Category Astronomy/Space

Blue Origin, said that the same New Shepard booster which blasted off and landed in November had repeated the feat, hitting an altitude of 333,000 feet (101 kilometers) before “gently” returning to Earth

2 months after the breakthrough launch and vertical landing of a reusable rocket, the space firm created by Internet entrepreneur Jeff Bezos did it again. The company, Blue Origin, said Saturday that the same New Shepard booster which blasted off and landed in November had repeated the feat, hitting an altitude of 333,000 feet before “gently” returning to Earth. A video released by Blue Origin showed the launch and landing from the Texas site, with the rocket slowed to 3 miles/h on its descent with the assistance of parachutes.

The breakthroughs by Blue Origin and parallel efforts by rival...

A team of researchers has observed the brightest ultra metal-poor star ever discovered. Credit: ESO/Beletsky/DSS1 + DSS2 + 2MASS

A team of researchers has observed the brightest ultra metal-poor star ever discovered. The star is a rare relic from the Milky Way’s formative years. As such, it offers astronomers a precious opportunity to explore the origin of the first stars that sprung to life within our galaxy and the universe.

A Brazilian-American team used 2 of European Southern Observatory’s telescopes in Chile to discover this star, named 2MASS J18082002-5104378. The star was spotted in 2014 using ESO’s New Technology Telescope...

These images show UV-induced morphological changes of multinucleated giant cells, unprotected and protected by the group’s UV absorber. Credit: Shifeng Zhou/ South China University of Technology

A special metal oxide glass created by researchers in China can help protect living cells by absorbing and blocking damaging ultraviolet rays. It could be used in several applications, including as a protective shield for electronic instruments in space. The researchers used a metal oxide – cerium (IV) oxide (CeO2) – well-known for its ability to absorb UV photons to craft the composite glass-based UV absorber.

Other key features of the final composite material are optical transparency of the glass and ability to suppress the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes...

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the star cluster Trumpler 14. One of the largest gatherings of hot, massive and bright stars in the Milky Way, this cluster houses some of the most luminous stars in our entire galaxy. Credit: NASA & ESA, Jesús Maíz Apellániz (Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia)

When single stars join forces, they create truly breathtaking scenes to rival even the most glowing of nebulae or swirling of galaxies. A new image features the star cluster Trumpler 14. One of the largest gatherings of hot, massive and bright stars in the Milky Way, this cluster houses some of the most luminous stars in our entire galaxy.

Around 1100 open clusters have so far been discovered within the Milky Way, although many more are thought to exist...