Category Astronomy/Space

This image shows data from NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope (yellow-white) and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (purple). The purple-white source in the lower left shows X-ray emission from the remains of a star that was ripped apart as it fell towards an intermediate mass black hole. The host galaxy of the black hole is located in the middle of the image. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/UNH/D.Lin et al, Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI

Scientists have been able to prove the existence of small black holes and those that are super-massive but the existence of an elusive type of black hole, known as intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) is hotly debated...

An artist’s impression of what an active galactic nucleus might look like close up. The accretion disk produces the brilliant light in the center. The broad-line region is just above the accretion disk and lost in the glare. Dust clouds are being driven upward by the intense radiation. Credit: Peter Z. Harrington

Mysterious features seen in light emitted from active galactic nuclei may be due to partial obscuration by dust clouds. Many large galaxies have a bright central region called an active galactic nucleus (AGN), powered by matter spiraling into a supermassive black hole...

This is an artist’s illustration of a potentially habitable exomoon orbiting a giant planet in a distant solar system. Credit: NASA GSFC: Jay Friedlander and Britt Griswold

Researchers have identified 121 giant planets that may have habitable moons. Their work will guide the design of future telescopes that can detect these potential moons and look for tell-tale signs of life, called biosignatures, in their atmospheres. Since the 2009 launch of NASA’s Kepler telescope, scientists have identified thousands of planets outside our solar system, which are called exoplanets. A primary goal of the Kepler mission is to identify planets that are in the habitable zones of their stars, meaning it’s neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water – and potentially life – to exist.

Terrestrial (rocky) p...

Artist’s conception of Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) in Arp 299. Powerful gravity of supermassive black hole shreds passing star, pulling material into disk rotating around the black hole, and launching jet of particles outward. Artist’s conception in pullout — background is Hubble Space Telescope image of Arp 299, a pair of colliding galaxies. Credit: Sophia Dagnello, NRAO/AUI/NSF; NASA, STScI

Star is shredded – Radio telescopes show aftermath. For the first time, astronomers have directly imaged the formation and expansion of a fast-moving jet of material ejected when the powerful gravity of a supermassive black hole ripped apart a star that wandered too close to the cosmic monster.

The scientists tracked the event with radio and infrared telescopes, including the National Science Foundat...