Newly Found ‘Black Widow’ Binary Has Third Companion
The flash of a pulsar about 3,000 light-years from our solar system was caused by a ‘black widow’ binary consuming a smaller star. Intriguingly, a third companion star is orbiting the pair, which may have originated near the Milky Way’s center. Plus, the Sun is ramping up, Chandra releases more sonification videos, and this week’s What’s Up is all about occultations.
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Gravitational waves lead to ground-breaking, “impossible” discovery; Triple-star planetary rings
Join us today as we examine major news coming out last week from institutions analyzing data from the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors: the largest and farthest collision detected yet has led to the discovery of an “impossible” black hole. Plus a triple-star system has planetary rings and the camera that will be at the heart of the Vera Rubin Observatory takes its first images… of broccoli.
Rocket Roundup for September 2, 2020
Join us for this week’s Rocket Roundup with host Annie Wilson as we look back at the launches from the past week: SpaceX managed to pull off one of their two planned launches, and Rocket Lab finally got their fourteenth launch off the ground.
Mission update: Psyche; new tech; and a special Mars photo
Join us today for an update on the Lucy mission to asteroid Psyche. Plus we take a look at a couple new pieces of tech in development, designed to help explore the Moon and Mars. And Curiosity brings us a special Mars photo that isn’t about the ground!
Dual quasars; tidal disruption events; and a halo for Andromeda
Join us today as we examine observations for dual quasars in the process of merging and a star being torn apart by its supermassive black hole. Plus, Hubble data used to map a halo around the Andromeda galaxy.
Rocket Roundup for August 26, 2020
Join us for this week’s Rocket Roundup with host Dave Ballard as we look back at the launches that did and didn’t happen. It was a light week, with only the launch of a Chinese Long March 2D to revisit.
Europa, Ganymede, and more pictures of Comet NEOWISE
Join us today as we look at how fractures on Europa’s surface are leading scientists to reevaluate the geologic past of the Jovian moon. Speaking of Jovian moons, Sweden has finished an instrument for the JUICE mission that will measure electromagnetic fields and map the oceans of Ganymede. And finally, Comet NEOWISE continues to make headlines with new images from Hubble and Gemini.