Moon-forming disk discovered around distant planet

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Using Earth's most powerful array of radio telescopes, astronomers have made the first observations of a circumplanetary disk of gas and dust like the one that is believed to have birthed the moons of Jupiter.
via Science Daily
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Hubble uncovers black hole that shouldn't exist

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As if black holes weren't mysterious enough, astronomers have found an unexpected thin disk of material furiously whirling around a supermassive black hole at the heart of the magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 3147, located 130 million light-years away.
via Science Daily
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Alternating currents cause Jupiter's aurora

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An international research team has measured the system of currents that generates Jupiter's aurora. The scientists found out that sulphur dioxide gas from the gas giant's Moon Io is the cause of the system of currents.
via Science Daily
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Pair of supermassive black holes discovered on a collision course

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Astronomers have spotted a pair of supermassive black holes on a collision course in a galaxy 2.5 billion light-years away. Coincidentally, the pair will begin producing gravitational waves in roughly 2.5 billion years, the researchers estimate. The duo can be used to estimate how many supermassive black hole pairs are detectable in the nearby, present-day universe and when the historic first detection of the background 'hum' of their gravitational waves will be made.
via Science Daily
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Holes in the Universe sharpen cosmic measurements

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Regions of the Universe containing very few or no galaxies -- known as voids -- can help measure cosmic expansion with much greater precision than before, according to new research.
via Science Daily
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New terahertz sensors work at room temperature, unlike current technology

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Researchers have developed an ultra-sensitive light-detecting system that could enable astronomers to view galaxies, stars and planetary systems in superb detail.
via Science Daily
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Exactly how fast is the universe expanding?

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The collision of two neutron stars (GW170817) flung out an extraordinary fireball of material and energy that is allowing a a team of astrophysicists to calculate a more precise value for the Hubble constant, the speed of the universe's expansion. Previous estimates put the value between 66 and 90 km/s/Mpc, which this team refined to between 65.3 and 75.6 km/s/Mpc.
via Science Daily
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New high-definition satellite radar can detect bridges at risk of collapse from space

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An early warning system to identify at-risk structures using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has been developed. The system could be applied to infrastructure projects including roads, railways and building developments at lower cost and greater accuracy than existing techniques.
via Science Daily
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Interstellar iron isn't missing, it's just hiding in plain sight

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Cosmochemists have found that interstellar iron and carbon form a kind of linked molecule that cloaks the iron -- and helps stabilize large carbon molecules.
via Science Daily
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New method may resolve difficulty in measuring universe's expansion

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Radio telescope observations have made it possible for astronomers to use mergers of neutron-star pairs as a valuable new tool for measuring the Universe's expansion.
via Science Daily
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Supercomputer shows 'Chameleon Theory' could change how we think about gravity

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Supercomputer simulations of galaxies have shown that Einstein's theory of General Relativity might not be the only way to explain how gravity works or how galaxies form.
via Science Daily
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'Titans in a jar' could answer key questions ahead of NASA's space exploration

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Researchers from Southern Methodist University (SMU) could help determine if Saturn's icy moon -- Titan -- has ever been home to life long before NASA completes an exploratory visit to its surface by a drone helicopter.
via Science Daily
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Deep-CEE: The AI deep learning tool helping astronomers explore deep space

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Galaxy clusters are some of the most massive structures in the cosmos, but despite being millions of lightyears across, they can still be hard to spot. Researchers have turned to artificial intelligence for assistance in finding galaxy clusters, developing 'Deep-CEE' (Deep Learning for Galaxy Cluster Extraction and Evaluation), a novel deep learning technique to speed up the process of finding them.
via Science Daily
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Collision course: Amateur astronomers play a part in efforts to keep space safe

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Heavy traffic is commonplace on Earth but now congestion is becoming an increasing problem in space. With over 22,000 artificial satellites in orbit it is essential to keep track of their positions in order to avoid unexpected collisions. Amateur astronomers have been helping the Ministry of Defence explore what is possible using high-end consumer equipment to track objects in space.
via Science Daily
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Citizen scientists discover cyclical pattern of complexity in solar storms

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Citizen scientists have discovered that solar storms become more complex as the sun's 11-year activity cycle reaches its maximum -- a finding which could help forecasters predict which space weather events could have potentially devastating consequences for modern technologies at Earth.
via Science Daily
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Scientists weigh the balance of matter in galaxy clusters

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A method of weighing the quantities of matter in galaxy clusters - the largest objects in our universe - has shown a balance between the amounts of hot gas, stars and other materials.
via Science Daily
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Atmosphere of midsize planet revealed by Hubble, Spitzer

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Two NASA space telescopes have identified the detailed chemical 'fingerprint' of a planet between the sizes of Earth and Neptune. No planets like this can be found in our own solar system, but they are common around other stars.
via Science Daily
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Fast radio burst pinpointed to distant galaxy

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In a rare feat, astronomers have pinpointed the place of origin of a fast radio burst, with a surprising outcome.
via Science Daily
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Methane vanishing on Mars

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Wind-driven erosion of minerals on Mars may be the reason why methane disappears so rapidly on the red planet. Saltation causes electrical charges, that can oxidize minerals and ionize gases like methane, making the ionized methane bond to the minerals. That is the explanation proposed by an interdisciplinary research group, based on laboratory experiments in a Mars-like environment.
via Science Daily
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Earliest example of merging galaxies

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Researchers have observed signals of oxygen, carbon, and dust from a galaxy in the early Universe 13 billion years ago. This is the earliest galaxy where this useful combination of three signals has been detected. By comparing the different signals, the team determined that the galaxy is actually two galaxies merging together, making it the earliest example of merging galaxies yet discovered.
via Science Daily
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'Oumuamua is not an alien spacecraft

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Early reports of the interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua's odd characteristics led some to speculate that the object could be an alien spacecraft, sent from a distant civilization to examine our star system. But a new analysis by an international team of 14 astronomers strongly suggests that 'Oumuamua has a purely natural origin.
via Science Daily
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Spiraling filaments feed young galaxies

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The Keck Cosmic Web Imager's improved sensitivity and resolution are giving astronomers a better look at galaxy mechanics.
via Science Daily
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Team studies binaries to make heads or tails of planet formation

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A team studied the orientation of distant solar system bodies to bolster the 'streaming instability' theory of planet formation.
via Science Daily
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Hubble finds tiny 'electric soccer balls' in space, helps solve interstellar mystery

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Scientists have confirmed the presence of electrically-charged molecules in space shaped like soccer balls, shedding light on the mysterious contents of the interstellar medium (ISM) -- the gas and dust that fills interstellar space.
via Science Daily
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