Stars Archives - Page 15 of 29

Hubble Detects Water Vapor in Ganymede’s Atmosphere

Jul 28, 2021 | Daily Space, Earth, Exoplanets, Galaxies, Jupiter, Planetary Nebulae, Spacecraft, Supernovae

Scientists analyzed archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope and found evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. The water vapor is present due to thermal escape from the icy surface of the moon. Plus, a “fizzled” gamma-ray burst and all the exoplanets!

Hubble Returns to Observations with Oddball Galaxies

Jul 23, 2021 | Conferences, Daily Space, Exoplanets, Galaxies, Globular Cluster, Jupiter, JWST, Perseverance, Sky Watching, Spacecraft, Spitzer, Stars, White Dwarfs

After several weeks of trying different methods, the operations team successfully revived the stalwart Hubble Space Telescope, which experienced a payload computer fault back on June 13. The first images taken were of several unusual galaxies. Plus, Jupiter’s moon Io triggers radio emissions from the giant planet, and this week, What’s Up returns with a look at the Summer Triangle.

Rogue Planets Found Near Milky Way’s Core

Jul 16, 2021 | Asteroids, Black Holes (Stellar), Conferences, Daily Space, Earth, Exoplanets, Globular Cluster, Jupiter, Kepler, Mercury, Our Solar System, Stars, Supernovae

Using data collected by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, scientists have found four free-floating, or rogue, planets near the core of the Milky Way. These planets formed in discs in other planetary systems and were thrown out by gravitational interactions with larger planets. Plus, the early solar system, including ancient Earth, Jupiter’s chemistry, and Mercury’s core.

Two Neutron Star – Black Hole Mergers Detected

Jun 30, 2021 | Asteroids, Daily Space, Earth, Exoplanets, Mars, Neutron Stars / Pulsars, Supermassive Black Holes, Supernovae

About 900 million miles away in two different galaxies, a black hole and a neutron star merged, and their gravitational waves have been detected here on Earth. These detections add another type of merger to the collection so far discovered. Plus, new composition data on Mars’ south polar cap and a look back at the Tunguska Event. #AsteroidDay

Dinosaurs May Have Lived in the Arctic Year-Round

Jun 26, 2021 | Black Holes (Stellar), Cosmology, Daily Space, Earth, Review, Science, Sky Watching, Stars, Supermassive Black Holes, Supernovae Remnants

The fossilized teeth and bones of baby dinosaurs found in northern Alaska may indicate that dinosaurs didn’t just summer in the Arctic but nested and raised their young there. Plus, the cosmic dawn, a cosmic hand, black holes, and preserving core samples for the future of science.

NASA Working to Restore Hubble Telescope’s Payload Computer

Jun 19, 2021 | Daily Space, Dark Matter, Exoplanets, Galaxies, KBOs, Spacecraft, Stars

The payload computer aboard the Hubble Space Telescope stopped running on Sunday, June 13, 2021, and now the operations team is working to either save the module or switch to a backup. Plus, a protoplanetary disk, stellar mega-flares, missing dark matter, trans-Neptunian objects, and a review of Brandon Sanderson’s novel Skyward.