Latest news with #EuropeanSouthernObservatory
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Newly spotted comet marks third interstellar object seen in solar system
STORY: :: NASA/ATLAS/University of Hawaii Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted visitor to our solar system. :: K Ly at Deep Random Survey :: Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory The object, likely a comet, is named 3I/ATLAS and hails from parts unknown. It's only the third time such an interstellar interloper has been observed in Earth's celestial neighborhood. :: David Jewitt/NASA/ESA/Space Telescope Science Institute NASA said it was first spotted on July 1 by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope, located in Chile. :: Catalina Sky Survey/D Rankin The object is traveling at a speed of around 37 miles per second from the direction of the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and astronomers agree the presumed comet poses no threat to Earth... It will come no closer than 150 million miles away, about 1-1/2 times the distance between Earth and the sun. However, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has made waves in academic circles with his co-authored paper, 'Is the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS alien technology?" :: Catalina Sky Survey/D Rankin In it, Loeb and two other researchers argue that due to other unusual characteristics, it could actually be an alien probe on a mission. :: Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory While Loeb concedes the object may in fact be a comet, he argues it's important for scientists not to rule out any possibilities. "The unusual trajectory of this object offers the possibility that it might have been designed so as to have some goals of a reconnaissance mission." MEECH: "It's irresponsible science.' :: NASA/ATLAS/University of Hawaii Karen Meech, a planetary astronomer at the University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy, dismisses the idea. 'This is just coincidence, the path that it comes through the solar system. There's a perfectly natural explanation for this. It is behaving like a regular comet. // It's developing a little tail, it's getting brighter as it gets closer to the sun. We know a few things about it, but everyone's intensively studying it..." :: Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to the sun around October 30, when it will be about 130 million miles away from our star. :: File The only other such interstellar visitors were objects called 1I/'Oumuamua, detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2019. Reuters / NASA/ATLAS/University of Hawaii / CATALINA SKY SURVEY/D RANKIN / DAVID JEWITT/NASA/ESA/SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE / RUBINOBS/NOIRLAB/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA / K Ly at Deep Random Survey / Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory / ONLINE WEBSITE Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Newly spotted comet marks third interstellar object seen in solar system
STORY: :: NASA/ATLAS/University of Hawaii Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted visitor to our solar system. :: K Ly at Deep Random Survey :: Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory The object, likely a comet, is named 3I/ATLAS and hails from parts unknown. It's only the third time such an interstellar interloper has been observed in Earth's celestial neighborhood. :: David Jewitt/NASA/ESA/Space Telescope Science Institute NASA said it was first spotted on July 1 by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope, located in Chile. :: Catalina Sky Survey/D Rankin The object is traveling at a speed of around 37 miles per second from the direction of the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and astronomers agree the presumed comet poses no threat to Earth... It will come no closer than 150 million miles away, about 1-1/2 times the distance between Earth and the sun. However, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has made waves in academic circles with his co-authored paper, 'Is the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS alien technology?" :: Catalina Sky Survey/D Rankin In it, Loeb and two other researchers argue that due to other unusual characteristics, it could actually be an alien probe on a mission. :: Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory While Loeb concedes the object may in fact be a comet, he argues it's important for scientists not to rule out any possibilities. "The unusual trajectory of this object offers the possibility that it might have been designed so as to have some goals of a reconnaissance mission." MEECH: "It's irresponsible science.' :: NASA/ATLAS/University of Hawaii Karen Meech, a planetary astronomer at the University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy, dismisses the idea. 'This is just coincidence, the path that it comes through the solar system. There's a perfectly natural explanation for this. It is behaving like a regular comet. // It's developing a little tail, it's getting brighter as it gets closer to the sun. We know a few things about it, but everyone's intensively studying it..." :: Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to the sun around October 30, when it will be about 130 million miles away from our star. :: File The only other such interstellar visitors were objects called 1I/'Oumuamua, detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2019. Reuters / NASA/ATLAS/University of Hawaii / CATALINA SKY SURVEY/D RANKIN / DAVID JEWITT/NASA/ESA/SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE / RUBINOBS/NOIRLAB/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA / K Ly at Deep Random Survey / Olivier Hainaut et al./European Southern Observatory / ONLINE WEBSITE


Forbes
4 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
See The Moon Meet Mars As ‘Shooting Stars' Fall: The Night Sky This Week
Venus is shining brightly over the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile. Each Monday, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more. The Night Sky This Week: July 28-August 3, 2025 July ends, and August begins with a waxing crescent moon that continues its evening journey past Mars and through Leo while the very early hours offer a rising tide of meteor showers. Two minor showers — Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids — reach their peak midweek, delivering a steady stream of shooting stars, especially for southern observers. By week's end, the moon performs one of its closest passes to Antares this year. Here's everything you need to know about stargazing and astronomy this week: Monday, July 28: Moon And Mars Monday, July 28: Moon And Mars About 45 minutes after the sun dips below the horizon, a 19%-illuminated waxing crescent moon will appear in the west just to the left of Mars. The two solar system objects will be separated by only about one degree. Tuesday, July 29: Meteor Showers Peak Two overlapping meteor showers — the Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids — both reach their peak tonight. The Delta Aquariids may produce up to 20 meteors per hour, while the Alpha Capricornids can add another 5 to 10. As luck would have it, the waxing crescent moon will set relatively early, leaving the sky dark for most of the night. For best viewing, head to a dark location and face generally southeast or south after midnight for the best chance to catch long, lingering Delta Aquariids and bright Alpha Capricornids. Wednesday, July 30: Moon Near Spica Wednesday, July 30: Moon Near Spica Now about 36%-lit, the waxing crescent moon will be positioned just a degree from Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. This blue-white binary star lies about 250 light-years away. Friday, August 1: 'Morning Star' Venus Peaks Look east 45 minutes before sunrise to see Venus at its highest point —about 25 degrees above east — during its current apparition as the 'Morning Star.' It will shine brilliantly at –3.9 magnitude in the outskirts of the constellation Orion, 'The Hunter.' Sunday, August 3: Moon And Antares Sunday, August 3: Moon And Antares From most of North America, the moon will appear to pass incredibly close to Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius. The moon regularly passes close to Antares, Aldebaran, Regulus, and Spica due to their location near the ecliptic, which the moon's orbital path around Earth closely follows and often intersects. The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.


NDTV
5 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Exoplanet 35 Light-Years Away Offers Hope for Life Beyond Earth
A team of scientists has studied the L 98-59 planetary system and confirmed the existence of a fifth planet, named L 98-59 f, in the star's habitable zone. The zone has conditions that could allow liquid water to exist. L 98-59 is a small red dwarf located just 35 light-years from Earth. In 2019, NASA's TESS space telescope found that it hosts three small transiting exoplanets. A fourth planet was revealed through radial velocity measurements with the European Southern Observatory's ESPRESSO spectrograph. Now, the team led by the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) at the Universite de Montreal has found a fifth one in the system. "These new results paint the most complete picture we've ever had of the fascinating L 98-59 system," said Cadieux in the press release. "It's a powerful demonstration of what we can achieve by combining data from space telescopes and high-precision instruments on Earth, and it gives us key targets for future atmospheric studies with the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST]." The exoplanet has a minimum mass 2.8 times that of Earth and has been categorised as a super-Earth. L 98-59 f follows an almost perfectly circular orbit around its star, receiving roughly the same amount of stellar energy as Earth. Its location in the habitable zone suggests that liquid water could exist on its surface under suitable atmospheric conditions, making it a potential candidate to support life. If L 98-59 f has an atmosphere, telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be able to detect water vapour, carbon dioxide or even biosignatures. Cadieux said that the discovery highlights the "diversity of exoplanetary systems" and also "strengthens the case for studying potentially habitable worlds around low-mass stars". "With its diversity of rocky worlds and range of planetary compositions, L 98-59 offers a unique laboratory to address some of the field's most pressing questions: What are super-Earths and sub-Neptunes made of? Do planets form differently around small stars? Can rocky planets around red dwarfs retain atmospheres over time?" René Doyon, co-author of the study, who is a professor at UdeM and the Director of IREx, said. The findings are reported in research that will appear in The Astronomical Journal titled "Detailed Architecture of the L 98-59 System and Confirmation of a Fifth Planet in the Habitable Zone."


Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Astronomers capture images of the birth of a distant planet
Astronomers have captured incredible images of the birth of a distant planet. The planet orbits the star HD 135344B, which is located around 440 light–years from Earth. The stunning snaps show the planet beginning to sculpt spirals of dust and gas around its home star. The scientists who made the discovery say that the planet is likely twice the size of Jupiter and is as far from its star as Neptune is from the Sun. Planets are formed from spinning halos of hot material known as protoplanetary discs , which form around very young stars. As planets start to form, they 'sweep' their orbits to produce intricate patterns of rings, gaps, and spirals in the dust. Although astronomers have spotted these patterns in the past, this is the first time anyone has caught one of these planetary sculptures in the act. Lead author Francesco Maio, a doctoral researcher at the University of Florence, says: 'We will never witness the formation of Earth, but here, around a young star 440 light–years away, we may be watching a planet come into existence in real time.' The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) first spotted the spiral patterns around HD 135344B back in 2016. However, the equipment used in those early studies wasn't sensitive enough to confirm whether there was a protoplanet – the first stage of planetary formation – within the rings. In a new study, published today in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, researchers have used the VLT's new Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) to pinpoint the planet's likely location. Mr Maio and his co–authors spotted a 'planet candidate' – something strongly believed to be a planet – right at the base of one of the disc's spiral arms. If these spirals were caused by a planet disturbing the ring of dust, that is exactly where astronomers would expect the planet to be. What makes these observations so special is that the astronomers were actually able to capture light coming directly from the planet itself. This is a significant piece of evidence in favour of the theory that gaps and rings in protoplanetary disks around other stars are hiding protoplanets of their own. Mr Maio says: 'What makes this detection potentially a turning point is that, unlike many previous observations, we are able to directly detect the signal of the protoplanet, which is still highly embedded in the disc. These observations could also help shed light on how the planets in our own solar system formed over four billion years ago. At the same time, a second group of researchers have used ERIS to spot another potential planet forming around another young, distant star. V960 Mon sits roughly 5,000 light years from Earth and is believed to be extremely young. When astronomers first found captured images of it in 2023, they found that the star was spitting out arms of gas and dust wider than our entire Milky Way. In this new study, astronomers found that the spiral arms are 'fragmenting' in a way that suggests a process known as 'gravitational instability' is at play. Planets normally form like snowballs rolling down a hill, as matter collides and clumps together into ever bigger lumps – this is known as core accretion. But sometimes, when the gas and dust are cooler and further from the host star, matter will slowly pull itself together under gravity and form clumps that collapse into the core of a planet. Scientists believe this is how gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn typically form. If this is what has caused the fragmentation around V960 Mons, it would be the first time that anyone has ever seen a planet forming via gravitational instability. However, astronomers now say that something even stranger could be lurking around V960 Mons. The researchers believe that the object could be a 'brown dwarf', an object bigger than a planet that didn't gain enough mass to shine as a star. These giant planets can be between 13 and 80 times the size of Jupiter and typically orbit far out from their companion stars. Likewise, no one has yet captured the exact moment that one of these mysterious objects comes into existence.