UNISTELLAR’s Post

https://buff.ly/3Xe06Ia Exoplanets, look out! Two NASA-funded teams of amateur astronomers are tracking you with their backyard telescopes. These two teams, called UNITE (UNISTELLAR Network Investigating TESS Exoplanets) and Exoplanet Watch, have combined forces to confirm a new planetary discovery—a toasty "warm Jupiter". "I pinch myself every day when I recall that I have made a meaningful scientific contribution to astronomy by helping professional astronomers confirm and characterize a new exoplanet,” said Darren Rivett, a volunteer from Australia who contributed to the effort. Planets around other stars, called exoplanets, sometimes block the light from the stars they orbit. When this happens, it’s called a “transit”. Amateur astronomers can observe exoplanet transits with their own telescopes by watching for the light from a nearby star to dim. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) sees these dimming events, too—many thousands of them. But just seeing a star dim once is not enough. You need to catch multiple dimming events (and perform various other checks) to know that you’ve found a new exoplanet. That’s where volunteers from the UNITE and Exoplanet Watch projects come in. These two teams of amateur astronomers have collaborated with the SETI Institute to detect the transit of an object called TIC 393818343 b (aka TOI 6883 b)---proving to the world that this object does indeed contain a planet orbiting a star.

"Planning large astronomical missions is a long process. In some cases, such as the now functional James Webb Space Telescope, it can literally take decades. Part of that learning process is understanding what the mission will be designed to look for. Coming up with a list of what it should look for is a process, and on larger missions, teams of scientists work together to determine what they think will be best for the mission. In that vein, a team of researchers from UC Berkeley and UC Riverside have released a paper on the arXiv preprint server describing a database of exoplanets that could be worth the time of NASA's new planned habitable planet survey, the Habitable Worlds Observatory HWO. Astronomy's decadal surveys are the starting point for many ambitious projects, and the Astro2020 Decadal Survey didn't disappoint. It called for NASA to develop a 6-meter space telescope capable of high-contrast observations in optical, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths. That project became known as the HWO; its primary mission is to observe 25 different exoplanets in their parent star's habitable zones and look for biosignatures on them. Essentially, it will be humanity's best alien finder. While not searching biosignatures, it can also do general astronomy, but knowing what planets to look at is critical to its mission. To tackle that part of the project, a NASA project known as the Exoplanet Exploration Program developed a list of 164 candidate exoplanets "whose [hypothetical] exo-Earths would be the most accessible" for the HWO. Mainly, that accessibility had to do with the characteristics of the planet's parent star, but its separation from that star was also considered."... PHYS ORG read & learn more "Astronomers identify 164 promising targets for the habitable worlds observatory" https://lnkd.in/gekWpbJ5

Evidence of a “cataclysmic” collision of giant asteroids which took place just 20 years ago has been found by scientists. Astronomers said the event could help them to further understand how Earth and other planets are formed. The collision happened in Beta Pictoris, a bright star system in the constellation of Pictor around 63 light years away. One light year is equal to nearly six trillion miles. Researchers have been studying the system, which is 20 million years old, for more than three decades. The evidence was found from latest data captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which was launched in 2021 as part of a joint mission between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. The collision would have occurred just before another NASA telescope, Spitzer, gathered data from the region between 2004 and 2005, astronomers said. Dust disappearance The data showed some previously observed dust around Beta Pictoris had disappeared – while experts said the findings represented a change in how they understood the star system. Christine Chen, an astronomer at Johns Hopkins University in the US who led the research, said: “The best explanation we have is that, in fact, we witnessed the aftermath of an infrequent, cataclysmic event between large asteroid-size bodies, marking a complete change in our understanding of this star system.” The violent clashes would have crushed some of the larger space rocks into fine dust particles smaller than pollen or powdered sugar, the researchers said. They added the amount of dust generated would have been about 100,000 times the size of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. In the aftermath of the explosion, Spitzer’s instruments were able to identify the dust closest to the star by looking at their heat signatures. Read more on Sky News:‘Super fluffy’ candy floss planet discoveredSpace images help experts understand changing universe But gradually, this dust started to cool off as it moved far enough away from the star to become undetectable by JWST two decades later. Conclusions from the unseen Cicero Lu, a former PhD student in astrophysics at Johns Hopkins University, said: “Most discoveries by JWST come from things the telescope has detected directly. “In this case, the story is a little different because our results come from what JWST did not see.” The researchers said the findings, presented at the 244th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in the US, offer a “unique glimpse” into how the solar system came into existence more than four billion years ago and whether it is unique.

An astronomy observatory station is a facility designed for observing celestial objects and phenomena in the night sky. These stations are typically equipped with advanced telescopes, detectors, and instruments that allow astronomers to study various aspects of the universe, such as stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae, and other cosmic phenomena. Observatory stations are often situated in remote locations with minimal light pollution to maximize the clarity of observations. They can be found atop mountains, in deserts, or even in space aboard orbiting satellites. Some observatories specialize in specific areas of research, like solar observatories that focus on the sun or radio observatories that detect radio waves emitted by celestial objects. These stations play a crucial role in advancing our understanding of the cosmos. They contribute to scientific research, discovery of new celestial objects, exploration of exoplanets, understanding the origins of the universe, and studying various astronomical phenomena. Additionally, observatories often engage in public outreach and education, allowing visitors to learn about astronomy and experience the wonders of the universe firsthand through guided tours, workshops, and stargazing events. To learn more, please contact Dwisolar Systems for more details space.sciences@dwisolar.com.my

https://buff.ly/4ed9BOg NASA's TESS observes so many stars all across the sky that it has so far amassed over 7,000 candidate worlds. But because TESS is so busy trying to detect as many planets as possible, almost all of these detections rely on a single transit event: just one pass of the exoplanet in front of its star. The task of confirming the existence of the exoplanet is left to follow-up surveys with ground-based observatories, which is a tedious, difficult, and time-consuming job. This is where citizen scientists come to the rescue. Using a network of telescopes scattered across the globe, amateur astronomers can perform the necessary observations needed to turn a candidate exoplanet into a confirmed one. Recently, the Unistellar Network and Exoplanet Watch have confirmed a new exoplanet, TIC 393818343 b, which sits about 300 light-years away from Earth. To make the confirmation, half a dozen amateur astronomers independently observed the planet over the course of two months, all donating their time and their expertise in the name of science. And what they found is astounding.

The Dragon's Egg Nebula & HD 148937 Binary Star System | ESO FriendsofNASA.org | High-res image: https://lnkd.in/g4sYKqNx Nebula NGC 6164/6165 surrounding the HD 148937 star system as seen in visible light. Most of the image is taken up by a cloud-like structure shaped like an egg, slightly tilted to the right. It is colored in shades of orange and pink, with certain areas brighter than others. In a gap at its center, a white sphere shines brightly, with white, blue and green rays coming out of it. Surrounding the cloud are stars of different sizes and colors over a dark background. Distance: 4,000 light years This image, taken with the VLT Survey Telescope hosted at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory, shows the beautiful nebula NGC 6164/6165, also known as the Dragon’s Egg. The nebula is a cloud of gas and dust surrounding a pair of stars called HD 148937. In a new study using ESO data, astronomers have shown that the two stars are unusually different from each other—one appears much younger and, unlike the other, is magnetic. Moreover, the nebula is significantly younger than either star at its heart, and is made up of gases normally found deep within a star and not on the outside. These clues together helped solve the mystery of the HD 148937 system—there were most likely three stars in the system until two of them clashed and merged, creating a new, larger and magnetic star. This violent event also created the spectacular nebula that now surrounds the remaining stars. Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/VPHAS+ team Acknowledgement: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit (CASU) Release Date: April 11, 2024 Suzanna Randall European Southern Observatory University of Cambridge European Astronomical Society Royal Astronomical Society American Astronomical Society (AAS) The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada NASA Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy NSF NOIRLab National Science Foundation (NSF) European Space Agency - ESA Jimmy Balimis Byron Hood #NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #NGC6164 #NGC6165 #Stars #StellarNursery #HD148937 #Norma #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VLTSurveyTelescope #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Astronomers Identify Record-breaking Quasar | European Southern Observatory FriendsofNASA.org: Astronomers have characterized the most luminous quasar observed to date. It is powered by the fastest-growing black hole. This black hole is growing in mass by the equivalent of one Sun per day. The matter being pulled in toward this black hole forms a disc that measures seven light-years in diameter—about 15,000 times the distance from the Sun to the orbit of Neptune. “We have discovered the fastest-growing black hole known to date. It has a mass of 17 billion Suns, and eats just over a Sun per day. This makes it the most luminous object in the known Universe,” says Christian Wolf, an astronomer at the Australian National University (ANU) and lead author of the study published today in Nature Astronomy. The quasar, called J0529-4351, is so far away from Earth that its light took over 12 billion years to reach us. Read the Research paper: https://lnkd.in/gVD23kyj Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO) Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner Editing: Angelos Tsaousis Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida Written by: Pamela Freeman and Elena Reiriz Martínez Footage and photos: ESO / Martin Kornmesser, Luis Calçada, Angelos Tsaousis, Cristoph Malin, Dark Energy Survey Scientific consultant: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova. Duration: 1 minute, 11 seconds Release Date: Feb. 19, 2024 European Southern Observatory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center The Australian National University American Astronomical Society (AAS) Royal Astronomical Society European Astronomical Society The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) National Academy of Sciences National Science Foundation (NSF) Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy U.S. Department of Education National Science Teaching Association #NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Quasars #Quasar #J05294351 #BlackHoles #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

[Once-in-a-lifetime Star Explosion, Visible From Earth, Could Happen Any Day Now] T Coronae Borealis, also known as T CrB (pronounced tee-core-bore) or the "Blaze Star," is on the precipice of a massive explosion — one that should be visible from Earth. According to calculations by Brad Schaefer, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Louisiana State University, along with data from amateur astronomers affiliated with the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), the nova should occur within a few months of May 2024. T CrB is a binary star system some 3,000 light-years away that consists of a white dwarf and a red giant. It's also a recurrent nova, which means the system explodes regularly. (That's what makes this a nova rather than a supernova — the latter is a one-and-done event that's a dying star's last breath.) Humans first recorded T CrB's nova in the year 1217; German abbey leader Abbott Burchard wrote about "a faint star that for a time shone with great light." Since then, we've observed two more of T CrB's novas, most recently in 1946. Even though we've only witnessed three events, scientists believe the explosions occur quite regularly, once every 79 or 80 years, which puts us on target right now. Plus, in March 2023, they noticed a "pre-eruption dip" in T CrB's brightness, indicating that the nova should occur imminently. "There are a few recurrent novas with very short cycles, but typically, we don't often see a repeated outburst in a human lifetime, and rarely one so relatively close to our own system," Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement. "It's incredibly exciting to have this front-row seat." Once T CrB goes nova, it should appear as an extremely bright star in the night sky, and you'll be able to witness this brightness for about a week. To see it, you'll want to look for the constellation Hercules, between the bright stars of Vega and Arcturus. Just to its side is a U-shaped curve of stars called the Northern Crown. T CrB is located in this crown, and once it goes nova, you shouldn't be able to miss it with the naked eye. "Typically, nova events are so faint and far away that it’s hard to clearly identify where the erupting energy is concentrated," aid Dr. Elizabeth Hays, chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA Goddard. "This one will be really close, with a lot of eyes on it, studying the various wavelengths and hopefully giving us data to start unlocking the structure and specific processes involved. We can’t wait to get the full picture of what’s going on." As soon as we get word that the nova is underway, we'll be sure to provide updates. Source: https://lnkd.in/ehHhBKny #galaxyaerosgh #space #spaceexploration #SpaceNews

Explore the discovery of a potential ninth planet in our solar system, distinct from Pluto, and the implications for astronomy and planetary science. https://lnkd.in/di6BPCkA #inwider #dubai #NinthPlanet #SolarSystem #AstronomyNews #PlanetaryDiscovery #OuterSolarSystem

An international team of astronomers - including members of the NCCR PlanetS, the University of Geneva and the Université de Berne has discovered, for the second time, an Earth-sized planet around an ultra-cool red dwarf, a class of star that is very common but very difficult to detect The SPECULOOS-3 b exoplanet is about 55 light years from Earth (which is relatively close) and is practically the same size as the blue planet. Emeline Bolmont, assistant professor in the astronomy department at the Faculty of Science | University of Geneva and director of the Life in the Universe research Center, is co-author of this study published in the journal "Nature Astronomy". #science #exoplanet #astronomy #research