Baltimore, MD-(ENEWSPF)- What does the Milky Way weigh? We can’t put the whole Milky Way on a scale, but astronomers have been able to come up with one of the most accurate measurements yet of our galaxy’s mass, using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite. The[Read More…]
Astrophysics
NASA Selects New Mission, SPHEREx, to Explore Origins of Universe
Washington, D.C.-(ENEWSPF)- NASA has selected a new space mission, SPHEREx, that will help astronomers understand both how our universe evolved and how common are the ingredients for life in our galaxy’s planetary systems. The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission is[Read More…]
Asteroid from ‘Rare Species’ Sighted in the Cosmic Wild
Palomar Mountain, CA -(ENEWSPF)- Astronomers have discovered a ‘rare species’ asteroid looping through the inner solar system on an exotic orbit. The unusual object is among the first asteroids ever found whose orbit is confined almost entirely within the orbit of Venus. The asteroid’s existence hints at potentially significant numbers[Read More…]
ESA: Gaia Clocks New Speeds for Milky Way-Andromeda Collision
European Space Agency-(ENEWSPF)- ESA’s Gaia satellite has looked beyond our Galaxy and explored two nearby galaxies to reveal the stellar motions within them and how they will one day interact and collide with the Milky Way – with surprising results. Our Milky Way belongs to a large gathering of galaxies[Read More…]
Hubble Accidentally Discovers a New Galaxy in Cosmic Neighborhood
STScI-(ENEWSPF)- The universe is very cluttered. Myriad island cities of stars, the galaxies, form a backdrop tapestry. Much closer to home are nebulae, star clusters, and assorted other foreground celestial objects that are mostly within our Milky Way galaxy. Despite the vastness of space, objects tend to get in front[Read More…]
Matter Falling into a Black Hole at 30 Percent the Speed of Light
Royal Astronomical Society-(ENEWSPF)- A UK team of astronomers report the first detection of matter falling into a black hole at 30% of the speed of light, located in the center of the billion-light-year distant galaxy PG211+143. The team, led by Professor Ken Pounds of the University of Leicester, used data[Read More…]