Scientists from UK's University of Warwick have just uncovered a unique planet blessed with the proverbial 'shower' of gemstones. Situated beyond our solar system some 1,000 light-years away from Earth, this ginormous, Jupiter-like celestial body is believed to be surrounded by clouds containing the same mineral that forms rubies and sapphires. (more…)
As part of a new research, scientists have stumbled upon a hitherto-unknown major supercluster in the Vela constellation. Currently being called the Vela supercluster, this massive concentration of galaxies comes with a large gravitational force that, astronomers believe, might have a substantial effect on the motion of the 54 galaxies in the Local Group, including…
According to new research, the spiral arm of the Milky Way that houses our solar system is nearly four times larger than previously thought. The discovery indicates that the region, known as the Local Arm, takes up a greater portion of our galaxy than what scientists believed until now, measuring more than 20,000 light-years in…
All around us there are different types of light, some visible and some that elude the eye. Of the latter kind, X-rays are a common form of electromagnetic radiation. Despite its abundance, the source of X-rays remains one of the most contentious topics in science. A new study has attempted to shed some light on…
A team of British scientists has just conducted a series of stringent tests, confirming the long-held assumption that the universe has no direction. According to them, the universe is not moving in any particular direction and is actually quite uniform, despite appearing clustered at smaller scales. Our basic knowledge says that planets revolve around stars to…
Every so often, we hear of meteors and meteorites heading towards Earth. Despite their novelty, these space rocks are actually quite commonplace, given that they almost always come from the asteroid belt lying between Mars and Jupiter. For the first time, however, researchers have discovered the remnants of a meteorite that seems to have come…
According to a new research by NASA, moon isn't the only celestial body orbiting Earth. For the last 100 years or so, a small asteroid, which they are calling 2016 HO3, has been revolving around our planet. And if the astronomers are correct, it will be a constant companion of Earth for several centuries to…
Sunspots are hard to come by. But when those like the recent AR2529 do, they make all the effort worthwhile. Observed on April 12 of this year, this adorable heart-shaped sunspot was captured by Ohio-based astrophotographer John Chumack. (more…)
Using highly-specialized astronomical software, a team of scientists has managed to accurately date "Midnight Poem", a work by lyric poet Sappho. The poem, according to the researchers, describes the night sky in Greece, some 2,500 years ago. Recently published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, the paper, titled "Seasonal dating of Sappho's 'Midnight…
According to a scientist duo at New York-based Columbia University, one way Earth could avoid detection by extraterrestrials is laser cloaking. Published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the proposal, by professor David Kipping and his student Alex Teachey, talks about using lasers to conceal our planet from the watchful, prying eyes…