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astrobites
18 Feb 2021, 16:08 UTC
In 1987 astronomers witnessed the closest supernova in almost 400 years, subsequently called SN 1987A. At only 51.4 kilo-parsecs (or about 167,000 light years), SN 1987A’s home is in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and was visible in the Southern Hemisphere with the naked eye for a few months before it faded. But one question that remains unanswered is what kind of object was left behind. The original star that created SN 1987A was a blue supergiant, which would have left behind either a black hole or a neutron star. Yet even with decades of observations by many telescopes spanning the electromagnetic spectrum, its nature has yet to be confirmed.
How Many Years Does it Take to Get to the Center of a Supernova Remnant?
18 Feb 2021, 16:08 UTC
In 1987 astronomers witnessed the closest supernova in almost 400 years, subsequently called SN 1987A. At only 51.4 kilo-parsecs (or about 167,000 light years), SN 1987A’s home is in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and was visible in the Southern Hemisphere with the naked eye for a few months before it faded. But one question that remains unanswered is what kind of object was left behind. The original star that created SN 1987A was a blue supergiant, which would have left behind either a black hole or a neutron star. Yet even with decades of observations by many telescopes spanning the electromagnetic spectrum, its nature has yet to be confirmed.
Universe Today
17 Feb 2021, 16:17 UTC
When it comes to Mars exploration, NASA has more success than any other agency. This week, they’ll attempt to land another sophisticated rover on the Martian surface to continue the search for evidence of ancient life. The Mars Perseverance rover will land on Mars on Thursday, February 18th, and it’s bringing some very ambitious technologies with it.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover: The Most Ambitious Space Mission Ever?
17 Feb 2021, 16:17 UTC
When it comes to Mars exploration, NASA has more success than any other agency. This week, they’ll attempt to land another sophisticated rover on the Martian surface to continue the search for evidence of ancient life. The Mars Perseverance rover will land on Mars on Thursday, February 18th, and it’s bringing some very ambitious technologies with it.
Starts With a Bang!
17 Feb 2021, 15:02 UTC
Debris from Pluto-sized collisions, not aliens, are streaming throug the galaxy.
New Theory Perfectly Explains ‘Oumuamua Naturally: From Exo-Pluto Collisions
17 Feb 2021, 15:02 UTC
Debris from Pluto-sized collisions, not aliens, are streaming throug the galaxy.
Starts With a Bang!
15 Feb 2021, 15:02 UTC
NASA's SOFIA mission is upgraded and back in action.
NASA Mission Links Star Birth And Galaxy Death As Never Before
15 Feb 2021, 15:02 UTC
NASA's SOFIA mission is upgraded and back in action.
EarthSky Blog
15 Feb 2021, 10:05 UTC
Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our sun. The inset image shows the two primary stars, A and B (a 3rd star, Proxima, lies some distance away). A new study shows that a planet might lie within the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri A
A new planet next door?
15 Feb 2021, 10:05 UTC
Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our sun. The inset image shows the two primary stars, A and B (a 3rd star, Proxima, lies some distance away). A new study shows that a planet might lie within the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri A
Many Worlds
12 Feb 2021, 15:27 UTC
Scientists have long held that many of the important compounds and elements that make life possible on Earth arrived here after the planet was formed and was orbiting the sun. These molecules came via meteorites and comets, it was thought, from the colder regions beyond Jupiter.
New Insights Into How Earth Got Its Nitrogen
12 Feb 2021, 15:27 UTC
Scientists have long held that many of the important compounds and elements that make life possible on Earth arrived here after the planet was formed and was orbiting the sun. These molecules came via meteorites and comets, it was thought, from the colder regions beyond Jupiter.
Bad Astronomy
12 Feb 2021, 14:00 UTC
Astronomers have looked at the nearby globular cluster NGC 6397 and found that, instead of a single massive black hole in its core, it's likely to have dozens of even hundreds of smaller black holes swarming around its center.
