Latest news with #InternationalGeminiObservatory
India Today
10 hours ago
- Science
- India Today
Giant star Betelgeuse, visible to naked eyes, has a smaller sun orbiting it
Astronomers have achieved a historic breakthrough by directly detecting a hidden companion star in a remarkably tight orbit around Betelgeuse, the iconic red supergiant blazing in the constellation the innovative 'Alopeke instrument on the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, researchers have solved a century-old mystery about Betelgeuse's puzzling brightness changes and opened a new chapter in understanding red easily visible to the naked eye and one of the largest stars near Earth, has captured human attention for millennia. Its sheer size, some 700 times the Sun's radius, and fluctuating brightness have long made it a subject of fascination and confusion. Observations revealed that Betelgeuse's glow varies not only in a cycle of about 400 days but also in a pronounced secondary pattern every six years. This discovery answers the millennia-old question of why this famous star experiences a roughly six-year-long periodic change in its brightness. (Photo: NOIRLab) In 2019–2020, astronomers worldwide were riveted by the 'Great Dimming,' a sudden dramatic drop in the star's speculated Betelgeuse was about to explode in a supernova, but further analysis revealed the dimming resulted from a massive veil of dust cast off by the star Triumph: Direct Sight of a 'Betel-Buddy'Despite decades of pursuit and previous unsuccessful searches, including with the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory, no companion could be found until the recent by Steve Howell at NASA's Ames Research Center, the team utilised 'Alopeke's 'speckle imaging' technique: a method employing rapid-fire exposures that beat atmospheric blurring and deliver unparalleled coupled with Gemini North's immense 8.1-meter mirror, enabled the dim, tight-orbiting companion to finally come into the Companion StarAnalysis shows that the companion is six magnitudes fainter than Betelgeuse in visible light, and roughly 1.5 times the Sun's companiion is very young, classified as an A or B-type pre-main-sequence star, which is hot, blue-white, and not yet igniting hydrogen in its is orbiting just four times the Earth-to-Sun distance from Betelgeuse, well within the supergiant's extended atmosphere, an unprecedented finding. Photo: NOIRLab This is the first time such a close-in stellar companion has ever been detected around a supergiant star—a feat once deemed impossible to achieve with current discovery not only clarifies the underlying cause of Betelgeuse's six-year brightness variability but also hints that similar companions may shape the behavior of other red supergiants. Tidal forces will ultimately doom the companion, spiraling it into Betelgeuse over the next 10,000 prime opportunity to observe the companion will come in November 2027 when it will be at its greatest separation from Betelgeuse, promising more insights into the evolution of colossal stars.- Ends
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Rare interstellar comet spotted zooming through our solar system, only the 3rd ever seen
A mysterious visitor from another star system is currently flying through our cosmic neighborhood, and scientists are keeping a close eye on it. The recently discovered comet is unlike anything we have seen before. The first detection of 3I/ATLAS was made on July 1 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS. According to a statement from the National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab, which runs the International Gemini Observatory, it is only the third known interstellar object, indicating it didn't originate in our solar system, as per a report by Space. While traveling toward the inner solar system, the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS was spotted by astronomers in a stunning new image. Only three interstellar objects have been found to reach our solar system, after 1I'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. The newly discovered comet was photographed by the Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i as it passed through our cosmic neighborhood, some 290 million miles (465 million kilometers) away from Earth. The Gemini North telescope captured this massive 12-mile-wide comet, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study material from beyond our star. ALSO READ: Wicked 2 just made a massive change to this character, and fans might actually love it On October 30, 3I/ATLAS will cross within 130 million miles (210 million km), or barely inside the orbit of Mars, of the sun. No threat to Earth will come from 3I/ATLAS, which will pass within 170 million miles (270 million km) of Earth in December."This interstellar wanderer has been critically characterized early thanks to the International Gemini Observatory's sensitivity and scheduling agility," said Martin Still, NSF program director for the International Gemini Observatory."We look forward to a bounty of new data and insights as this object warms itself on sunlight before continuing its cold, dark journey between the stars."The relics of distant star systems that have been blasted into space are known as interstellar objects, such as 3I/ATLAS. According to the statement, they provide important information about the components that were present when and where other planetary systems in the universe formed, including their chemical composition, as per a report by it is thought that other objects of this kind frequently go through our solar system, they are very challenging to photograph. ALSO READ: 12,000 years of art? Ancient Mongolian elk carvings morph into mysterious wolf symbols However, 3I/ATLAS is a better target for research because it is significantly larger than earlier interstellar objects, with an estimated diameter of 12 miles (20 km). The comet has a compact coma, which is the cloud of gas and dust around its icy core, according to the latest photos taken by the Gemini North observatory. According to other observations, it might be the oldest comet ever found, possibly older than our solar system and it originates from the Milky Way's outer thick will be 3I/ATLAS's only visit to our solar system because of its extremely eccentric orbit, which prevents it from making a full orbit around the sun. Therefore, during the comet's brief visit before it departs for interstellar space, astronomers from all over the world are observing it with a variety of telescopes. Why is 3I/ATLAS such a big deal?It's only the third interstellar object ever discovered, and it's the largest by far. Will it return or hit Earth? No. It will pass by safely and not return; it is a one-time visitor.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Rare interstellar comet spotted zooming through our solar system, only the 3rd ever seen
A mysterious visitor from another star system is currently flying through our cosmic neighborhood , and scientists are keeping a close eye on it. The recently discovered comet is unlike anything we have seen before. The first detection of 3I/ATLAS was made on July 1 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS. According to a statement from the National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab, which runs the International Gemini Observatory, it is only the third known interstellar object, indicating it didn't originate in our solar system, as per a report by Space. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category While traveling toward the inner solar system, the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS was spotted by astronomers in a stunning new image. Only three interstellar objects have been found to reach our solar system, after 1I'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. How close will it get to Earth and the Sun? Live Events The newly discovered comet was photographed by the Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i as it passed through our cosmic neighborhood, some 290 million miles (465 million kilometers) away from Earth. The Gemini North telescope captured this massive 12-mile-wide comet, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study material from beyond our star. ALSO READ: Wicked 2 just made a massive change to this character, and fans might actually love it On October 30, 3I/ATLAS will cross within 130 million miles (210 million km), or barely inside the orbit of Mars, of the sun. No threat to Earth will come from 3I/ATLAS, which will pass within 170 million miles (270 million km) of Earth in December. "This interstellar wanderer has been critically characterized early thanks to the International Gemini Observatory's sensitivity and scheduling agility," said Martin Still, NSF program director for the International Gemini Observatory. "We look forward to a bounty of new data and insights as this object warms itself on sunlight before continuing its cold, dark journey between the stars." What makes 3I/ATLAS different from other comets? The relics of distant star systems that have been blasted into space are known as interstellar objects, such as 3I/ATLAS. According to the statement, they provide important information about the components that were present when and where other planetary systems in the universe formed, including their chemical composition, as per a report by Space. Although it is thought that other objects of this kind frequently go through our solar system, they are very challenging to photograph. ALSO READ : 12,000 years of art? Ancient Mongolian elk carvings morph into mysterious wolf symbols However, 3I/ATLAS is a better target for research because it is significantly larger than earlier interstellar objects, with an estimated diameter of 12 miles (20 km). The comet has a compact coma, which is the cloud of gas and dust around its icy core, according to the latest photos taken by the Gemini North observatory . According to other observations, it might be the oldest comet ever found, possibly older than our solar system and it originates from the Milky Way's outer thick disk. Why are scientists racing to study it now? This will be 3I/ATLAS's only visit to our solar system because of its extremely eccentric orbit, which prevents it from making a full orbit around the sun. Therefore, during the comet's brief visit before it departs for interstellar space, astronomers from all over the world are observing it with a variety of telescopes. FAQs Why is 3I/ATLAS such a big deal? It's only the third interstellar object ever discovered, and it's the largest by far. Will it return or hit Earth? No. It will pass by safely and not return; it is a one-time visitor.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers capture 1st close-up photograph of new interstellar visitor
It's out of this world. Or, more accurately, this solar system. On July 1, astronomers discovered an object near the orbit of Jupiter that was somewhat peculiar. It had a strange orbit, one that didn't take it around the sun like most asteroids or comets. Eventually it was confirmed that this object — named 3I/ATLAS, or C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) — was an interstellar visitor. Now, using the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, astronomers have captured the first detailed image of this cosmic interloper. "We look forward to a bounty of new data and insights as this object warms itself on sunlight before continuing its cold, dark journey between the stars," Martin Still, NSF program director for the International Gemini Observatory, said in a statement. The comet will continue to be visible in large telescopes until September, after which it will be lost in the sun's glare. Learning more about the comet "As this is only our third interstellar visitor ever discovered, we're excited to learn about this entirely new class of object," Paul Wiegert, an astronomy professor at Western University, told CBC News in an email. Astronomers like to study comets and asteroids as they are left over from our solar system's earliest formation and can reveal what conditions were like at the time. Being able to study something from outside of our neighbourhood could potentially provide more knowledge about other star systems. Current observations suggest the comet is roughly 20 kilometres in diameter, far larger than the previous two interstellar comets astronomers observed passing through our solar system. The first comet was 'Oumuamua, which had a measly diameter of 200 metres. The second was 2I/Borisov, which was one kilometre in diameter. The fact that 3I/ATLAS is so large is a boon to astronomers: It makes it easier to study, particularly as it nears Earth. It will make a close approach in December, but poses no threat. A recent study presented by author Matthew Hopkins at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham, England, suggests that this new visitor may be the oldest comet ever seen. He estimates its origin to be from a part of our galaxy that is home to ancient stars, and says that it could be seven billion years old, far older than our galaxy's 4.5 billion years. And this new visitor is hustling: when it was discovered, it was travelling at roughly 61 kilometres per second. How they know it's not from our neighbourhood Astronomers can determine the origin of comets or asteroids based on their orbits' eccentricity, or how stretched out its path is. An eccentricity of 0 means it is a perfectly circular orbit. An eccentricity greater than one means the orbit does not circle around the sun, and the higher the value, the more stretched out the orbit. WATCH | Orbit of third-known interstellar object: In 3I/ATLAS's case, its orbit is 6.2, which is how astronomers knew that it came from beyond the solar system. For comparison, 'Oumuamua had an eccentricity of 1.2 and 2I/Borisov's eccentricity was 3.6. Currently, this new comet is still within Jupiter's orbit, roughly 465 million kilometres from Earth. It will make its closest approach to our planet on Dec. 19, at a distance of roughly 270 million kilometres. It will reach its closet point to the sun on Oct. 30 at a distance of 210 million kilometres, which will be just inside the orbit of Mars. Though astronomers have quickly learned some things about this newest interloper, they hope to learn more over time. "This one seems much like a comet from our own solar system. That is, mostly made of ice which has been frozen for billions of years as it wandered the galaxy, but now [is] starting to gently turn to vapour in the light of our sun. This makes 3I/ATLAS look fuzzy with a tail, visible in the image," Wiegert said. "But we really don't know if it is like one of our comets (which are leftover building block from when the Earth and planets formed) or something completely different."
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Satellites trace a triangle above Gemini North Telescope
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Gemini North Telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, studies the skies above Maunakea, a mountain in Hawaii. Its twin, the Gemini South Telescope, is based in the Chilean Andes at Cerro Pachón. According to NOIRLab, both Gemini Telescopes have four imagers and spectrographs that view in both optical and infrared wavelengths simultaneously, which are mounted on the back of the telescopes. These instruments work in sync with the telescopes' guidance systems in order to be able to look deep into the universe. The Gemini North Telescope is one of several near the summit of Mauna Kea and it and its twin are two of only a select few observatories that can be operated fully remotely. At 13,825 feet (4,214 meters) in altitude on a long-dormant volcano, the Gemini North Telescope is above clouds and light pollution that could interfere with its analysis. While the Gemini North Telescope may be at a high enough elevation to avoid light pollution, it has another issue that might interfere with its readings: satellite streaks. Because there are more satellites in low-Earth orbit than ever before, it can be challenging for astronomers to avoid them when pointing sensors towards the sky. In this image, the long exposure shows three satellites streaking across the sky to form a triangle shape. Researchers are working to find ways to track these satellites in hopes of making it easier for astronomers to peer into our universe and study the many celestial objects that are there. You can read more about the Gemini Observatory and satellite activity as astronomers continue to use powerful telescopes to look at our night skies.
