from Earth. Using the advanced Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) radio telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert, the team, led by scientist Liton Majumdar, has detected molecular emissions within the protoplanetary disk a giant rotating disk of gas and dust. These emissions, originating from the coldest and densest regions of the system, serve as fundamental building blocks for planet formation. GG Tau A, an infant solar system approximately 5 million years old, features three stars orbiting one another, surrounded by ...

Dec92024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

NASA Announces $20,000 Reward for Lunar Rescue System Design

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations, Space

NASA has launched a unique challenge to engage creative minds worldwide in designing a life-saving system for rescuing astronauts stranded on the Moon. With a prize of up to $20,000, the agency is seeking innovative ideas to transport astronauts in spacesuits across the Moon’s treacherous south pole terrain. This initiative, part of NASA’s South Pole Safety Challenge: Lunar Rescue System, comes as preparations intensify for the Artemis mission, slated for launch in September 2026. NASA aims to ensure astronaut safety in extreme lunar conditions, where rocky surfaces, large craters, and steep inclines pose significant challenges. The Challenge Participants must develop a system capable of: Safely transporting an incapacitated astronaut in a spacesuit over a distance of at leas...

Dec92024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Indian Astronomers Detect Ultraviolet Emissions from Novae in Andromeda

Breaking News, Space

Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have achieved a groundbreaking discovery, detecting far ultraviolet (FUV) emissions from novae in the Andromeda galaxy for the first time. Novae are transient astronomical phenomena marked by a sudden outburst of light from a star-like object, which gradually fades over time. Using data from the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) aboard India's AstroSat, the IIA team identified these emissions while analyzing archival observations of Andromeda. AstroSat, India’s first dedicated space observatory, features UVIT as a key payload developed by IIA. During their study, the team uncovered ultraviolet emissions from 42 novae in Andromeda, including four captured during their explosive outburst phase. This discovery is significant...

Dec92024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

ISRO Successfully Launches ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites, Advancing Solar Research

Breaking News, Space, Tech

In a major milestone for space exploration, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites aboard the PSLV-C59 rocket. This groundbreaking mission, a collaboration between ISRO and ESA, is expected to revolutionize the study of the Sun's corona and solar wind, marking a new chapter in solar physics. Proba-3 focuses on the Sun's corona, the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere that is inexplicably hotter than its surface. The mission aims to analyze the solar wind a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun and its impact on space weather conditions. Former ISRO scientist PV Venkitakrishnan highlighted that Proba-3’s advanced design will replicate the effects of a total solar eclipse, offering continuous ob...

Dec72024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Sunita Williams Engages Students with Insights on Life in Space

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams recently held an inspiring virtual session with students from Sunita Williams Elementary School in her hometown of Needham, Massachusetts. Williams, a seasoned space traveler, shared fascinating insights about life aboard the International Space Station (ISS), focusing on the unique challenges of drinking liquids in microgravity. During the session, Williams explained how fluids behave differently in space due to the absence of gravity. Using special pouches designed for space use, she demonstrated how astronauts drink without spilling. The interactive demonstration offered students a captivating glimpse into the adaptations required for living and working in space. A video of the event shows Williams explaining these concepts while interacting...

Dec52024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Could a Rogue Planet Join Our Solar System? Scientists Explore the Possibility

Breaking News, Space

In 2017, the first confirmed interstellar visitor, Oumuamua, zipped through our Solar System, followed by Comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. These fleeting guests sparked curiosity about interstellar objects (ISOs) and rogue planets uncharted wanderers that could traverse space and potentially interact with our Sun. New research explores the tantalizing idea that the Solar System could permanently capture one of these cosmic drifters, and what such an event might mean. The study, published in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy by Edward Belbruno and James Green, delves into the dynamics of phase space an intricate mathematical framework used to describe the possible states of a system like our Solar System. Phase space reveals pathways where an interstellar object could become gravitati...

Dec52024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Jupiter to Light Up the Night Sky in a Rare Celestial Event on December 7

Breaking News, Space

A spectacular astronomical event is set to captivate stargazers on December 7 as Earth aligns directly between the Sun and Jupiter. This rare occurrence, known as Jupiter’s Opposition, will illuminate the largest planet in our solar system like never before. Throughout the night, Jupiter will dominate the skies, its brilliance unmatched and its details visible to anyone with even a basic telescope or binoculars. During this phenomenon, Jupiter’s sunlit side will face Earth in its entirety, creating a breathtaking view that resembles the full moon in its glory. As Earth’s faster orbit brings it into perfect alignment with the gas giant, the planet will appear larger and brighter than at almost any other time. The result is a celestial show that will keep skywatchers enchanted from dusk t...