Among all space mysteries, the creation of the universe’s grandest galaxies is among the most mystifying, but new research has brought astronomers one step closer to deciphering this phenomenon. A study published in Nature details the process that spawned immense galaxies, which could help unravel the evolution of the universe since the beginning of time. Exploring the Origins of Elliptical GalaxiesThe study — a collaboration between the University of Southampton, China’s Purple Mountain ...read more
The NASA project NEOWISE, which has given astronomers a detailed view of near-Earth objects – some of which could strike the Earth – ended its mission and burned on reentering the atmosphere after over a decade.On a clear night, the sky is full of bright objects – from stars, large planets, and galaxies to tiny asteroids flying near Earth. These asteroids are commonly known as near-Earth objects, and they come in a wide variety of sizes. Some are tens of kilometers across or larger, while ...read more
About 100 million years ago, a sparrow-sized microraptorian (a long-lost cousin of modern birds) sped across the landscape of modern-day South Korea, leaving behind a mysterious set of footprints with surprisingly long strides. Now, paleontologists suggest that the species used a unique type of aerial motion: flap-running. Published in a study in the journal PNAS in October, the findings may improve our understanding of the origins of flight.“It had only two toes on each foot, and that’s wha ...read more
Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, much like every egg has a yolk. But sometimes, hens lay eggs with two yolks. In a similar way, astrophysicists like uswho study supermassive black holes expect to find binary systems – two supermassive black holes orbiting each other – at the hearts of some galaxies.Black holes are regions of space where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape from their vicinity. They form when the core of a massive star collapses on itse ...read more
Asteroid impacts have changed Earth’s landscape time and time again. Some impacts caused great change to occur, like the Chicxulub Impactor, which led to the mass extinction of dinosaurs around 65 million years ago. While an impact like this caused severe changes to the climate and ended the lines of most non-avian dinosaurs, a new study published in Communications Earth & Environment found that massive asteroid hits may not have changed the planet’s climate in the long term. After anal ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine