Galaxy Megamergers 1.4 – 1.5 Billion Years after the Big Bang
Two teams of astronomers have used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), in Chile, to observe dense concentrations of so-called “starburst” galaxies. With these galaxies packing together so closely, the scientific teams realized that they were getting ready to violently collide and merge with each other, which would eventually […]
A Galaxy is Missing Its Dark Matter
Scientists say that the invisible and mysterious dark matter makes up about 27% of all material in the universe. Regular or normal matter that you see and touch every day takes up 5% and the remaining 68% comes from an enigmatic form of energy called dark energy. According to NASA, dark matter serves as a type of […]
Astronomers Detect a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Astronomers have discovered the most distant galaxy ever detected, gaining new insight into the early beginnings of our universe. Identified as EGS-zs8-1, the international team of astronomers measured its exact distance at 13 billion light years away from Earth. That means that light from the galaxy now reaching Earth was produced back when the universe […]
Scientists Discover Planet Covered in Diamonds
Scientists have found a planet outside of our solar system which could be a true diamond in the rough. This gem of a planet is twice Earth’s size, according to the US-Franco team that found it, and its surface appears to be covered in graphite and diamond. Researchers estimate that at least one-third of the […]
Website Puts Earth’s Animal Species at Your Fingertips
A new website, built on a Google Maps platform, allows anyone with an Internet connection to map the known global distribution of nearly all of Earth’s species, including mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, as well as the fresh water fish of North America. This initial version of “Map of Life” shows how all of Earth’s […]