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Category: space – Page 9

Excavating Eridu: Observations explore nature of massive ancient galaxy

By analyzing the data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), astronomers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and elsewhere have probed the properties of a massive and old galaxy designated SMILES-GS-191748. Results of the study, published August 7 on the pre-print server arXiv, shed more light on the nature of this galaxy.

SMILES-GS-191748 is a massive and quiescent galaxy at a redshift of 2.675. The galaxy most likely contains a very old stellar population that first formed when the universe was young.

Given that very little is known about the properties of SMILES-GS-191748, a team of astronomers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Ian McConachie decided to inspect this galaxy using JWST and HST. They nicknamed SMILES-GS-191748 “Eridu,” after the ancient Bronze Age Sumerian city in Mesopotamia due to the galaxy’s suspected early formation time and apparent quiescent nature.

NASA Probe Could Intercept Interstellar Comet, Scientists Say

Astronomers at the Pan-STARRS Observatory in Hawaii made history in 2017 when they detected ’Oumuamua, the first interstellar object (ISO) ever observed.

Two years later, the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov became the second ISO ever observed. And on July 1st, 2025, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Rio Hurtado detected a third interstellar object in our Solar System, the comet now known as 3I/ATLAS (or C/2025 N1 ATLAS).

Like its predecessors, the arrival of this object has fueled immense scientific interest and led to proposals for missions that could rendezvous with future ISOs.

Gaia’s variable stars: A new map of the stellar life cycle

One of the best places to study stars is inside “open clusters,” which are groups of stars that formed together from the same material and are bound together through gravity.

Open clusters act as laboratories, showing how stars of different masses and ages behave. At the same time, some stars, known as “variable stars,” regularly change in brightness, and their flickers and pulses help scientists learn about the physics inside stars and about the wider galaxy.

Until now, astronomers studied clusters and variable stars separately, and usually one cluster at a time. But that approach missed the bigger picture, leaving gaps in our understanding of how the lives of stars unfold across the galaxy.

DARPA’s Laser Leap Proves “Energy can fly like data” as 800-Watt Beam Sets Distance Record and Opens Door to UAV and Space Uses

IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 A DARPA-led team set a new record by transmitting 800 watts over 5.3 miles using optical power beaming. ⚡ Power beaming could revolutionize energy delivery to remote locations and reduce logistical challenges. 🔬 The breakthrough involved a customized receiver and a high-energy optical laser to maximize efficiency. 🌍 Future phases aim

This Martian Rock’s Mysterious Spots May Reveal Clues to Ancient Life

By studying the leopard-like spots on rocks from Earth and Mars now, scientists will be ready to analyze returned space samples when they arrive. In 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover retrieved an unusual rock sample from Mars. Named Sapphire Canyon, the specimen stands out for its striking pattern:

Observations investigate ultraluminous X-ray sources in the galaxy NGC 5813

Using NASA’s Chandra and ESA’s XMM-Newton space observatories, Indian astronomers have explored the population of ultraluminous X-ray sources in the galaxy NGC 5813, which resulted in the detection of a new source of this type. Results of the observational campaign were published August 7 on the pre-print server arXiv.

Is Information a Fundamental Force of the Universe?

Researchers Robert Hazen and Michael Wong have put forward a bold new law of nature — one that could explain how everything in the universe evolves, from atoms, minerals and stars to living cells, ecosystems and even human civilization. At the heart of their theory is the idea that information is as fundamental to the cosmos as mass, energy or charge. Their law revolves around a concept called functional information — a measure of the ratcheting-up of complexity and function in evolving systems over time.

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