Podcasts about Nature Astronomy

Australia is known for its unusual animal life, from koalas to kangaroos. But once upon a time, the Australian landscape had even weirder fauna, like Palorchestes azael, a marsupial with immense claws and a small trunk. There was Protemnodon mamkurra, a massive, slow-moving, kangaroo-like creature. And Zygomaturus trilobus, a wombat the size of a hippo. They're all extinct now, and researchers are trying to figure out why. Host Flora Lichtman talks with researcher Carli Peters about ZooMS, a technique that allows researchers to use collagen from ancient bone fragments to identify species, offering clues to those ancient extinction events. Peters recently described using the technique in the journal Frontiers in Mammal Science.And, a recent study in the journal Nature Astronomy hints that our own Milky Way galaxy may not be doomed to collide with Andromeda after all. Till Sawala, an astrophysicist at the University of Helsinki, joins Flora to talk about the finding.Guests: Dr. Carli Peters is a postdoctoral researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behavior at the University of Algarve in Faro, Portugal.Dr. Till Sawala is an astrophysicist at the University of Helsinki.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Les modèles de formation planétaire indiquent que la formation de planètes géantes est beaucoup plus difficile autour des étoiles de faible masse en raison de l'échelle des masses du disque protoplanétaire avec la masse stellaire. Mais pourtant, une équipe d'astrophysiciens vient de découvrir une planète de 53 masses terrestres en orbite autour d'une étoile de 0,2 masses solaires. Ils publient leur étude dans Nature Astronomy. Source A transiting giant planet in orbit around a 0.2-solar-mass host starEdward M. Bryant et al.Nature Astronomy (4 june 2025)https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02552-4 Illustration Positionnement de TOI-6894 b dans le graphe (masse et rayon de planète en fonction de la masse de l'étoile hôte le contexte des planètes en transit connues) (Bryant et al.) Edward Bryant

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Unsere Galaxie wird eventuell doch nicht mit Andromeda kollidieren +++ Ausgestorbene Riesen-Säugetiere bestimmen - dabei hilft Kollagen +++ Die Generation Ü-65 konsumiert in den USA immer mehr Cannabis +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:No certainty of a Milky Way–Andromeda collision, Nature Astronomy, Juni 2025Collagen peptide markers for three extinct Australian megafauna species, Frontiers, Juni 2025Ensuring Older Adults Using Cannabis Are Not Left High and Dry, Jama Internal Medicine, Juni 2025Traditional water structures in villages support amphibian populations within a protected landscape, Ecosphere, Mai 2025Google users hit with dubious ads: 6 tips for better online searches, Mai 2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Sponsor Details:This episode is brought to you with the support of Insta360 - the leaders in 360 degree video. To check out the range and grab your special SpaceTime bonus, visit store.insta360.com and use the coupon code SpaceTime at checkout.In this episode of SpaceTime, we delve into groundbreaking advancements in our understanding of gravity, the intriguing thermal characteristics of the Moon, and the discovery of white dwarf pulsars.A New Theory of GravityScientists have proposed a revolutionary new theory of gravity that brings us closer to the long-sought theory of everything. This quantum theory of gravity aims to unify gravity with the fundamental forces of nature, offering potential solutions to some of the most profound questions in physics, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy. We explore the implications of this theory and how it could reshape our understanding of the universe's origins and the behavior of black holes.The Moon's Hot SideRecent findings suggest that the Moon's near side is significantly hotter than its far side, with temperatures reaching up to 170 degrees Celsius higher. This research, based on data from NASA's GRAIL mission, reveals how geological differences between the lunar sides could be attributed to thermal variations in the Moon's mantle. We discuss the potential for these methods to enhance our understanding of other celestial bodies, including Mars and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.White Dwarf Pulsars: A Stellar DiscoveryAstronomers have made a remarkable discovery of a white dwarf star that emits radio pulses, challenging the notion that only neutron stars can produce such signals. This discovery, reported in Nature Astronomy, opens up new avenues for understanding pulsar mechanisms and their sources across the Milky Way. We examine the significance of this finding and what it means for our knowledge of stellar evolution.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesReports on Progress in Physicshttps://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0034-4885Naturehttps://www.nature.com/nature/Nature Astronomyhttps://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 This is Space Time Series 28, Episode 65 for broadcast on 30 May 202501:00 New theory of gravity12:15 The Moon's thermal characteristics22:30 Discovery of white dwarf pulsars30:00 Skywatch: June night skies and the Taurids meteor shower

In a recent paper published in Nature Astronomy entitled “Surveys of the scientific community on the existence of extraterrestrial life”  Dr. Peter Vickers and his team of 10 co-authors report the results  of their survey of the lead authors for the past 10 years in the top three astro-biological journals.  These researchers sought to measure if their sample group of scientists thought it likely that 1) simple life,  and/or 2 ) life more complex than terrestrial bacteria, and/or 3) Intelligent life comparable or superior to human beings exists outside of Earth.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Vor allem Jüngere zeigen Anzeichen einer Social-Media-Sucht +++ Der Moment, als das U-Boot Titan implodierte +++ Wie Kosmetik auf der Haut die Luft um uns verändert +++ **********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Suchtfaktor Social Media: 15 Prozent der Deutschen sind gefährdet, Informationsdienst WissenschaftShip footage captures sound of Titan sub imploding, BBC 23.5.25Personal care products disrupt the human oxidation field, Science Advances 21.5.25The supergiant amphipod Alicella gigantea may inhabit over half of the world's oceans, Royal Society Open Science, 21.5.25Determination of Jupiter's primordial physical state, Nature Astronomy 20.05.25Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Dans une nouvelle étude publiée dans Nature Astronomy , Konstantin Batygin (Caltech) et Fred Adams (Université du Michigan), fournissent un aperçu détaillé de l'état primordial de Jupiter. Leurs calculs révèlent qu'environ 3,8 millions d'années après la formation des premiers corps du système solaire, moment clé où le disque protoplanétaire se dissipait, Jupiter était deux fois plus grande qu'aujourd'hui... Source Determination of Jupiter's primordial physical stateKonstantin Batygin & Fred C. AdamsNature Astronomy (20 mai 2025)https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02512-y Illustration Jupiter imagée avec le télescope Webb (NASA)

Sponsor Links:NordVPN - For the special SpaceTime NordVPN deal with extra free months, a huge discount and 30 day money back guarantee visit www.nordvpn.com/stuartgaryInsta360 X5 Camera. To bag a free invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code "spacetime", available for the first 30 standard package purchases only.This episode of SpaceTime dives deep into the cosmos, revealing groundbreaking insights into the origins of heavy elements and the geological history of Mars.First, we explore a revolutionary study that uncovers how giant exploding stars produce uranium and other heavy elements. Researchers are now investigating gamma-ray burst jets and the surrounding cocoon formed by collapsed stars. This new framework suggests that high-energy photons can dissolve stellar material into neutrons, leading to the creation of heavy elements through a rapid neutron capture process. We discuss the implications of these findings and how they challenge long-held beliefs about nucleosynthesis in the universe.Shattering Beliefs About Asteroid VestaNext, we turn our attention to the asteroid Vesta, where a recent study published in Nature Astronomy reveals that its interior structure is far more uniform than previously thought. This discovery has led scientists to reconsider Vesta's identity, proposing that it may simply be a large asteroid rather than a protoplanet. We examine the research that challenges decades of assumptions about Vesta's formation and its role in understanding the early solar system.Did It Rain or Snow on Ancient Mars?Finally, we investigate the ancient climate of Mars, with a new study suggesting that geological formations on the planet were shaped by heavy precipitation, indicating a warmer and wetter past. This research utilizes computer simulations to analyze how rain and snow may have contributed to the development of Martian valleys and channels. We discuss the significance of these findings and their implications for our understanding of Mars's climatic history.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesAstrophysical Journalhttps://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637XNature Astronomyhttps://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/Journal of Geophysical Research Planetshttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699356Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 New study provides clues explaining how exploding stars produce uranium and other heavy elements06:21 New study suggests giant asteroid Vesta is really just a big asteroid15:19 New study suggests heavy precipitation likely fed valleys on ancient Mars19:49 A new study warns that microplastic pollution could compromise ocean carbon22:17 More than 31,000 passwords belonging to Australian banks have been stolen24:47 Space Time is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through bitesz.com

Sponsor Details:Insta360 X5 Camera. To bag a free invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code "spacetime", available for the first 30 standard package purchases only.This episode of SpaceTime explores fascinating new discoveries and urgent updates from the cosmos.First, astronomers have identified a vast molecular gas and dust cloud named Eos, located just 300 light years away from Earth. This remarkable finding, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, marks the first detection of a molecular cloud using far ultraviolet emissions of molecular hydrogen. Eos, which is composed primarily of hydrogen, presents unique opportunities for studying the interstellar medium and the processes of star formation. We discuss the implications of this discovery and how it could reshape our understanding of molecular clouds across the galaxy.Jupiter's Polar Cyclones Under the MicroscopeNext, we delve into the latest revelations from NASA's Juno mission, which is providing new insights into Jupiter's ferocious polar cyclones and the volcanic activity on its moon Io. With fresh observations, scientists are uncovering the dynamics of Jupiter's atmosphere and the subsurface temperature profile of Io, shedding light on the gas giant's extreme weather patterns and the moon's geological activity.Out of Control Russian SpacecraftFinally, we discuss the impending re-entry of the Venera 8 spacecraft, a remnant of the Soviet era, which is expected to crash back to Earth on May 10. Launched in 1972, this spacecraft has been tumbling in low Earth orbit for over five decades. We examine the risks associated with its uncontrolled descent and the potential impact it may have upon re-entry.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesNature Astronomyhttps://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/NASA Juno Missionhttps://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.htmlBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 This is space Time Series 28, episode 54 for broadcast on the 5th May, 202500:48 Astronomers have discovered a vast invisible molecular, gas and dust cloud near Earth12:40 Two key experiments are needed to help us understand the origin of Jupiter15:42 A failed Soviet spacecraft designed to land on Venus is about to crash on Earth19:00 New study claims people who use cannabis have higher risk of heart attack21:12 New study claims ghost lanterns in South Carolina may be caused by earthquakes

Une équipe d'astrophysiciens a caractérisé l'asymétrie du système d'Andromède et a testé sa concordance avec les prévisions du modèle standard. Toutes les 37 galaxies satellites d'Andromède, sauf une, sont situées à moins de 107° de notre Galaxie vu depuis le centre d'Andromède. Or, dans les simulations cosmologiques fondées sur le modèle standard, moins de 0,3 % des systèmes similaires à Andromède présentent une asymétrie comparable. Conjointement avec son plan de galaxies satellites, cela montre que le système d'Andromède paraît aberrant dans le paradigme cosmologique standard, et ça remet encore plus en question notre compréhension de la formation des structures à petite échelle. L'étude est parue dans Nature Astronomy. Source Andromeda's asymmetric satellite system as a challenge to cold dark matter cosmologyKanehisa, K.J., Pawlowski, M.S. et N. Libeskind.Nature Astronomy (11 april 2025).https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02480-3 Illustration Vue latérale de la distribution asymétrique des satellites d'Andromède.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten +++ Enge Beziehungen zu KI können zu falschen zwischenmenschlichen Erwartungen führen +++ Mit Morgenlicht ausgeruhter aufwachen +++ Krähen können Geometrie +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Artificial intimacy: ethical issues of AI romance. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11.04.2025Natural light control to improve awakening quality. Building and Environment, 01.04.2025Crows recognize geometric regularity. Science Advances, 11.04.2025An operating system for executing applications on quantum network nodes. Nature, 12.03.2025Perihelion history and atmospheric survival as primary drivers of the Earth's meteorite record. Nature Astronomy, 14.04.2025**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) mission has been a resounding success, from taking a sample of asteroid Bennu to returning that sample to Earth. The first in-depth analysis of the space rocks is complete, and the results have been published in Nature and Nature Astronomy. One of the most intriguing results shows that 14 of the 20 amino acids life on Earth uses to form proteins have been found in the sample. This result supports the hypothesis that objects that formed farther from the Sun provided precursor ingredients for life. Join communications specialist Beth Johnson and senior sample scientist Danny Glavin from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for a discussion of these important results and their implications for the development of life. (Recorded live on 13 March 2025.)

Des observations approfondies du télescope spatial Webb ont révélé une galaxie qui est exceptionnellement grande dans l'univers jeune, 2 milliards d'années après le Big Bang. Est a été nommée la galaxie de la Grande Roue. La découverte est publiée dans Nature Astronomy . Source A giant disk galaxy two billion years after the Big BangWeichen Wang, et al.Nature Astronomy (17 march 2025)https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02500-2 Illustration La galaxie de la Grande Roue (Wang et al.)

Vous en avez certainement entendu parler cette semaine, vu le buzz médiatique que produit toujours la détection d'impulsions radio jamais vues auparavant en provenance de notre galaxie, avec son lot de qualificatifs pour le moins sensationnalistes. Mouais..., on va donc expliquer de quoi il s'agit, et non, ce ne sont pas des appels désespérés des amis de Jean-Pierre à grands yeux noirs et grosses têtes chauves. L'étude est parue dans Nature Astronomy. Source Sporadic radio pulses from a white dwarf binary at the orbital periodI. de Ruiter et al.Nature Astronomy (12 march 2025)https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02491-0 Illustration 1.Signaux radio détectés en fonction du temps (I. De Ruiter) Iris De Ruiter

Une équipe d'astrophysiciens est parvenue à la conclusion que de l'eau s'est formée dans des supernovas à effondrement de cœur et à instabilité de paires issues des premières étoiles massives (de population III), seulement 150 millions d'années après le Big Bang. Les principaux sites de production d'eau dans ces restes seraient des noyaux de nuages moléculaires denses, qui dans certains ont été enrichis en eau à des fractions de masse qui n'étaient que de quelques facteurs au-dessous de celles du système solaire aujourd'hui. Ils publient leur étude dans Nature Astronomy. Source Abundant water from primordial supernovae at cosmic dawnD. J. Whalen, M. A. Latif & C. JessopNature Astronomy (3 march 2025)https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02479-w Illustrations Images simulées des deux types de supernovas (CC à gauche et PI à droite) (Whalen et al.) Daniel Whalen

We're experimenting and would love to hear from you!In this episode of 'Discover Daily', we explore groundbreaking developments in AI, cryptocurrency regulation, and early universe water formation. AI startup Anthropic has reached a staggering $61.5 billion valuation after closing a $3.5 billion funding round, showcasing impressive growth with an annual recurring revenue of $800 million. The company's latest AI model, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, introduces innovative 'hybrid reasoning' capabilities, pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has made a landmark decision, declaring that meme coins generally do not constitute securities under federal law. This significant shift in cryptocurrency regulation has far-reaching implications for the industry, though it comes with important caveats and has sparked debate among regulators.Our main story delves into a revolutionary study published in Nature Astronomy, suggesting that water may have first formed in the universe just 100 to 200 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery challenges our understanding of cosmic evolution and implies that conditions for life may have existed far earlier than previously thought. The research opens up exciting new avenues for investigating the potential for early habitable environments and the emergence of life in the universe.From Perplexity's Discover Feed:https://www.perplexity.ai/page/anthropic-reaches-61-5b-valuat-goxeBd89TI6.SXIGLTUGUQ https://www.perplexity.ai/page/sec-says-meme-coins-are-not-se-yn4ZON0XRmyFivwgjKtRuQhttps://www.perplexity.ai/page/early-universe-may-have-had-wa-fUgTawHmSWGvtriYXLndsA**Introducing Perplexity Deep Research:**https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-perplexity-deep-research Perplexity is the fastest and most powerful way to search the web. Perplexity crawls the web and curates the most relevant and up-to-date sources (from academic papers to Reddit threads) to create the perfect response to any question or topic you're interested in. Take the world's knowledge with you anywhere. Available on iOS and Android Join our growing Discord community for the latest updates and exclusive content. Follow us on: Instagram Threads X (Twitter) YouTube Linkedin

durée : 00:05:08 - Avec sciences - par : Alexandre Morales - Après leur récupération en 2023, les chercheurs révèlent les premières analyses des échantillons de l'astéroïde Bennu. Leurs résultats sont publiés dans les revues Nature et Nature Astronomy.

El asteroide Bennu contiene los bloques esenciales de la vida, revelando un origen extraterrestre de compuestos vitales.  Las muestras traídas del asteroide Bennu han sorprendido a la comunidad científica. Contienen todos los nucleótidos del ADN y 14 de los 20 aminoácidos esenciales para la vida. Estos compuestos, descubiertos en septiembre de 2023 tras la llegada de la misión OSIRIS-REx a la Tierra, respaldan la teoría de que los ingredientes de la vida llegaron a nuestro planeta a bordo de meteoritos. La noticia es relevante hoy porque, por primera vez, se ha confirmado que estos compuestos están presentes en un asteroide en un estado prístino, libre de contaminación terrestre. Este descubrimiento proporciona evidencia contundente para la hipótesis de que el origen de la vida en la Tierra podría estar relacionado con el bombardeo de materiales orgánicos provenientes del espacio, lo que a su vez abre nuevas perspectivas sobre la posibilidad de vida en otros rincones del sistema solar.  Bennu podría ser clave en el origen de la vida en la Tierra.  La misión OSIRIS-REx, lanzada en 2016, fue la primera misión de EE. UU. en recolectar muestras de un asteroide. La nave espacial viajó más de 2.200 millones de kilómetros hasta Bennu, un cuerpo celeste con un diámetro aproximado de 500 metros. Durante su llegada en 2018, OSIRIS-REx realizó un mapa detallado de la superficie del asteroide, buscando el lugar ideal para la recolección. Finalmente, en octubre de 2020, ejecutó una maniobra de contacto y retroceso, extrayendo cerca de 120 gramos de material en una operación automatizada y de alta precisión.El asteroide Bennu, con más de 4.500 millones de años de antigüedad, podría haber formado parte de un cuerpo celeste mucho más grande que contaba con agua líquida en su superficie. Las muestras recogidas revelan no sólo aminoácidos, sino también nucleótidos esenciales del ADN, como adenina, guanina, citosina y timina. Además, se encontraron sales y minerales formados por evaporación de salmueras antiguas, lo que refuerza la posibilidad de reacciones químicas complejas.  El hallazgo plantea una pregunta intrigante: si Bennu tenía todos los ingredientes químicos necesarios para la vida, ¿por qué no se formó vida allí? La respuesta podría estar en las condiciones específicas que se requieren para catalizar procesos biológicos. Los científicos creen que el agua en Bennu pudo haberse evaporado antes de que ocurrieran reacciones más complejas. Sin embargo, la teoría de que los asteroides trajeron compuestos esenciales a la Tierra ahora tiene un respaldo sólido.  Tim McCoy, del Museo de Historia Natural del Smithsonian, señala que Bennu representa "el siguiente paso en el camino hacia la vida". Se detectaron minerales como la halita (sal de roca) y compuestos nitrogenados como el amoníaco, fundamentales para la formación de aminoácidos. Los científicos también identificaron una mezcla de aminoácidos con quiralidad equilibrada, es decir, con una distribución igual de moléculas "diestras" y "zurdas". En la Tierra, la vida utiliza casi exclusivamente aminoácidos con orientación "zurda", un fenómeno aún sin explicación clara. Este hallazgo sugiere que, en los primeros días de la Tierra, ambas formas coexistían antes de que un proceso desconocido favoreciera solo una de ellas.  Este hallazgo también tiene implicaciones en la búsqueda de vida en otros mundos. Las condiciones detectadas en Bennu podrían estar presentes en astros como Ceres o Encélados. Investigadores de la NASA afirman que las futuras misiones podrían ayudar a entender cómo se formó la vida y si existen ambientes similares en otros planetas o lunas del sistema solar.  Escucha el pódcast El Siglo 21 es Hoy para más historias sorprendentes sobre ciencia y tecnología. Flash Diario en Spotify  Este episodio del Flash Diario ha sido patrocinado por THA Chain, una blockchain que respeta el medio ambiente y redefine la tecnología. THA Chain reduce el consumo energético en un 99.999% comparado con Bitcoin y es tan eficiente que puede funcionar en computadoras de hace 15 años. ¿Te interesa? Descarga su wallet, empieza a minar y descubre cómo están transformando el futuro de la blockchain. Visita tha-chain.orgBibliografía:Knapton, Sarah. "DNA building blocks found in asteroids for first time". The Telegraph. 29 enero 2025.Strickland, Ashley. "Historic asteroid sample reveals the ‘building blocks of life'". CNN. 29 enero 2025.NASA. "NASA's Asteroid Bennu Sample Reveals Mix of Life's Ingredients". 29 enero 2025.Glavin, Daniel P., et al. "Abundant ammonia and nitrogen-rich soluble organic matter in samples from asteroid Bennu". Nature Astronomy. 29 enero 2025.Conviértete en un seguidor de este podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/flash-diario-de-el-siglo-21-es-hoy--5835407/support.

durée : 00:05:06 - Avec sciences - par : Alexandre Morales - Des astronomes sont parvenus à observer de manière individuelle 44 étoiles situées à 6,5 milliards d'années lumière grâce à un double effet de lentille gravitationnelle. Leurs résultats ont été publiés dans la revue Nature Astronomy.

Physicists studying a distant galaxy using a telescopic technique called gravitational lensing, or telescopic magnification, have discovered over 40 previously unknown stars. The discovery, published in Nature Astronomy, shows how these stars were behaving eight billion years ago, giving a glimpse into the population of stars at 'cosmic noon' - the Middle Ages of the Universe. The research was led by the Centre for Frontier Science at Chiba University, in Japan, and involved over 45 international partners. In the UK this was led by Durham University's Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy and involved the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Manchester University. New telescopic magnification trick to discover over 40 new stars The international team used observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and gravitational lensing to study a galaxy known as the Dragon Arc, located behind a massive cluster of galaxies called Abell 370. In gravitational lensing a foreground galaxy cluster bends the light from a more distant object and magnifies it, allowing scientists to study the distant object (here the Dragon Arc galaxy). Due to its gravitational lensing effect, Abell 370 stretches the Dragon Arc's signature spiral into an elongated shape - like a hall of mirrors of cosmic proportions. Using this technique, and high-resolution images from the JWST, taken across a full year, the team was able to identify 44 previously unknown stars in the Dragon Arc. They observed that the brightness of these individual stars changed over the course of the study due to variations in the gravitational lensing landscape. The findings show what this galaxy is made of in a way not previously achieved. They also tell us more about dark matter - a mysterious substance that binds together galaxies, creating the environment for stars, planets and life to exist. Dr David Lagattuta from the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy at Durham University said: "When the team made this discovery, we knew that, given the size of the dots seen in the JWST images, the most logical explanation was that these were individual stars, seen for the first time, which is a hugely exciting discovery. "We know these are stars that have not been seen before by comparing them to previous image of the Dragon Arc which do not show these bright dots. "Other possibilities such as these findings being a cluster of stars or exploding supernovae simply did not fit the data. "It would be a huge coincidence to find so many supernovae all in the same galaxy and all exploding at the same time. Supernovae also tend to suppress star formation, but spectroscopy tells us the Dragon Arc is still actively forming stars. "We also reasoned that these objects had to be individual stars, rather than star clusters, since the size of what we're seeing (after accounting for the extreme lensing magnification) is much too small to fit in the tens of hundreds of bright stars in a star cluster at once. Many of the stars identified through this study are 'red supergiants', a type of star that has typically been very difficult to identify outside of the Milky Way. This is because they are covered in a layer of cosmic 'dust' making them almost invisible to telescopes. The JWST enabled the research team to peer through this dust more easily, revealing the hidden stars inside. Professor Mathilde Jauzac from the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy and the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University said: "This is the first time, that we are aware of, that so many stars have been discovered in one cluster. This finding enables us to see what the galaxy is made of in ways not possible before. "This provides a fascinating and unique view into the behaviour of stars at the critical 'cosmic noon', the Middle Ages of the Universe. "We know that in the early stages of the Universe there is lots of gas and early 'protostars' and then by nine to 10 billion years ago star formation peaks and everythin...

Looking halfway across the observable universe and expecting to see individual stars is considered a non-starter in astronomy, a bit like raising a pair of binoculars at the moon in hopes of making out individual grains of dust inside its craters. Thanks to a cosmic quirk of nature, however, an international team led by astronomers at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory did just that. Unseen stars beyond Dragon Arc Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, the research group observed a galaxy nearly 6.5 billion light-years from Earth, at a time when the universe was half its current age. In this distant galaxy, the team identified a large number of individual stars, made visible thanks to an effect known as gravitational lensing and JWST's high light collecting power. Published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the discovery marks a record-breaking achievement - the largest number of individual stars detected in the distant universe. It also provides a way to investigate one of the universe's greatest mysteries - dark matter. Most galaxies, including the Milky Way, contain tens of billions of stars. In nearby galaxies such as the Andromeda galaxy, astronomers can observe stars one by one. However, in galaxies billions of light-years away, stars appear blended together as their light needs to travel for billions of light-years before it reaches us, presenting a long-standing challenge to scientists studying how galaxies form and evolve. "To us, galaxies that are very far away usually look like a diffuse, fuzzy blob," said lead study author Yoshinobu Fudamoto, an assistant professor at Chiba University in Japan and a visiting scholar at Steward Observatory. "But actually, those blobs consist of many, many individual stars. We just can't resolve them with our telescopes." Recent advances in astronomy have opened new possibilities by leveraging gravitational lensing - a natural magnification effect caused by the strong gravitational fields of massive objects. As predicted by Albert Einstein, gravitational lenses can amplify the light of distant stars by factors of hundreds or even thousands, making them detectable with sensitive instruments like JWST. "These findings have typically been limited to just one or two stars per galaxy," Fudamoto said. "To study stellar populations in a statistically meaningful way, we need many more observations of individual stars." Fengwu Sun, a former U of A graduate student who is now a postdoctoral scholar at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, stumbled on a treasure trove of such stars when he was inspecting JWST images of a galaxy known as the Dragon Arc, located along the line of sight from Earth behind a massive cluster of galaxies called Abell 370. Due to its gravitational lensing effect, Abell 370 stretches the Dragon Arc's signature spiral into an elongated shape - like a hall of mirrors of cosmic proportions. In December 2022 and 2023, JWST obtained two pictures of the Dragon Arc. Within these images, astronomers counted 44 individual stars whose brightness changed over time due to variations in the gravitational lensing landscape. "This groundbreaking discovery demonstrates, for the first time, that studying large numbers of individual stars in a distant galaxy is possible," Sun said - as long as nature is there to lend a helping hand. However, even extremely strong gravitational magnification from a galaxy cluster is not sufficient to magnify individual stars in galaxies even farther away. In this case, the discovery was made possible by a serendipitous alignment of "lucky stars." "Inside the galaxy cluster, there are many stars floating around that are not bound by any galaxy," said co-author Eiichi Egami, a research professor at Steward Observatory. "When one of them happens to pass in front of the background star in the distant galaxy along the line of sight with Earth, it acts as a microlens, in addition to the macrolensing effect of the galaxy ...

What makes three very different conservation projects so successful? These experts say it's getting the community involved. And, archaeologists make a case for tracking and preserving artifacts left on Mars to chronicle humans' first attempts at interplanetary exploration.Meet 3 Leaders Addressing Local Conservation ProblemsWhile 2024 saw a lot of governments and institutions falling short on climate goals, there were also smaller, localized efforts making a big difference for the environment.To understand more about the creative ways that people are protecting nature, Science Friday began a newsletter series called “Tiny Nature Triumphs.” It highlights small conservation projects that have helped scientists and communities alike—and inspired people to get involved in solutions in their own backyard.SciFri Digital Producer Emma Gometz sits down with leaders on three projects featured in “Tiny Nature Triumphs”—Claire Lane, an urban ecologist and leader on the Hamilton County Invasive Species Trade In Program; Jake Rose, co-founder of Chronolog; and Shaun Preston, yardmaster at Camp Small. They discuss how their programs address local conservation problems, and how to get involved.A New Argument For Preserving ‘Space Junk' Left On MarsOver the past 60 years or so of space exploration, humans have left some things behind: bits of satellites, moon buggies, Mars rovers, even human excrement. It's all part of the countless bits of human-made material that some people have dubbed “space junk.”But what if, many, many years from now, archeologists wanted to trace the chronology of space exploration by examining the items we left in our wake? A new paper in the journal Nature Astronomy argues just this, that artifacts should be considered heritage, rather than trash.Lead author Dr. Justin Holcomb, assistant research professor at the University of Kansas, joins Ira to discuss shifting our mindset on “space junk.”Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Space Nuts Episode #478 Q&AJoin Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this engaging Q&A edition of Space Nuts as they tackle intriguing questions from listeners worldwide. From the massive size of Jupiter to the nature of gravity and the mysteries of the universe's accelerating expansion, this episode is packed with cosmic conundrums and insightful discussions.Episode Highlights:- Jupiter's Massive Growth: Dive into the fascinating story of why Jupiter grew to such a colossal size compared to other planets. Explore the role of gas accretion, planetesimals, and the runaway growth effect in shaping the largest planet in our solar system.- The Nature of Gravity: Examine the intriguing question of whether gravity is finite or infinite. Discover the complexities of gravitational waves, the stiffness of Space, and how these concepts influence our understanding of gravity's reach.- The Night Sky in Earth's Early Era: Imagine standing on Earth when it first formed and ponder what the night sky would have looked like. Understand how the universe's expansion and the redshift of the Big Bang's light affect our cosmic view.- The Fate of Comets: Consider the life cycle of comets and whether they can lose enough material to become nothing. Learn about the trails of dust left behind and their connection to meteor showers.- Solar Panels at Night: Explore the possibility of generating solar power at night using light from stars and the moon. Delve into the limitations of current technology and the potential for future innovations.- The Universe's Accelerating Expansion: Discuss the acceleration of the universe's expansion and whether it is constant or variable. Contemplate the implications for our understanding of dark energy and the structure of the universe.For more Space Nuts, including our continually updating newsfeed and to listen to all our episodes, visit our website. Follow us on social media at SpaceNutsPod on facebook, X, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, and TikTok. We love engaging with our community, so be sure to drop us a message or comment on your favourite platform.For more Space and Astronomy News Podcasts, visit our HQ at www.bitesz.com.If you'd like to help support Space Nuts and join our growing family of insiders for commercial-free episodes and more, visit spacenutspodcast.com/aboutStay curious, keep looking up, and join us next time for more stellar insights and cosmic wonders. Until then, clear skies and happy stargazing.00:00 - This is a Q and A episode where we let the audience set the agenda01:19 - Why did Jupiter grow to such a massive size compared to other planets07:30 - Dean in Queensland has a question about whether gravity is infinite or finite12:00 - Dean: We really don't understand gravity. Well, it'll be when quantum gravity really comes of age13:50 - Professor Fred Watson answers a few quick fire questions via text message14:22 - Given the night sky seems fairly full of stars to the naked eye today18:26 - Could you develop solar panels that work at night by collecting energy from other stars20:04 - Daniel asks whether the rate of acceleration is constant or ever so slightly variable25:49 - The Space Nuts podcast group Facebook page has thousands of members✍️ Episode ReferencesScientific American article on Jupiter's growthhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-was-jupiters-rapid-growth-spurt-delayed-for-millions-of-years/Nature Astronomy journalhttps://www.nature.com/natastron/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts--2631155/support.

Hoy nos volvemos a adentrar en los misterios del Cosmos, específicamente en los agujeros negros supermasivos, esos enigmas gravitacionales que siguen sorprendiendo a la comunidad científica y de los que ahora sabemos algo tan interesante como profundo: la estrecha relación que tienen con las galaxias que les rodean… Para ello, contamos con la presencia de David Fernández y Jacobo Asorey, astrofísicos españoles del Centro de Astropartículas y Física de Altas Energías de Zaragoza y el Centro de Física del Cosmos de Aragón. Ambos han formado parte de un prestigioso estudio internacional publicado en Nature Astronomy. Este estudio ha revelado y demostrado la onexión entre la forma de las galaxias y los agujeros negros supermasivos que las albergan. Un paso más para descifrar uno de los grandes misterios del cosmos.Pero no nos quedamos solo con la ciencia. Desde el Planeta Segovia, nr Don Víctor nos trae una mirada distinta, explorando cómo los agujeros negros han sido representados en el mundo de los cómics. Escuchar audio

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 150*Venus: A Lifeless WorldNew research has debunked the long-standing theory that Venusmight have once been habitable. Despite being Earth's sister planet, a study of its atmospheric chemistry reveals that Venus has always been too dry to support oceans, making it an inhospitable world throughout its history. These findings, published in Nature Astronomy, have significant implications for the search for life on exoplanets, suggesting a focus on more Earth-like candidates.*Mars Perseverance Rover Reaches Jezero Crater RimNASA's Mars Perseverance Rover has successfully reached the rim of Jezero Crater, where it is examining the Picotquino region. This area could provide insights into ancient geological processes on Mars, potentially revealing clues about the planet's past climate and the impact that formed the crater.*Quantum Sensors in SpaceNASA's Cold Atom Lab aboard the International Space Station has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by using ultra-cold atoms to detect environmental changes in Space. This marks a new era in quantum science, with potential applications in studying planetary compositions and testing fundamental theories of gravity.00:00 New study suggests Venus was never habitable; quantum sensor used in space00:26 New study has shown that the planet Venus was never habitable06:32 NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover has finally reached the rim of Jezero08:56 NASA's Cold Atom Lab has taken another step towards quantum science in space16:33 Permafrost thawing due to climate change could lead to wildfires19:30 New images have emerged of what's reported to be the famed Loch Ness Monster23:41 Space Time podcast features Stuart Gary talking about Bigfoot in America www.spacetimewithstuartgary.comwww.bitesz.com

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 2000-year-old device which transformed our understanding of astronomy in ancient Greece. In 1900 a group of sponge divers found the wreck of a ship off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera. Among the items salvaged was a corroded bronze object, the purpose of which was not at first clear. It turned out to be one of the most important discoveries in marine archaeology. Over time, researchers worked out that it was some kind of astronomical analogue computer, the only one to survive from this period as bronze objects were so often melted down for other uses. In recent decades, detailed examination of the Antikythera Mechanism using the latest scientific techniques indicates that it is a particularly intricate tool for showing the positions of planets, the sun and moon, with a complexity and precision not surpassed for over a thousand years.With Mike Edmunds Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics at Cardiff UniversityJo Marchant Science journalist and author of 'Decoding the Heavens' on the Antikythera MechanismAnd Liba Taub Professor Emerita in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and Visiting Scholar at the Deutsches Museum, MunichProducer: Simon Tillotson In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio ProductionReading list:Derek de Solla Price, Gears from the Greeks: The Antikythera Mechanism (American Philosophical Society Press, 1974)M. G. Edmunds, ‘The Antikythera mechanism and the mechanical universe' (Contemp. Phys. 55, 2014) M.G. Edmunds, 'The Mechanical Universe' (Astronomy & Geophysics, 64, 2023)James Evans and J. Lennart Berggren, Geminos's Introduction to the Phenomena: A Translation and Study of a Hellenistic Survey of Astronomy (Princeton University Press, 2006)T. Freeth et al., ‘Calendars with Olympiad display and eclipse prediction on the Antikythera mechanism' (Nature 454, 2008)Alexander Jones, A Portable Cosmos: Revealing the Antikythera Mechanism, Scientific Wonder of the Ancient World (Oxford University Press, 2017)Jo Marchant, Decoding the Heavens: Solving the Mystery of the World's First Computer (Windmill Books, 2009)J.H. Seiradakis and M.G. Edmunds, ‘Our current knowledge of the Antikythera Mechanism' (Nature Astronomy 2, 2018)Liba Taub, Ancient Greek and Roman Science: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2022)

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 2000-year-old device which transformed our understanding of astronomy in ancient Greece. In 1900 a group of sponge divers found the wreck of a ship off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera. Among the items salvaged was a corroded bronze object, the purpose of which was not at first clear. It turned out to be one of the most important discoveries in marine archaeology. Over time, researchers worked out that it was some kind of astronomical analogue computer, the only one to survive from this period as bronze objects were so often melted down for other uses. In recent decades, detailed examination of the Antikythera Mechanism using the latest scientific techniques indicates that it is a particularly intricate tool for showing the positions of planets, the sun and moon, with a complexity and precision not surpassed for over a thousand years.With Mike Edmunds Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics at Cardiff UniversityJo Marchant Science journalist and author of 'Decoding the Heavens' on the Antikythera MechanismAnd Liba Taub Professor Emerita in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and Visiting Scholar at the Deutsches Museum, MunichProducer: Simon Tillotson In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio ProductionReading list:Derek de Solla Price, Gears from the Greeks: The Antikythera Mechanism (American Philosophical Society Press, 1974)M. G. Edmunds, ‘The Antikythera mechanism and the mechanical universe' (Contemp. Phys. 55, 2014) M.G. Edmunds, 'The Mechanical Universe' (Astronomy & Geophysics, 64, 2023)James Evans and J. Lennart Berggren, Geminos's Introduction to the Phenomena: A Translation and Study of a Hellenistic Survey of Astronomy (Princeton University Press, 2006)T. Freeth et al., ‘Calendars with Olympiad display and eclipse prediction on the Antikythera mechanism' (Nature 454, 2008)Alexander Jones, A Portable Cosmos: Revealing the Antikythera Mechanism, Scientific Wonder of the Ancient World (Oxford University Press, 2017)Jo Marchant, Decoding the Heavens: Solving the Mystery of the World's First Computer (Windmill Books, 2009)J.H. Seiradakis and M.G. Edmunds, ‘Our current knowledge of the Antikythera Mechanism' (Nature Astronomy 2, 2018)Liba Taub, Ancient Greek and Roman Science: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2022)

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E222Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest cosmic discoveries and space exploration news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have a thrilling lineup of stories that will take you from Venus's ancient mysteries to groundbreaking gravitational wave mapping.Highlights:- Venus's Ocean Mystery: Dive into new research that finally answers whether Venus, often called Earth's twin, ever had oceans. Discover the stark findings from the study published in Nature Astronomy that reveal Venus's dry past and how it diverged from Earth.- Gravitational Wave Breakthrough: Explore the extraordinary advancements in gravitational wave mapping by Australian astrophysicists. Learn about the detailed maps created using the Meerkat Pulsar Timing Array, revealing unexpected hotspots and insights into supermassive black holes.- China's Satellite Milestone: Celebrate China's successful deployment of AppStar 6e, their first all-electric propulsion telecommunications satellite. Understand how this innovative technology marks a significant step forward in satellite operations and space communications.- Space Launch Frenzy: Catch up on a busy week of space launches with 10 orbital missions planned. From SpaceX's ambitious Falcon 9 schedule to China's classified launches and Europe's solar observation missions, discover the dynamic nature of modern space operations.- BepiColombo's Mercury Encounter: Follow the ESA and JAXA's BepiColombo spacecraft as it completes its fifth flyby of Mercury. Learn about the new images and data captured, and the mission's progress towards unraveling Mercury's mysteries.For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Sign up for our free Daily newsletter to stay informed on all things space. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube, Tumblr, and TikTok. Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.Become a supporter of this podcast for commercial free episodes etc. Details at https://spacenutspodcast.com/about✍️ Episode ReferencesNature Astronomyhttps://www.nature.com/natastron/OSGRAVhttps://www.osgrav.org.au/Swinburne Universityhttps://www.swinburne.edu.au/Meerkat Pulsar Timing Arrayhttps://www.sarao.ac.za/science/meerkat/China Academy of Space Technologyhttp://www.cast.cn/AppStar Alliance Satcom Ltdhttp://www.appstar.com.hk/European Space Agencyhttps://www.esa.int/JAXAhttps://global.jaxa.jp/Ariane 5 rockethttps://www.arianespace.com/vehicle/ariane-5/SpaceXhttps://www.spacex.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Dürren könnte bis 2050 weltweit drei von vier Menschen treffen +++ Alkohol verringert Schmerzempfinden - macht das aggressiver? +++ Planet Venus wohl nie lebensfreundlich +++ **********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Weltdürreatlas 2024, Vereinte NationenToo Insensitive to Care: Alcohol Increases Human Aggression by Increasing Pain Threshold. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 2024A dry Venusian interior constrained by atmospheric chemistry, Nature Astronomy, 02.12.2024Ein Bericht zur Corona-Pandemie. Untersuchungsausschuss, US-Repräsentantenhaus, 2024.On-scalp printing of personalized EEG e-tattoos. Cell BiomaterialsAlle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok auf&ab , TikTok wie_geht und Instagram .

Ian Pamerleau, PhD student at Purdue was our guest for this program. We discussed Ian's Nature Astronomy article which is linked to our blog for this program, "Ancient and impure frozen ocean on Ceres implied by its ice-rich crust." We delved into Ceres, the ice on Ceres, its probable origins, the type of ice and the difference with relaxed and unrelaxed craters. We also talked about the suggested muddy ocean on Ceres, the rigid ice rheology, Cathrates and Occator crater. Please read the full summmary at www.thespaceshow.com for this date, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Ian Pamerleau, PhD student at Purdue was our guest for this program. We discussed Ian's Nature Astronomy article which is linked to our blog for this program, "Ancient and impure frozen ocean on Ceres implied by its ice-rich crust." We delved into Ceres, the ice on Ceres, its probable origins, the type of ice and the difference with relaxed and unrelaxed craters. We also talked about the suggested muddy ocean on Ceres, the rigid ice rheology, Clathrates and Occator crater. Please read the full summary at www.thespaceshow.com for this date, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

In 1976, NASA's two Viking spacecraft touched down on Mars, becoming the first successful landers on the red planet. On board Viking 1, the craft carried several biological experiments to search for life. While most scientists consider the results of those experiments to be negative for Martian life, one experiment gave a positive result. The resulting controversy has spanned decades, with numerous scientists weighing in. Now, Dirk Schulze-Makuch from the Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ZAA) at Technische Universität Berlin questions how those experiments were performed in light of what we know of extremely dry environments here on Earth. These Mars analogs, such as the Atacama desert in Chile, show that while microbes can survive in harsh conditions, too much water becomes a problem. And those Viking experiments may have involved too much water. Join Dr. Franck Marchis as he discusses Dr. Schulze-Makuch's recent Nature Astronomy article and how we should follow the salts instead of the water. (Recorded 28 October 2024.)

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 124*Galaxies: Bigger Than We Ever ImaginedRecent findings suggest that galaxies are far larger than previously thought, with gaseous halos extending much further into intergalactic space. This study, published in Nature Astronomy, focuses on the circumgalactic medium of a starburst galaxy 270 million light-years away. These halos, accounting for about 70% of a galaxy's mass excluding dark matter, may already be interacting with neighboring galaxies like Andromeda and the Milky Way. The research offers fresh insights into galaxy evolution, gas cycling, and the cosmic web.*Ancient Microbes Found in Billion-Year-Old RocksScientists have discovered living microbes in 2 billion-year-old rocks from South Africa's Bushveld Igneous Complex. This groundbreaking find, published in Microbial Ecology, represents the oldest known living microorganisms. The study utilized advanced imaging techniques to confirm the microbes were native to the ancient rock, offering a glimpse into early life on Earth and potential clues for extraterrestrial life on Mars.*Vulcan Centaur Rocket's Successful LaunchThe United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket overcame a faulty booster to successfully place its payload into orbit. Despite the anomaly, the mission proceeded from Cape Canaveral, marking an important step towards using Vulcan for high-priority payloads. This launch follows Vulcan's maiden voyage and highlights the transition from older Atlas V and Delta IV rockets.The Science Report00:00:00 - This is spacetime series 27, episode 124 for broadcast on the 14 October 202400:00:48 - New study finds that galaxies are much larger than previously thought00:06:25 - Galaxy is 270 million light years away and is a star bursting galaxy00:17:18 - United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket has overcome a faulty strap on booster00:22:12 - The 2024 Nobel Prizes for Science were awarded this week00:24:56 - A new study finds two diametrically opposed personalities enjoy magic the mostwww.spacetimewithstuartgary.comwww.bitesz.com

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 122*The Sun's Most Powerful Solar Flare in Over a DecadeThe Sun has unleashed its most powerful solar flare in more than a decade, with a spectacular X9.1 class event. This massive solar flare, part of a pair that erupted just two days apart, was detected by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. The event sparked strong G3 class geomagnetic storms, causing auroral activity to reach mid-latitudes and triggering deep shortwave radio blackouts. Solar flares, like this one, can have significant impacts on Earth's atmosphere, communications, and power grids.*Ceres: A Former Ocean World?New research suggests that the dwarf planet Ceres may have once been an ocean world. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, indicates that Ceres has a dirty icy crust, suggesting a past filled with muddy oceans. Computer simulations reveal that the crust may contain up to 90% ice, challenging previous assumptions of a drier Ceres. The findings are based on data from NASA's Dawn mission, which observed surface features like volcanoes and glaciers.*NASA's Europa Clipper MissionNASA's Europa Clipper mission is set for launch to explore Jupiter's ice-covered moon, Europa. The mission aims to investigate the moon's potential for life, with a suite of nine scientific instruments on board. These tools will study Europa's icy crust, subsurface ocean, and surface composition. The spacecraft will perform 49 flybys of Europa, gathering data to help scientists understand the moon's habitability and its potential for hosting life.00:00:00 - The sun unleashes its most powerful solar flare in more than a decade00:00:27 - The sun has just emitted its most powerful solar flare in more than a decade00:04:35 - New study claims dwarf planet Ceres may once have been an ocean world00:14:34 - NASA's Europa Clipper mission is looking for life on icy moon Europa00:19:58 - New figures show 47,000 people suffered heat related deaths across Europe last year00:22:33 - Microsoft will release a new update for Windows 11 next month with AI features00:25:46 - Outlook reminds you you haven't added your attachment yet00:26:56 - Spacetime is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through various podcast providerswww.spacetimewithstuartgary.comwww.bitesz.com

Every second, more than 3,000 stars are born in the visible universe. Many are surrounded by what astronomers call a protoplanetary disk - a swirling "pancake" of hot gas and dust from which planets form. The exact processes that give rise to stars and planetary systems, however, are still poorly understood. A team of astronomers led by University of Arizona researchers has used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to obtain some of the most detailed insights into the forces that shape protoplanetary disks. The observations offer glimpses into what our solar system may have looked like 4.6 billion years ago. Specifically, the team was able to trace so-called disk winds in unprecedented detail. These winds are streams of gas blowing from the planet-forming disk out into space. Powered largely by magnetic fields, these winds can travel tens of miles in just one second. The researchers' findings, published in Nature Astronomy, help astronomers better understand how young planetary systems form and evolve. According to the paper's lead author, Ilaria Pascucci, a professor at the U of A Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, one of the most important processes at work in a protoplanetary disk is the star eating matter from its surrounding disk, which is known as accretion. "How a star accretes mass has a big influence on how the surrounding disk evolves over time, including the way planets form later on," Pascucci said. "The specific ways in which this happens have not been understood, but we think that winds driven by magnetic fields across most of the disk surface could play a very important role." Young stars grow by pulling in gas from the disk that's swirling around them, but in order for that to happen, gas must first shed some of its inertia. Otherwise, the gas would consistently orbit the star and never fall onto it. Astrophysicists call this process "losing angular momentum," but how exactly that happens has proved elusive. To better understand how angular momentum works in a protoplanetary disk, it helps to picture a figure skater on the ice: Tucking her arms alongside her body will make her spin faster, while stretching them out will slow down her rotation. Because her mass doesn't change, the angular momentum remains the same. For accretion to occur, gas across the disk has to shed angular momentum, but astrophysicists have a hard time agreeing on how exactly this happens. In recent years, disk winds have emerged as important players funneling away some gas from the disk surface - and with it, angular momentum - which allows the leftover gas to move inward and ultimately fall onto the star. Because there are other processes at work that shape protoplanetary disks, it is critical to be able to distinguish between the different phenomena, according to the paper's second author, Tracy Beck at NASA's Space Telescope Science Institute. While material at the inner edge of the disk is pushed out by the star's magnetic field in what is known as X-wind, the outer parts of the disk are eroded by intense starlight, resulting in so-called thermal winds, which blow at much slower velocities. "To distinguish between the magnetic field-driven wind, the thermal wind and X-wind, we really needed the high sensitivity and resolution of JWST (the James Webb Space Telescope)," Beck said. Unlike the narrowly focused X-wind, the winds observed in the present study originate from a broader region that would include the inner, rocky planets of our solar system - roughly between Earth and Mars. These winds also extend farther above the disk than thermal winds, reaching distances hundreds of times the distance between Earth and the sun. "Our observations strongly suggest that we have obtained the first images of the winds that can remove angular momentum and solve the longstanding problem of how stars and planetary systems form," Pascucci said. For their study, the researchers selected four protoplanetary disk systems, all of which appear edge-on when v...

Das sind die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Faultiere kommen Klimaveränderungen nicht hinterher +++ Riesen-Zecken kommen mit dem Auto +++ Spinnen nutzen den Steakmesser-Trick +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Sloth metabolism may make survival untenable under climate change scenarios, PeerJ, 27.9.2024Identification of basins of attraction in the local Universe, Nature Astronomy, 27.9.2024Hyalomma marginatum - A silent stowaway after vacation at the Adriatic Sea, Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, November 2024Soft cells and the geometry of seashells, PNAS Nexus, 10.9.2024Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre's Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh, International Journal of Primatology, 17.9.2024Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.

Earthquakes create a spark in quartz that can form massive gold nuggetsScientists have figured out why up to 75 per cent of all the gold ever mined forms inside quartz in areas with a long history of earthquakes. Chris Voisey, a Canadian geologist at Monash University in Australia, said he was trying to solve how gold arose inside quartz. In his study in the journal Nature Geoscience, he found that earthquake stress on quartz crystals generates an electrical voltage that causes dissolved gold to precipitate into a solid that can grow into the largest nuggets ever found.Ice Age Teens went through puberty just like today's kidsA new analysis of the bones of teenagers from 25,000 years ago shows they experienced puberty in much the same way as teens today. An international team of researchers including Paleolithic archaeologist April Nowell analyzed the bones of 13 teens found across Europe, and by looking at particular markers in the bones, they were able to see which stage of puberty the teens were in when they died. The researchers could not only infer things like whether their voices were breaking, but by doing muscle analysis, they found that the teens were healthy and active, and likely involved in hunting and fishing. The research was published in the Journal of Human Evolution.Grey sharks are abandoning warming coral reefs in the Indian OceanThe grey shark in the Indian Ocean uses beautiful coral reefs as a home base, returning each day after a night of fishing. But lately the sharks have been staying away for longer periods of time, up to 16 months. Dr. Michael Willamson, a research scientist at the Zoological Society of London, found that climate change is stressing the reefs. The sharks seek out cooler but potentially more dangerous waters. Venturing away from the protected reef area leaves them more vulnerable to illegal shark fishing. The paper was published in the journal Communications BiologyA cosmic collision 9 billion years ago could be the origin of he supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy Using data from The Event Horizon Telescope, Dr. Yihan Wang worked with Dr. Bing Zhang at the Nevada Institute of Astrophysics to study the origins of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. From the EHT image of the Sagittarius A* Dr. Wang and his team made an accretion model and saw that it spins very fast and that the spinning is misaligned. They believe it may have been made by merging with another supermassive black hole. about 9 billion years ago. Their paper was published in Nature Astronomy.Astronaut Roberta Bondar gives a bird's eye view of migration 32 years after she flew on the space shuttle, Roberta Bondar is still showing us what the Earth looks like from space — and from closer to the ground. Dr. Bondar trained as a wildlife photographer after her astronaut career. For a new project collected photos from space, from airplanes and helicopters, and from the ground, to bring a new perspective on the migration of two important bird species, the threatened lesser Flamingo and the endangered Whooping Crane. The book is called Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight.

A team of Chinese scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery: molecular water locked within a mineral in lunar soil samples collected by the Chang'e 5 mission.Remote sensing data had indicated signs of water molecules on the lunar surface in recent years, particularly in the polar regions, known as the permanently shadowed region. However, molecular water has not been found in returned lunar samples."Due to the high temperatures and vacuum environment on the moon, the existence of liquid water is not possible, so it was previously unclear how water molecules could exist on the moon," said Jin Shifeng, a member of the research team and an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics.The research utilized lunar soil samples collected by the Chang'e 5 lunar probe in 2020.China's first unmanned lunar sample return mission saw the Chang'e 5 probe collect basalt lunar soil samples from a high-latitude region of the moon, providing new opportunities for the study of lunar water.Experts from the institute's Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Beijing University of Science and Technology, Tianjin University, CAS' Qinghai Salt Lake Institute and Zhengzhou University conducted the study. They determined that lunar water exists in a hydrated mineral known as ULM-1.The research findings were published online in the academic journal Nature Astronomy on July 16.According to the molecular formula, the mineral contains six crystalline water molecules, with the water molecules accounting for as much as 41 percent of the sample's mass.About five years ago, a similar mineral was discovered in a volcano in Russia, providing new clues to the source of water on the moon."In other words, this mineral may have been formed by volcanic eruptions on the moon," Jin said."This indicates that lunar volcanic gases contain a significant amount of water. Thermodynamic calculations have revealed that the water content in lunar volcanoes is comparable to the driest volcanoes on Earth."Jin said the crystalline water discovered in the lunar soil is relatively stable in the moon's vacuum environment.The presence of water on the moon is crucial for lunar evolution studies and resource development. Around 1970, the absence of water on the moon became a basic assumption because no water-containing minerals were found in the Apollo lunar soil samples."This may be due to differences in sampling latitude," Jin said. "At the Chang'e 5 sampling site, the lunar surface temperature does not exceed 80 C."This also indicates that the distribution of molecular water on the lunar surface is uneven. However, because this crystal is relatively stable, it could potentially exist in vast regions of the moon."Reporter: Yan Dongjie

There's an update from asteroid expert Patrick Michel about the European Space Agency's Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety. The ESA have received permission to begin preparatory work for the planetary defence mission which will rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis, that will be passing by the Earth on Friday, April 13th 2029. And in news from the Moon this week – a massive cave has been discovered on its surface that might be a window into the body's sub-surface, and even a ready-made lunar base for future astronauts to use. The claim was made in Nature Astronomy by a team of Italian planetary scientists, and two experts in remote sensing who have been re-interpreting radar data from a NASA orbiter - Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from University of Trento in Italy. In the magazine Science, there's a call for a re-doubling of efforts to tackle malaria in Africa as signs grow that a leading treatment, Artemisinin, is becoming less effective. Deus Ishengoma, a malaria expert with the Tanzanian National Institute for Medical Research, is worried, having seen the transformation Artemesinin made in the past. Tiny solar-powered flying robots - an ultra-lightweight, solar-powered micro aerial vehicle capable of sustained flight is described in a paper published in Nature. Peng Jinzhe of the School of Energy and Power Engineering at Beihang University was part of the team behind the 8 millimetre robot. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth (Image: ESA's Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis. Credit: The European Space Agency)

Join us for SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 76, where we delve into the latest groundbreaking discoveries in planetary science and astronomy.First, scientists have uncovered evidence that fresh water existed on Earth about 4 billion years ago, pushing back the timeframe for the potential emergence of life by 500 million years. This discovery, based on zircon crystal analysis from the Jack Hills formation in Western Australia, challenges the long-held belief that Earth was entirely covered by oceans at that time. The study's findings suggest that fresh water and land masses existed much earlier, setting the stage for life to flourish.Next, new research indicates that the rotation of Earth's inner core has slowed down compared to the planet's surface. This discovery, reported in the journal Nature, shows that the inner core began to decelerate around 2010, moving slower than the Earth's mantle and crust for the first time in decades. The implications of this change are still being explored, but it may ultimately affect the length of the day.Finally, a new study suggests that Earth's encounter with dense interstellar clouds 2 million years ago may have significantly altered the planet's climate. The research, published in Nature Astronomy, posits that these clouds could have compressed the heliosphere, exposing Earth to increased levels of cosmic rays and altering its climatic conditions.Follow our cosmic conversations on X @stuartgary, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of the universe, one episode at a time.Sponsor OfferThis episode is proudly supported by NordPass. Secure your digital journey across the cosmos with a password manager you can trust. Find your stellar security solution at https://www.bitesz.com/nordpass.Listen to SpaceTime on your favourite podcast app including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.Support SpaceTimeBecome a supporter of SpaceTime: https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/www.bitesz.com

Today we're speaking with Dr. Marcus Lower, who is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Australia's National Science Agency, the CSIRO. His research primarily focuses on pulsars … rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles. He's the principal investigator of a Pulsar Timing Project, which uses the CSIRO, Parkes Murriyang radio telescope to understand the long-term behaviour of neutron stars and how they can be used to study the interstellar medium. Marcus is the lead author in a just-published Nature Astronomy paper using the 64-meter Parkes-Murriyang dish and also the monster 76-meter Lovell Telescope at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Manchester to reveal really mystifying behaviours of Pulsar XTE J1810-197, which we have never seen anything remotely like this before.

An international team of researchers has successfully used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to map the weather on the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b.Precise brightness measurements over a broad spectrum of mid-infrared light, combined with 3D climate models and previous observations from other telescopes, suggest the presence of thick, high clouds covering the nightside, clear skies on the dayside, and equatorial winds upwards of 5,000 miles per hour mixing atmospheric gases around the planet.The investigation is just the latest demonstration of the exoplanet science now possible with Webb's extraordinary ability to measure temperature variations and detect atmospheric gases trillions of miles away.WASP-43 b is a “hot Jupiter” type of exoplanet: similar in size to Jupiter, made primarily of hydrogen and helium, and much hotter than any of the giant planets in our own solar system. Although its star is smaller and cooler than the Sun, WASP-43 b orbits at a distance of just 1.3 million miles – less than 1/25th the distance between Mercury and the Sun.With such a tight orbit, the planet is tidally locked, with one side continuously illuminated and the other in permanent darkness. Although the nightside never receives any direct radiation from the star, strong eastward winds transport heat around from the dayside.Since its discovery in 2011, WASP-43 b has been observed with numerous telescopes, including NASA's Hubble and now-retired Spitzer space telescopes.“With Hubble, we could clearly see that there is water vapor on the dayside. Both Hubble and Spitzer suggested there might be clouds on the nightside,” explained Taylor Bell, researcher from the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute and lead author of a study published today in Nature Astronomy. “But we needed more precise measurements from Webb to really begin mapping the temperature, cloud cover, winds, and more detailed atmospheric composition all the way around the planet.”Although WASP-43 b is too small, dim, and close to its star for a telescope to see directly, its short orbital period of just 19.5 hours makes it ideal for phase curve spectroscopy, a technique that involves measuring tiny changes in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet orbits the star.Since the amount of mid-infrared light given off by an object depends largely on how hot it is, the brightness data captured by Webb can then be used to calculate the planet's temperature.The broad spectrum of mid-infrared light captured by Webb also made it possible to measure the amount of water vapor (H2O) and methane (CH4) around the planet. “Webb has given us an opportunity to figure out exactly which molecules we're seeing and put some limits on the abundances,” said Joanna Barstow, a co-author from the Open University in the U.K.The spectra show clear signs of water vapor on the nightside as well as the dayside of the planet, providing additional information about how thick the clouds are and how high they extend in the atmosphere.  Surprisingly, the data also shows a distinct lack of methane anywhere in the atmosphere. Although the dayside is too hot for methane to exist (most of the carbon should be in the form of carbon monoxide), methane should be stable and detectable on the cooler nightside.“The fact that we don't see methane tells us that WASP-43b must have wind speeds reaching something like 5,000 miles per hour,” explained Barstow. “If winds move gas around from the dayside to the nightside and back again fast enough, there isn't enough time for the expected chemical reactions to produce detectable amounts of methane on the nightside.”The team thinks that because of this wind-driven mixing, the atmospheric chemistry is the same all the way around the planet, which wasn't apparent from past work with Hubble and Spitzer.

The words “black hole” might bring to mind an infinite darkness. But the area right around a black hole, called the accretion disk, is actually pretty bright, with matter compressing hotter and hotter into a glowing plasma as it is sucked in. And amid that maelstrom, there are even brighter areas—bursts of energy that astronomers call flares.Scientists are trying to better understand what those flares are, and what they can tell us about the nature of black holes. This week in the journal Nature Astronomy, a group of researchers published a video that they say is a 3D reconstruction of the movement of flares around the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way.Dr. Katie Bouman, an assistant professor of computing and mathematical sciences, electrical engineering and astronomy at Caltech in Pasadena, California, joins guest host Arielle Duhaime-Ross to talk about the research, and how computational imaging techniques can help paint a picture of things that would be difficult or impossible to see naturally.Transcripts for this segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

This episode is brought to you with the support of Incogni....the data protection service. To claim your special offfer benefit as a SpaceTime listener visit www.icogni.com/stuartgary or use the coupon code STUARTGARY at checkout. 60% off and a 30-day money back guarantee.The Space, Astronomy & Science Podcast.SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 32*Juno's Icy Encounter: Oxygen Production on EuropaNASA's Juno spacecraft has made a groundbreaking discovery, directly measuring charged oxygen and hydrogen molecules on Jupiter's icy moon Europa. With findings reported in Nature Astronomy, this revelation provides critical insights into the moon's global subsurface ocean's potential habitability. Juno's flyby uncovers the atmospheric composition of Europa, offering a new understanding of its surface ice and the intriguing possibility that oxygen may fuel life deep within the moon's ocean.*White Dwarf Stars Defying the Cooling ProcessAstronomers are left baffled by a population of white dwarf stars that have mysteriously ceased cooling, a finding that upends long-standing theories about stellar evolution. The discovery, reported in the journal Nature, suggests that some white dwarfs might be generating extra energy, challenging the way scientists determine the age of these ancient celestial remnants and the history of our galaxy.*Unlocking Neptune's Past with Icy AsteroidsThe Kuiper Belt's icy rocks may hold the key to Neptune's formation. A study of the binary asteroid system Moore's Somnus, detailed in Astronomy and Astrophysics, suggests that the ice giants' tumultuous past and the solar system's evolution are etched in these frozen bodies. The research, aided by the James Webb Space Telescope, provides a glimpse into the chemistry and physics that shaped the outer reaches of our planetary neighborhood.*Japan's Lunar Lander: A Survivor of the Lunar NightJAXA's lunar lander, Slim, has unexpectedly survived the frigid lunar night and phoned home. Initially landing on its side, the probe managed to conduct scientific observations during a brief solar recharge. As Slim enters sleep mode once more, mission managers anticipate another attempt at revival with the next lunar dawn, marking Japan's advancement in lunar exploration.Listen to SpaceTime on your favorite podcast app with our universal listen link: https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com/listen and access show links via https://linktr.ee/biteszHQFor more SpaceTime and show links: https://linktr.ee/biteszHQFor more space and astronomy podcasts visit our HQ at https://bitesz.comSupport the show: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-with-stuart-gary--2458531/supportShow notes created by https://headliner.app---

Hosted by Dr. Franck Marchis. NASA's Juno mission has observed mineral salts and organic compounds on the surface of Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Data for this discovery was collected by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) spectrometer aboard the spacecraft during a close flyby of the icy moon.    The findings, which could help scientists better understand the origin of Ganymede and the composition of its deep ocean, were published on Oct. 30 in the journal Nature Astronomy.   Dr. Federico Tosi, a Juno co-investigator from Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome and lead author of the paper, speaks with senior astronomer Franck Marchis about this discovery and what it could mean for Ganymede's subsurface oceans and possibly life. (Recorded 25 January 2024.) Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-023-02107-5   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

According to a paper published this past week in the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists found what could be the brightest known object in the universe: a quasar produced by a massive and voracious black hole. It's estimated to be emitting light that's 500 trillion times more intense than Earth's sun. John Yang has more. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

According to a paper published this past week in the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists found what could be the brightest known object in the universe: a quasar produced by a massive and voracious black hole. It's estimated to be emitting light that's 500 trillion times more intense than Earth's sun. John Yang has more. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

441M-NoProces- RE20 - Un nuevo estudio publicado en Nature Astronomy ha descubierto el objeto más brillante conocido hasta ahora en el universo. Se trata de un Cuasar y hay quien lo considera "el lugar más infernal del universo". Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Recorded 13 June 2023. Hosted by Dr. Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the SETI Institute's Carl Sagan Center. Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, Director of the SETI Institute's Carl Sagan Center, joins us live from the Global Exploration Summit in Portugal. Last week Cabrol was co-author on a comment published in Nature Astronomy that explored the implications and potential scientific impacts on increased activity on Mars, specifically, human-crewed missions. How will the presence of people on Mars affect the search for past or present life and what planetary protection measures will be required to protect the integrity of scientific research as well as life here on Earth when crews return?  Read more about the comment at seti.org: https://bit.ly/43WGnNU   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

A new ESA telescope could help us understand how dark matter and dark energy influence the structure of the universe. Also, using both JWST and the Chandra Observatory, astronomers discover the oldest known black hole.Euclid Telescope's First Images UnveiledThis week, the European Space Agency unveiled the Euclid space telescope's first full-color images of the cosmos. The telescope has a wide field of view and is designed to take images of large swaths of the sky in both visible and infrared light. The telescope's designers hope that they will be able to create a detailed 3D map of the cosmos over the next six years and, with that map, begin to sort out the influences of dark matter and dark energy on the basic structure of the universe.Sophie Bushwick, technology editor at Scientific American, joins Ira to talk about the first images from the Euclid telescope and other stories from the week in science. They'll try to explain the recent conversation about ultraprocessed foods and discuss steps toward regulating AI coming from the Biden administration and a host of other countries; a move to rename some North American birds; and the tale of a fish that uses electrolocation and some shimmies to get a 3D map of its environment.Not Just Dying Stars: A Black Hole That Came From GasThis week, astronomers confirmed that they had found the oldest known black hole, thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The supermassive black hole formed when the universe was still a toddler, just 470 million years after the Big Bang. But its age isn't the only thing that makes it unusual.Astronomers long thought that the only way a black hole could form was through the collapse of a star. But this week's discovery confirms a theory that some black holes at this early stage in the universe formed from the condensation of clouds of gas. The theory purports that such black holes would produce superheated x-ray-emitting gas. Now, data from JWST and Chandra have helped confirm these x-ray signals from the newly discovered black hole. The findings are available via preprint and have been published in the journal Nature Astronomy.Ira sits down with Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan, a professor of astronomy and physics at Yale who helped develop this theory, to talk about how these unique black holes change our understanding of the early universe.To stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.