Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies Have the Same Mass
In 2012, NASA astronomers predicted that our Milky Way galaxy will collide and merge with its neighboring Andromeda galaxy in about 4 billion years. Scientists said that when this galactic collision takes place, Andromeda, which was thought to be two to three times the size of the Milky Way – will completely engulf our galaxy. Now, […]
Is the Universe Connected By a Cosmic Web?
Some people think that the universe is just a hodge-podge of various celestial objects, such as planets, stars and galaxies. But over the years, scientists have found more evidence that the universe may be anything but random, and is actually more organized and interconnected—like an enormous spider web. Our place in the web Let’s start […]
Radioactive Material Found in Fracking Waste; Searching Space for H20
Radioactive Isotopes Found in Fracking Waste US oil and natural gas production, has been boosted in recent years by a drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking.” But this practice has also been criticized for its possible impact on the environment because of the wastewater this method generates. A new study published in […]
Odd Feature from Galactic Collision; Crack in the Magnetosphere; Smartphones Make Us Trust Less?
Galactic Fender-Bender Produces Eye-Lid Shaped Feature A team of astronomers say what started as a fender-bender between two galaxies has sent a torrent of stars and gas crashing through the center of one, which then produced a rare eyelid shaped star formation. Working with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in Chile, the astronomers identified […]
X Marks the Spot; New Radiation Monitor on ISS; 3D Astronomical Map
X Marks the Center of the Milky Way When we hear “X marks the spot,” many of us might think of old pirate maps and where treasure is supposedly buried. But “X marks the spot” could also have more of a cosmic meaning, thanks to a new study published in the Astronomical Journal. The study’s […]
Astronomers Spot 80 of the Oldest Galaxies
Advancing technology is making it possible for scientists to investigate the early universe. About 200 million years after the Big Bang, it is thought that clumps of condensed primordial cold gas clouds provided material for the first stars to be born. As stars were created they formed small galaxies. An international team of researchers are […]
January 2016 Science Images
New Research Reveals Ominous Future for Universe
A team of British and Italian scientists recently conducted research that suggests an ominous future for the universe. In a paper just published by the journal Physical Review Letters, the scientists said a review of new astronomical data found that dark energy (a theoretical form of energy that cosmologists believe is responsible for the accelerated […]
Astronomers Capture 3D Images of Mysterious Intergalactic Matter
For the first time, 3D images have been captured of a cosmological entity called the intergalactic medium (IGM). Until now, the structure of IGM had been theoretical. The discovery could provide astronomers with a new understanding of galactic and intergalactic dynamics. The images were captured with an instrument built at the California Institute of Technology […]