GALEX tagged posts

Astronomers Uncover Risks to Planets that could Host Life

Space illustration
UV radiation from stellar flares can erode planetary atmospheres

A groundbreaking study has revealed that red dwarf stars can produce stellar flares that carry far-ultraviolet (far-UV) radiation levels much higher than previously believed. This discovery suggests that the intense UV radiation from these flares could significantly impact whether planets around red dwarf stars can be habitable. Led by current and former astronomers from the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA), the research was recently published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

“Few stars have been thought to generate enough UV radiation through flares to impact planet habitability...

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Blue Ring Nebula: 16-year-old Cosmic Mystery Solved, revealing Stellar missing Link

Blue Ring Nebula
The Blue Ring Nebula, which perplexed scientists for over a decade, appears to be the youngest known example of two stars merged into one.

Astronomers have solved the 16-year-old mystery surrounding the Blue Ring Nebula – an unusual, large, faint blob of gas with a star at its center. This object is unlike any they’d ever seen before in our Milky Way galaxy. The team has discovered the nebula appears to be the first known example of a merged star system at this stage.

In 2004, scientists with NASA’s space-based Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spotted an object unlike any they’d seen before in our Milky Way galaxy: a large, faint blob of gas with a star at its center...

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