Star orbiting the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way moves just as predicted by Einstein’s general theory of relativity
This simulation shows the orbits of stars very close to the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. One of these stars, named S2, orbits every 16 years and is passing very close to the black hole in May 2018. This is a perfect laboratory to test...
Scientists have produced new evidence that deep sea vents could have provided the right ingredients to kick-start life
A seafloor vent called a "white smoker" spews mineral-rich water into the ocean and serves as an energy hub for living creatures. Some scientists think life on Earth may have begun around similar vents on the ocean floor billions of years ago. CREDIT: NOAA/C. German...
NASA’s first asteroid-sampling spacecraft is one step closer to touching down on asteroid Bennu
This artist’s concept shows the trajectory and configuration of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during Checkpoint rehearsal, which was the first time the mission practiced the initial steps of collecting a sample from asteroid Bennu. CREDIT: NASA/Goddard/University of...
Chinese Long March 3B rocket launches the Nusantara Dua satellite
Pasifik Satelit Nusantara. CREDIT: Jakarta Globe Nusantrara Dua (Rocket Launch Live)Long March 3B: Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) launch failure (Wikipedia)Satelit Nusantara Dua Gagal Mengorbit, Siaran TV dan Radio Terancam Bermasalah (Kumparan, Indonesian)Indonesia...
Roscosmos sends two cosmonauts and an astronaut to the ISS on expedition MS-16
The prime Expedition 63 crewmembers pose for a portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. From left are, NASA astronaut and Commander Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts and Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. CREDIT:...
Comet Atlas has fragmented into pieces
C/2019 Y4 Atlas and its fragments (center, fuzzy), photographed on April 12, 2020. CREDIT: The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0/Gianluca Masi The fragmentation of comet C/2019 Y4 (Atlas) observed at Lulin observatory (Astronomer's Telegram)Oh Crap, a Really Promising...
Researchers have obtained important results about the central spherical component in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way
Image of the spiral galaxy NGC 5468, 130 million light-years away. CREDIT: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et al. Unraveling formation time-scales of galactic bulges (iastro.pt) The Instituto de Astrofisica e Ciencias de Espaco has announced that scientists using the...
Carnival of Space #658-659
Check out this week’s sampling of space-related stories from our colleagues and friends!
Methane can form on icy dust particles in space
CREDIT: LfA/Leiden Observatory First time methane ice formed on earth under relevant space conditions (Astronomie.nl) Our last story of the day, I’d like to share that the astronomers at Leiden University have finally been able to create methane ice in an artificial...
Explaining the mysterious interstellar object ‘Oumuamua
An artist’s impression of 'Oumuamua. CREDIT: ESO/M. Kornmesser New formation theory explains the mysterious interstellar object ‘Oumuamua' (UC Santa Cruz) The proliferation of survey telescopes is helping us quantify just what fills our sky and flies through our solar...
Join the Crew!
Escape Velocity Space News