Universe Today

April 28, 2023April 28, 2023 by Nancy Atkinson

JWST’s MIRI Instrument is Having Problems Again

JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI is shown here, wrapped in its aluminized thermal shield while being integrated into the JWST Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Gunn

Last week, NASA shared a blog post saying they detected a sensor glitch associated with the James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). For some reason, the sensor for MIRI’s Medium Resolution Spectroscopy (MRS) is receiving less light than expected at the longest wavelengths.

NASA is investigating the cause, and said that the instrument is not at risk and no effect has been seen for images taken by MIRI. According to agency officials, all other modes of JWST and MIRI remain unaffected, and they are searching for the underlying issue.

April 28, 2023April 28, 2023 by Brian Koberlein

You Don't Want to Be Within 160 Light-Years of a Supernova

A nearby supernova desolates a nearby habitable planet. Credit: NASA/CXC/M. Weiss

Supernovae are incredibly common in the universe. Based on observations of isotopes such as aluminum-26, we know that a supernova occurs on average about every fifty years in the Milky Way alone. A supernova can outshine a galaxy, so you wouldn’t want your habitable planet to be a few light years away when it goes off. Fortunately, most supernovae have occurred very far away from Earth, so we haven’t had to concern ourselves with wearing sunscreen at night. But it does raise an interesting question. When it comes to supernovae, how close is too close? As a recent study shows, the answer depends on the type of supernova.

April 28, 2023May 1, 2023 by Laurence Tognetti

China is Planning to Land Humans on the Moon by 2030 as Part of its Ambitious Lunar Agenda

Image from a video animation showing the proposed Chinese lunar research station. Credit: China Media Group.

Weiren Wu, the Chief Designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), recently announced an ambitious plan to put Chinese footprints on the lunar surface by 2030. This announcement came just prior to this year’s Space Day of China, an annual event celebrated on April 24^thmeant to showcase the space industry achievements of the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 by Nancy Atkinson

One Day Astronauts Will Be Breathing Oxygen Made From Rocks

A high-powered laser and carbothermal reactor located inside the testing chamber of NASA’s Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Credits: NASA/Brian Sacco

When there’s a permanent base on the Moon, astronauts will need a way to replenish their oxygen supply. Fortunately, there’s an almost infinite amount of oxygen in the surrounding regolith, locked up the rocks and soil. The key would be to figure out a cost-effective way to extract it.

Now, NASA has demonstrated that they can harvest oxygen from the lunar regolith, even in the vacuum conditions of space. They used a device called a carbothermal reactor to successfully extract oxygen from a simulated lunar regolith, while also simulating the heat that would be produced by a solar energy concentrator.

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 by Carolyn Collins Petersen

A Supermassive Black Hole and its Jet, All in a Single Picture

Here's the jet and shadow of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy shown together for the first time. The observations were obtained with telescopes from the Global Millimetre VLBI Array (GMVA), the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which ESO is a partner, and the Greenland Telescope. Credit: R.-S. Lu (SHAO), E. Ros (MPIfR), S. Dagnello (NRAO/AUI/NSF) — This image shows the jet and shadow of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy together for the first time. The observations were obtained with a set of three radio telescopes. Courtesy ESO.

In May 2022, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team released the first-ever radio image of M87’s central black hole. It was a stunning revelation based on observations made using a worldwide array of radio telescopes. Recently, they re-released a newer, sharper image of the black hole’s “ring of light.”

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 by Matt Williams

NASA Seeks Greater Diversity in Research Collaborations

MUREP Partnership Learning Annual Notification (MPLAN). Credit; NASA

In its pursuit of scientific research and human spaceflight, NASA engages in partnerships with various universities, laboratories, and academic institutes. In keeping with NASA’s policy of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and the Science Mission Directorate’s (SMD) Science Plan, NASA is seeking to expand its partnerships and encourage “a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.” To this end, NASA created the Minority University Research and Education Project Partnership (MUREP) – administered through its Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM).

Through MUREP, NASA provides expert guidance and financial assistance via competitive awards to Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), which are announced annually through a MUREP Partnership Learning Annual Notification (MPLAN). NASA has teamed up with the leading crowdsourcing platform HeroX for this year’s MUREP opportunity and is awarding multiple prizes of $50,000 to MSIs for innovative ideas and action plans for commercialization that will advance NASA’s Mission Directorate priorities.

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 by Brian Koberlein

What a Mess. A Black Hole's Stellar Meal is Brighter and Longer Lasting Than Ever Seen Before

Illustration of a star being ripped apart by a black hole. Credit: NASA/CXC/U. Michigan/J. Miller et al.; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M. Weiss

It’s a tale as old as time. A cataclysmic event occurs in the universe and releases a tremendous amount of energy in a short period of time. The event then fades into the darkness and the cosmos returns to normal. These short-lived cosmic events are known as transients and include things such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. Transients are quite common, but some of them can challenge explanations. Take for example the transient known as ZTF20abrbeie, nicknamed Scary Barbie.

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 by Brian Koberlein

Gravitational Waves From Pulsars Could Be Used to Probe the Interior of the Sun

A solar flare, as it appears in extreme ultra-violet light. Some stars emit superflares similar to this, but many times brighter and stronger than those from the Sun. Credit: NASA/SFC/SDO

Gravitational wave astronomy is still in its early stages. So far it has focused on the most energetic and distinct sources of gravitational waves, such as the cataclysmic mergers of black holes and neutron stars. But that will change as our gravitational telescopes improve, and it will allow astronomers to explore the universe in ways previously impossible.

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 by Carolyn Collins Petersen

China’s New Solar Observatory is Almost Ready for its Trials

The infrared system for the accurate measurement of solar magnetic field (AIMS) at Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base in the city of Mangya, Northwest China’s Qinghai Province Photo: IC

There’s a new solar observing facility taking shape in China. It lies far up on a mountain near Mangya City in the Mongol and Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Qinghai. The telescope is reputed to be the world’s first mid-infrared telescope built for accurate measurements of the solar magnetic field.

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 by Matt Williams

The Next Generation of Telescopes Will Tell Us About the Weather on Other Worlds

This artist’s rendering shows the Extremely Large Telescope in operation on Cerro Armazones in northern Chile. The telescope is shown using lasers to create artificial stars high in the atmosphere. Image: ESO/E-ELT

The field of astronomy is about to be revolutionized, thanks to the introduction of Extremely Large Telescopes that rely on primary mirrors measuring 30 meters (or more) in diameter, adaptive optics (AO), coronographs, and advanced spectrometers. This will include the eponymously-named Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). These telescopes will enable astronomers to study exoplanets using the Direct Imaging (DI) method, which will yield valuable data on the composition of their atmospheres.

According to a new study by a team of researchers from Ohio State University (OSU), these telescopes will also allow astronomers to study “ultracool objects,” like very low-mass stars (VLMs), brown dwarfs, and exoplanets. In addition to being able to visualize magnetic starspots and determine the chemical compositions of these objects, ELTs will be able to reveal details about atmospheric dynamics and cloud systems. These types of studies could reveal a wealth of information about some of the least-studied objects in our Universe and significantly aid in the search for life beyond our Solar System.