Final Stages of three Galaxies merging
Exciting events this week on the Carnival of Space #640! Martian construction with Earth bacteria, a new Black Hole find and something I can relate to having been to see JWST twice now – building large telescopes! Shall we begin?
Building Space Telescopes… In Space
Fraser Cain | Universe Today
When it comes to telescopes, bigger is better. That’s true down here on Earth, and it’s especially true out in space. As astronomers and engineers design the next generation of giant space telescopes, they’re running up against the limits of current launch providers. There are only so many ways you can fold a huge telescope to get it to fit inside a 5-meter launch fairing.
The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope is pretty much the very limit of what you can construct on Earth and put into space in a single launch. To go bigger, space agencies will need to…
There Could be Planets Orbiting Around Supermassive Black Holes
Matt Williams | Universe Today
Perhaps the greatest discovery to come from the “Golden Age of General Relativity” (ca. 1960 to 1975) was the realization that a supermassive black hole (SMBH) exists at the center of our galaxy. In time, scientists came to realize that similarly massive black holes were responsible for the extreme amounts of energy emanating from the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) of distant quasars.
Given their sheer size, mass, and energetic nature, scientists have known for some time that some pretty awesome things take place beyond the event horizon of an SMBH. But according to a recent study by a team of Japanese researchers, it is possible that SMBHs can actually form a system of planets! In fact, the research team concluded that SMBHs can form planetary systems that would…
Astronomers Find a Galaxy Containing Three Supermassive Black Holes at the Center
Evan Gough | Universe Today
NGC 6240 is a puzzle to astronomers. For a long time, astronomers thought the galaxy is a result of a merger between two galaxies, and that merger is evident in the galaxy’s form: It has an unsettled appearance, with two nuclei and extensions and loops.
NGC 6240 is about 400 million light years away, in the constellation Ophiuchus. Even though it’s been studied intensely, it’s a very dusty place, and certain details have been obscured. But a new study using the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT,) along with the advanced 3D MUSE Spectrograph, has…
Diagram showing the mission concept and the reactor, as designed by Lehner and his colleagues. Credit: TU Delft
Using Bacteria to Build a Base on Mars
Matt Williams | Universe Today
When it comes to plans for future missions to space, one of the most important aspects will be the use of local resources and autonomous robots. This process is known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), which reduces the amount of equipment and resources that need to be sent ahead or brought along by a mission crew. Meanwhile, autonomous robots can be sent ahead of a crew and have everything prepared for them in advance.
But what about bacteria that can draw iron from extraterrestrial soil, which would then be used to 3D print metal components for a base? That is the idea that is being proposed by PhD candidate Benjamin Lehner of the Delft University of Technology. On Friday (Nov. 22nd), he defended his thesis, which calls for the deployment of an uncrewed mission to Mars that will convert…
New Satellites Will Tell Us Exactly how Quickly the Oceans are Rising
Evan Gough | Universe Today
One of the clearest signs of global warming, unless you live next to a glacier, are rising oceans. Now a joint mission involving the US and European countries is launching a pair of satellites to monitor the rising sea levels. The two satellites will monitor the oceans until 2030.
There’s more to rising oceans than melting glaciers and ice sheets. Ocean rise is also caused by the warming of the atmosphere. The oceans are like heat sinks, and as they absorb the heat from the atmosphere…
Of the Two Stars in Alpha Centauri, One is Probably More Habitable than the Other
Matt Williams | Universe Today
In the past, the number of known exoplanets has exploded, with 4093 confirmed detections so far (and another 4,727 candidates awaiting confirmation). With the discovery of so many planets that are dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of light years away, a great deal of attention has understandably been directed to our nearest stellar neighbors. Could planets be right next door, with the possibility of life being there as well?
While a potentially-habitable planet was recently discovered around Proxima Centauri (Proxima b), Alpha Centauri remains something of a question mark. But thanks to a recent study from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT), we might be getting closer to determining if this neighboring system…
Aquatic Rover Drives on the Underside of the Ice in Antarctica
Evan Gough | Universe Today
Not all rovers are designed to roam around on the surface of other worlds like Mars. One rover, at least, is aquatic; a necessary development if we’re going to explore Enceladus, Europa, and the Solar System’s other watery worlds. This rover is called the Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, or BRUIE.
This is not a swimming, submarine type of vehicle. It’s a wheeled vehicle designed to drive upside down on ice sheets. BRUIE is…
SpaceX’s Starship provides an opportunity for NASA’s Artemis program
Mark R Whittington | The Hill
Recently NASA announced that five more companies had been added to the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS). One such company, SpaceX, has raised some eyebrows in aerospace circles because Elon Musk’s rocket business is offering the Starship as a lunar lander.
Companies that are included in the CLPS program will be able to bid on missions that will deliver small instrument packages and rovers to the lunar surface. One upcoming mission is…
A Friendly Neighborhood Supermassive Black Hole
Dr. Roberto Gilli | Chandra X-Ray Observatory
Black holes are usually perceived as dangerous, disruptive systems. On the one hand they swallow copious amount of matter. On the other, they release a large amount of energy in the form of both radiation and matter when enormous quantities of material fall onto them.
The most extreme manifestation of such phenomenon is known as a “quasar” or an “active galactic nucleus” (AGN) that are powered by growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at galaxy centers. During these growth phases, part of the gravitational energy of the infalling gas is converted into strong electromagnetic radiation. Meanwhile, some of the gas, rather than being swallowed by the black hole, is instead…
And there you have it. Nine fabulous articles to bring you up to date on many cool space related subjects. Until next time, keep doing what you love!
