Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin, in partnership with Google, have used artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover two more hidden planets in the Kepler space telescope archive. The technique shows promise for identifying many additional planets that traditional methods could not catch.The planets discovered this time were from
Author: David Harris
NASA lab brews up alien atmospheres here on Earth
Earth's pleasant, life-giving atmosphere is turning out to be somewhat of an oddity. With almost 4,000 planets so far discovered orbiting stars beyond our solar system, scientists are finding that atmospheres come in a wide range of recipes. To get a better understanding of that cosmic chemistry, a team at
Researchers uncover additional evidence for massive solar storms
Solar storms can be far more powerful than previously thought. A new study has found evidence for the third known case of a massive solar storm in historical times. The researchers believe that society might not be sufficiently prepared if a similar event were to happen now.Earth is constantly being
Gamma Ray Telescopes could Detect Starships Powered by Black Hole
In the course of looking for possible signs of Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (ETI), scientists have had to do some really outside-of-the-box thinking. Since it is a foregone conclusion that many ETIs would be older and more technologically advanced than humanity, those engaged in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have to
3 explanations for ‘Oumuamua that aren’t alien spaceships
The first known interstellar visitor to the solar system is keeping astronomers guessing.Ever since it was spotted in October 2017, major mysteries have dogged the object, known as ‘Oumuamua (SN Online: 10/27/17). Astronomers don’t know where it came from in the galaxy. And they’ve disagreed over whether ‘Oumuamua is an
Decade long study sheds light on “killer” galactic mergers
Images taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are providing insight into the phenomenon of "killer" galaxies that, when they merge, shut down star formation within the new united galaxies. The collision and mixing of a pair of galaxies under the right (or wrong) conditions can disrupt the processes that allow
Neptune’s smallest moon may be a chip off another moon
Ancient white dwarf with rings calls star system evolution into question
Normally, peering deep into space lets astronomers see into the distant past, but a new discovery has now given us a glimpse of our solar system's future. A NASA-led citizen scientist project has discovered an ancient white dwarf that's surrounded by large rings, which is shaking up our understanding of
Where is the universe hiding its missing mass?
Astronomers have spent decades looking for something that sounds like it would be hard to miss: about a third of the "normal" matter in the Universe. New results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory may have helped them locate this elusive expanse of missing matter.From independent, well-established observations, scientists have confidently
A Star’s Outburst is Releasing Organic Molecules Trapped in the ice Around it
According to widely-accepted theories, the Solar System formed roughly 4.6 billion years ago from a massive cloud of dust and gas (aka. Nebular Theory). This process began when the nebula experienced a gravitational collapse in the center that became our Sun. The remaining dust and gas formed a protoplanetary disk
Researchers find evidence for a new fundamental constant of the Sun
New research undertaken at Northumbria University, Newcastle shows that the sun's magnetic waves behave differently than currently believed.Their findings have been reported in Nature Astronomy.After examining data gathered over a 10-year period, the team from Northumbria's Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering found that magnetic waves in the sun's
Titan’s oddly thick atmosphere may come from cooked organic compounds
Titan may have a home-baked atmosphere.Saturn’s largest moon gets some of its thick atmosphere by cooking organic molecules in a warm core, a new study suggests.The decay of radioactive elements may warm Titan’s core from within, splitting nitrogen and carbon off from complex organic molecules. Once free, those elements can