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Astronomers have discovered five rare "Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor" (CEMP) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Astronomers have discovered five rare "Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor" (CEMP) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud for the first time.
Using the BOSS spectrograph, a team led by Madeline Lucey (University of Pennsylvania) analyzed data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). They were looking for something that shouldn't be there—or at least, hadn't been found yet.
Jan 271 min read


The Dark Energy Survey (DES) has released its final results after six years of scanning the southern sky.
The Dark Energy Survey (DES) has released its final results after six years of scanning the southern sky. We are one step closer to understanding the force tearing the cosmos apart.
For all the time, money, and telescopes humanity has used, scientists are still asking a fundamental question: What is dark energy?
Jan 271 min read


Why scientists are turning to the Moon to solve the puzzle of Earth's energy budget and climate change.
Why scientists are turning to the Moon to solve the puzzle of Earth's energy budget and climate change.
Earth's radiation budget—the balance between incoming energy from the Sun and outgoing energy from Earth—is a core driver of our climate. While current satellites have advanced our understanding, they face a challenge: Scale.
Jan 271 min read


To protect our technology, scientists plan to create artificial eclipses in space.
Earth is facing its most intense solar storms in two decades. To protect our technology, scientists plan to create artificial eclipses in space.
When a solar storm strikes Earth, it can disrupt technology that's vital for our daily lives. Solar storms occur when magnetic fields and electrically charged particles collide with Earth's magnetic field. This type of event falls into the category known as "space weather."
Jan 271 min read


Buried deep in the early universe, "monster galaxies" churned out stars at furious rates.
Buried deep in the early universe, "monster galaxies" churned out stars at furious rates. New high-resolution imaging reveals there is no single way to build a giant.
Between 10 and 12 billion years ago, some galaxies were absolute powerhouses. These ancestors of today's giant ellipticals formed stars at rates that dwarf our Milky Way. But what drove them to grow so violently?
Jan 271 min read


Dark Energy Survey releases its final results, we discuss the legacy of the project and the future
As the Dark Energy Survey releases its final results, we discuss the legacy of the project and the future of cosmology with pioneers Josh Frieman and Risa Wechsler.
Jan 271 min read


NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has released its definitive collection of cosmic hits.
Like a recording artist with a legendary history, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has released its definitive collection of cosmic hits.
The richness of the Chandra Source Catalog is illustrated in this image of the region around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Spanning just 60 light-years across—a pinprick on the sky—Chandra detected over 3,300 individual X-ray sources.
Jan 261 min read


Where Did Earth's Water Come From?
For a long time, scientists assumed that Earth's water was delivered by asteroids and comets billions of years ago. New analysis of lunar rocks casts doubt on this old theory. This coincided with the Late Heavy Bombardment (ca. 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago), a period when planets and bodies in the solar system experienced a much higher rate of impacts.
Jan 261 min read


ALMA has just captured the sharpest family album of these violent, dusty years.
Between the birth of a star and the settling of a solar system lies a chaotic "teenage" phase. ALMA has just captured the sharpest family album of these violent, dusty years. A faint, sparse ring of icy debris beyond Neptune. It's the quiet aftermath of a chaotic youth.
Jan 251 min read


A new theory suggests ancient magnetic fields are the missing key.
The universe is breaking our models. Two methods of measuring expansion give two different answers. A new theory suggests ancient magnetic fields are the missing key.
Early Universe (CMB): When we look at the oldest light (Planck satellite), the math says the universe expands at 67 km/s/Mpc.
Jan 251 min read


Massive galaxy clusters act as natural telescopes, bending light to reveal the hidden universe.
Massive galaxy clusters act as natural telescopes, bending light to reveal the hidden universe. Meanwhile, dying stars sculpt intricate nebulae and satellites create artificial eclipses.
The Cluster: MACS J1149 is a massive cluster of galaxies 5 billion light-years away. Its gravity is so intense it bends space itself.
Jan 251 min read


ExoMiner++: The new AI trained to find Earth 2.0 in the noise
With over 6,000 exoplanets found, the data is becoming unmanageable for humans. Enter ExoMiner++: the new AI trained to find Earth 2.0 in the noise.
Finding a dip in a star's brightness is easy. Knowing what caused it is hard.
Jan 251 min read
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