Amazing space discoveries this year. Recent space discoveries that have captured our imagination Facts about achievements in science astronomy
Space still remains an incomprehensible mystery for all humanity. It is incredibly beautiful, full of secrets and dangers, and the more we study it, the more we discover new amazing phenomena. Below you will learn about the ten most interesting phenomena that occurred in 2017.
1. Giant gas vortex in the Perseus cluster
A giant vortex of hot, glowing gas extends over 1 million light years through the very center of the Perseus cluster. Matter in the Perseus cluster region is formed from gas whose temperature is 10 million degrees, which makes it glow. A unique NASA photo allows you to view the galactic vortex in detail.
2. Sounds inside Saturn's rings
The Cassini spacecraft recorded sounds inside the rings of Saturn. The sounds were recorded using an Audio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) device, which detects radio and plasma waves, which are then converted into sounds. As a result, scientists “heard” something completely different from what they expected. Find out what exactly - here.
3. An icy planet very similar to Earth
Using special equipment that studied the effect of microlensing, NASA discovered a new planet, which was named OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb. In a number of ways, this planet resembles Earth, but is probably too cold to be suitable for life. It is noteworthy that to discover the planet, it was used special technology- how it works, read here.
4. Unique images of Saturn’s rings from Cassini
The Cassini spacecraft successfully completed its flyby through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings on April 26, 2017 and transmitted unique images to Earth. The distance between the rings and the upper layers of the atmosphere of Saturn is about 2000 km. And Cassini was supposed to pass through this “gap” at a speed of 124 thousand km/h.
Cassini's closest view of Saturn
5. The Unexplained natural phenomenon named "Steve"
A team of independent auroral researchers has discovered an as yet unexplored phenomenon in the night sky over Canada and named it "Steve." The European Space Agency (ESA) has already sent special probes to study Steve, and has discovered a number of interesting - and completely inexplicable - details.
6. New planet suitable for life
An exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth could be the new winner of the title of "best place to look for signs of life beyond Earth." solar system" According to scientists, the LHS 1140 system in the constellation Cetus may be even more suitable for searching for extraterrestrial life than Proxima b or TRAPPIST-1.
Visualization of the flight from Earth to LHS 1140 b
7. The asteroid that almost made it to Earth
Asteroid 2014 JO25 with a diameter of about 650 m approached Earth in April 2017, and then flew away. This relatively large near-Earth asteroid was only four times farther from Earth than the Moon. NASA classified the asteroid as "potentially hazardous."
The image has a resolution of approximately 7.5 m per pixel
8. Space “dumpling” in 3D
In the picture - Pan, natural satellite Saturn. Three-dimensional photography was made using the anaglyph method. You can get a stereo effect using special glasses with red and blue filters. All the details about this unusual object can be found here.
9. First photos of the Trappist-1 habitable system
The discovery of a potentially habitable planetary system of the star Trappist-1 was the event of the year in astronomy. Now NASA has published the first photographs of the star on its website. The camera took one frame per minute for an hour, and then the photos were compiled into animation:
The animation size is 11x11 pixels, it covers an area of 44 square arcseconds
10. Date of collision between Earth and Mars
American geophysicist Stephen Myers from the University of Wisconsin suggested that Earth and Mars could collide. This theory is by no means new, but scientists recently confirmed it by finding evidence in an unexpected place. The “butterfly effect” is to blame, and read about how it manifests itself here.
As we open up space more and more, we dream of colonizing other planets and meeting other life forms. For generations, space has captured our imaginations and even ruled our lives. We present to your attention some new and amazing discoveries related to space.
Planets like Earth
In 2013, astronomers confirmed the existence of about 20 billion exoplanets in our Milky Way Galaxy alone that are similar to Earth and could harbor life. Given the billions of galaxies in the Universe, there could be billions of billions of planets theoretically suitable for life.
Pluto is still a planet
In 2006, amateur astronomers were shocked by the news that Pluto had been "demoted" to dwarf planet. Those who refused to accept this fact were rewarded in 2015 when spacecraft New Horizons discovered that Pluto is more of a planet after all. Its gravity is strong enough to hold onto the atmosphere and deflect charged particles from the solar wind.
Collision of golden stars
2013 was a fantastic year for astronomy. Astronomers have discovered a collision between two stars that produced an incredible amount of gold, weighing many times the mass of our Moon.
Tsunami on Mars
Scientists recently revealed a discovery that has boggled the minds of many in the space community: They provided evidence that once large tsunamis may have altered the Martian landscape. Two meteorite impacts caused huge tidal waves that rose to a height of about 50 meters!
Planet Godzilla
Our planet is one of the largest rocky planets, but in 2014 scientists discovered a planet twice the size and 17 times heavier than Earth. Although planets this size were considered gas giants, this planet, named Kepler10c, is surprisingly similar to ours. She was also given the nickname "Godzilla".
Gravitational waves
Back in 1916, Albert Einstein announced the existence of gravitational waves, almost a hundred years before scientists confirmed their existence. The science world was delighted by the discovery made in 2015. Spacetime can pulsate like still water in a pond if you throw a stone into it.
Formation of mountains on a volcanic satellite
New research has shown how mountains form on Jupiter's volcanic moon Io. While mountains on Earth form in long chains, Io's mountains are mostly solitary. On this moon, volcanic activity is so great that a 13-centimeter layer of molten lava covers its surface every 10 years. Given this rapid rate of eruptions, scientists have concluded that the enormous pressure on Io's core is causing rifts to rise to the surface to "release" excess pressure.
New ring of Saturn
Astronomers recently discovered a huge new ring around Saturn. It is located 3.7 - 11.1 million kilometers from the planet's surface and rotates in the opposite direction compared to the other rings. The new ring is so rarefied that a billion Earths could fit inside it. Because the ring is quite cold, approximately minus 196 degrees Celsius, it was only recently discovered using an infrared telescope.
The oldest star in the Universe
A few hundred million years is a tiny fraction of the time for the Universe, since its age is 14 billion years. The oldest star known to people- SMSS J031300.36-670839.3. Its age is about 13.6 billion years.
Oxygen in space
Oxygen is naturally an extremely reactive gas, which causes it to interact with other elements existing in the universe. The discovery of molecular oxygen - the same type that humans breathe - in the atmosphere of the notorious comet 67P has deepened people's knowledge of cosmic gases and raised hopes that oxygen may exist in other parts of the universe, in a form that humans can use.
Hyperactive galaxy
In 2008, a galaxy was discovered 12.2 billion light-years from Earth in which stars are forming extremely quickly. In our Milky Way new star A new star is born, on average, every 36 days in a galaxy called the “Baby Boom”, every 2 hours.
The coldest place in the Universe
The coldest place in the Universe is the Boomerang Nebula, the temperature there is near absolute zero. This nebula glows bright blue due to light reflecting off its dust.
Smallest planet
The smallest planet to date was discovered in 2013. Its name is Kepler-37b. It is slightly larger than the Moon, but 3 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Thanks to this, the temperature on its surface is 425 degrees Celsius.
Stars dying prematurely
In 2016, it was discovered that some stars in an active star-forming region called the Carina Nebula are dying prematurely. About half of the stars in this place skip the red giant stage in their development, thereby reducing their life cycle for millions of years. It is unknown what causes this effect, but it has only been seen in sodium-rich or oxygen-poor stars.
A new place for humanity to live
Some scientists believe that in order to detect life, it is necessary to pay attention to the satellites of other planets. For example, when passing by Jupiter, its icy moon Europa “shoots” 6,800 kg of water per second into the air from geysers on its south pole. Scientists have recently developed a project to analyze the content of this water before it falls back to the planet's surface. Such research could help determine whether life exists on Europa.
Giant Diamond Star
BPM 37093, nicknamed "Lucy", is a white dwarf star located approximately 20 light-years from Earth. It is noteworthy that it is a giant diamond the size of the Moon. Jewelers would value it at 10 decillion carats (a decillion is 1060).
The real ninth planet
Although Pluto has been "demoted", scientists believe there may be a huge planet orbiting the Sun behind Pluto. Using mathematical laws, scientists have determined that there must be a planet the size of Neptune orbiting in distant orbit, but it has still not been found.
Vacuum noise
In September 2013, NASA released audio recordings of plasma waves, the first sounds ever recorded in interstellar space.
The brightest supernova
Discovered in 2015, ASASSN-15lh is the brightest supernova. It shines 570 billion times brighter than the Sun. Even stranger, scientists discovered that supernova activity increased a second time about two months after the star passed its peak brightness.
Asteroid with rings
Although it is common for large gas giants to have orbital ring systems, rings are quite rare among other celestial bodies. Scientists were delighted to find them around the asteroid Chariklo. The asteroid has two rings, likely formed from frozen water as a result of a collision with another celestial object.
Alcohol Comet
Comet Lovejoy delighted astronomers and drinkers in 2015. While studying the fast-moving piece of ice, scientists discovered that the comet was spewing out the same type of alcohol that humans drink at the rate of 500 bottles of wine per second.
The scientific discoveries of 2016, not yet having time to become firmly established in the consciousness of not only the average person, but also the scientists themselves who made them, have already led humanity to. The greatest minds of our time have made a number of scientific discoveries that can forever change society's understanding of the world around it and itself.
Exploring the world around us
Scientific discoveries of the current 2016 in fields of astronomy discovered space objects for scientists, the existence of which no one had previously suspected. So, back in 2008 it was opened exoplanet, according to astronomers, wandering lonely through the expanses of the Universe. However, research this year showed that the space object orbits its mother star at a distance of 1 trillion kilometers, which is 7 thousand times greater than the distance from Earth to the Sun. This is how the largest planetary system known to science was discovered.
New scientific discoveries in the area biology of marine animals showed that octopuses, previously considered completely asocial creatures, use sign language in some situations to communicate with their own kind. During a hostile meeting between two octopuses in the ocean, the cephalopods change their color to a darker one and stretch their bodies in different directions, trying to appear larger. Thus, although primitive, communication between these representatives of the fauna was recorded.
Beyond Neptune's orbit, astronomers have discovered unusual celestial body , called Nick. The space object, 200 kilometers in diameter, rotates in the opposite direction from most celestial bodies relative to the Sun. The object's orbit is also unusual - it is inclined 110 degrees relative to the plane of the Solar System.
Knowing yourself
Scientific discoveries of the current year 2016 by Duke University staff in the field of medicine showed that bad habits a person is provoked by changes in the cerebral cortex, which is why it is so difficult to part with them. Passion for alcohol, nicotine or drugs is imprinted in the areas responsible for human behavior, committed against the will under the influence of an irresistible attraction. You can influence such areas using electromagnetic pulses. The discovery could become a serious breakthrough in the fight against alcoholism, smoking, drugs and other types of addictions.
Latest scientific discoveries in the field treatment of deafblindness showed the world an amazing invention - braille glove. Russian inventor Fyodor Golomoev created a unique device that replaces voice, vision and hearing. Thanks to special areas on the glove that conduct electric current, its operator can type words by letter by connecting his fingers in a certain order. The device is based on the principle Braille.
American scientists have created a device that allows you to analyze composition of human sweat- compare such research medical analysis blood. A sensor built into the bracelet, worn on the arm of the subject, reads the data and transmits it directly to the smartphone. This will allow us to create equipment that allows us to quickly determine the presence of hidden diseases.
US researchers have created artificial leather, which, in fact, being an elastic film, can be used not only for cosmetic purposes, but also in medicine, for some skin diseases and burns.
The scientific discoveries of 2016 are united by the fact that they are all very promising in the context of humanity’s further study of nature and self-knowledge. The main thing is that they are aimed at facilitating daily life and treatment of complex diseases, open the boundaries of outer space in search of unexplored worlds that may be suitable for life for future generations.
In honor Cosmonautics Day the editors of the site decided to remember 10 latest discoveries in astronomy, which can be considered the most important for humanity.
1. The ninth planet. On January 20, 2016, astronomers Michael Brown and Konstantin Batygin (Caltech, Pasadena) reported that they had found Planet X, the existence of which was predicted even before the discovery of Pluto. Scientists concluded that it exists due to the presence of gravitational disturbances that could be caused by some large body. When Pluto was discovered, it was decided that this was the same Planet X, but this did not explain the features of gravitational disturbances. As Michael Brown and Konstantin Batygin report, the object they found is comparable in size to Neptune, 10 times heavier than the Earth and is located beyond Pluto. However, there is no exact evidence of the presence of another planet in the solar system. For example, a discovered object may not be a planet at all, but a fairly dense meteorite or asteroid cloud, but, according to scientists, the probability of this is only 0.0007%.
Estimated orbit of Planet X
2. Gravitational waves. On February 11, 2016, scientists reported that they were experimentally able to prove the presence of gravitational waves, which were predicted by Albert Einstein. This discovery is sensational because it proves the existence of space-time curvatures and in the future will allow scientists to learn about long-past events in the life of the universe that cannot be seen with optical telescopes. First time "catch" gravitational waves succeeded on September 14, 2015. They were caused by the merger of two black holes into one massive black hole, which occurred 1.3 billion years ago.
Gravitational waves illustration 3. Second Earth. In August 2016, scientists reported that an exoplanet similar to Earth had been found in the Proxima Centauri system (the star closest to the Solar System). The celestial body, named Proxima b, is 1.3 times heavier than Earth, orbits Proxima Centauri in a nearly circular orbit with a period of 11.2 days and is located at a distance of 0.05 astronomical units (7.5 million kilometers) from it. What makes this planet similar to Earth is that it is located in the habitable zone of its sun. That is, conditions on Proxima b may resemble those on Earth. If it turns out that the planet has a magnetic field, a dense atmosphere and oceans of liquid water, then the likelihood of life existing there is very high.
4. Strange star. At the end of 2016, scientists discovered another star with an irregularly changing glow. The name of the star is EPIC 204278916. A similar star - KIC 8462852 in the constellation Cygnus - was found in 2015. Scientists have not yet figured out what causes the uneven brightness of these stars. Most likely, the stars are covered by some massive objects comparable in size to the stars themselves, but it is difficult to imagine what kind of objects could be of such size. Even a dense cloud of comets could not cover these stars, because in this case there must be hundreds of thousands of comets with giant nuclei in it. Along with other scientists, there was also an absolutely fantastic assumption that the star is surrounded by some kind of astro-engineering structures such as a Dyson sphere (see figure).
5. Impossible engine. In the fall of 2016, NASA scientists announced that the EmDrive engine, which essentially violates the laws of physics, is working. In an article published in scientific journal The Journal of Propulsion and Power states that the EmDrive engine can produce 1.2 millinewtons of thrust per kilowatt in a vacuum. No reverse force that would contribute to the development of thrust (according to the law of conservation of momentum) was found. This way the motor moves without emitting anything. At the end of 2016, EmDrive was successfully tested at the Chinese Tiangong-2 space laboratory, after which Chinese scientists announced that they planned to use the engine on orbiting satellites.
EmDrive engine model 6. Will Pluto become a planet again? In February 2017, NASA scientists proposed redefining the term "planet." Alan Stern, the leader of the group of researchers who came up with this proposal, believes that any object in which processes do not occur can be called a planet nuclear fusion and which has sufficient gravity to allow it to assume a spherical shape. Now in the scientific community, when determining planets, it is also common to take into account the ability of an object to clear its orbit around a star from planetesimals - small celestial bodies (ranging in size from a few millimeters to several kilometers) formed from dust and gas. But NASA scientists led by Alan Stern argue that this criterion depends on how far the body is from the star, and therefore should not be taken into account when defining the term “planet.” So, for example, if our Earth was located beyond Neptune, it could not clear its orbit from planetesimals; accordingly, it could not be considered a planet. If the scientific community makes these amendments, then Pluto will again become a planet. However, at the same time, natural satellites, including our Moon, will need to be considered planets.
Photo of Pluto taken by the automatic interplanetary station "New Horizons" 7. Twin of the Solar System. Also in February of this year, NASA scientists made a sensational statement - four more planets were found in star system TRAPPIST-1 (previously, in 2016, three exoplanets were discovered there), all of them are similar to Earth and life is highly likely on three of them. Read more about this discovery. At that time, scientists had high hopes for the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system, because Previously, it had never been possible to find so many planets located in the “habitable zone of a star” at once. However, in early April, Hungarian scientists reported that, with a high probability, the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system are still not suitable for the origin of life. Astronomers came to this conclusion after analyzing data obtained by the Kepler space telescope. According to these data, the star TRAPPIST-1 often experiences strong plasma emissions, hundreds of times stronger than solar storms that reach Earth. Over 80 days, 42 such flares were recorded; with such a frequency of emissions, exoplanets simply do not have time to stabilize their atmosphere, and the magnetic field of these planets is too weak to reflect such powerful geomagnetic storms. So hopes for the early detection of aliens in the TRAPPIST-1 system did not materialize...
8. Traces of alien technology. However, in another place, scientists may have discovered traces of alien activity. We are talking about the phenomenon of fast discrete radio pulses, which may be evidence of the activity of huge transmitters (they can reach the size of entire planets) transmitting energy to interstellar ships in distant galaxies. Scientists first learned about the existence of such pulses in 2007, and since that time no more than 20 fast discrete radio pulses have been recorded. In 2017, scientists Avi Loeb and Manasvi Lingam conducted a study in which they used calculations to try to determine whether such large transmitters could exist. Scientists have found that from the point of view of the laws of physics and from an engineering point of view, such transmitters can exist. Loeb and Lingam also suggested the purpose of creating such devices - they could be used to accelerate interstellar light sails. “This is quite enough to transport living passengers across interstellar or even intergalactic distances,” said Manasvi Lingam. At the same time, the researchers note that their work is hypothetical.
9. New model of the Universe. Scientists from the University of Budapest recently conducted a study that suggests dark energy may not exist. The concept of dark energy was introduced in mathematical model Universe in order to explain why the constantly accelerating expansion of the Universe occurs. Until recently, the theory of dark energy was the most common explanation for the expansion of the Universe and was accepted by many scientists. However, American and Hungarian cosmologists from the University of Budapest this year presented a new model of the Universe, in which there is no place for dark energy. Having developed a computer model of the Universe and tracking its evolution, researchers noticed that different regions of space are expanding at different rates. If these data are confirmed, it will have a major impact on the further development of models of the Universe.
Atmosphere discovered on planet GJ 1132b 10. An atmosphere was discovered on an exoplanet. And the last, most important discovery in the field of astronomy, in our opinion, is the discovery of an atmosphere on the planet GJ 1132b. This is the first time that scientists have recorded the presence of an atmosphere on an exoplanet that is closest to Earth in size, mass and composition. GJ 1132b is located in the star system of the red dwarf GJ 1132, which is located in the direction of the constellation Velas of the Southern Sky and is located at a distance of 39 light years from us. This discovery is a breakthrough in the discovery of life beyond the solar system.
And I would like to complete our list of the most interesting and important astronomical discoveries made recently with another study conducted in March of this year in our country. According to data obtained during a survey by VTsIOM, a quarter of Russians are confident that it is not the Earth that revolves around the Sun, but the Sun that revolves around the Earth. Researchers note that they have been asking Russian citizens this question for several years now and always get approximately the same results...
The moon was magnetically inert (did not have its own magnetic field) for thousands of years, but one recent study confirms that this was not always the case. About four billion years ago, the inner molten core of the Moon began to rotate against the movement of the Moon's mantle, like our Earth's dynamo, and the Earth's natural satellite acquired a powerful magnetic shield. Of course, this would have to be a much weaker version of the Earth shield due to the lack of mass.
But to the surprise of scientists, our small moon could generate a much more powerful magnetic field than our home planet. Nobody knows why such a puny body showed powerful magnetic activity, and all explanations boil down to either “we don’t know” or “magic.” This mystery reveals that one of Earth's most extensively studied solar system partners has a set of unknown variables. It appears that the Moon used some exotic method to produce an incredible magnetic field. And this went on for quite a long time, perhaps due to the constant bombardment of meteorites that fed the magnetism of the Moon.
The magnetic field disappeared about 3.8 to 4 billion years ago, but research into why this happened has yet to begin. The most interesting thing is that the core of the Moon is still a little liquid. Thus, despite the fact that the Earth's satellite is, one might say, at arm's length, we still do not know much about it.
Galaxies 13 billion years old
The young Universe was a living hell - a churned and opaque mousse of electrons and protons. It took nearly half a billion years before the baby cooled enough to allow neutrons to form. And after that, the landscape unfolded, on which stars and galaxies appeared.
A recent ultra-deep study of the Subaru Telescope, located in Hawaii and operated with the support of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, identified the seven youngest galaxies in the Universe. At a distance of 13 billion light years, they appear as barely visible drops of light. In fact, they only became visible after Subaru focused on a tiny patch of sky and observed it for 100 hours.
Born just 700 million years after Big Bang, these galaxies are some of the earliest things in the universe that we could ever observe. These types of galaxies are characterized by intense hydrogen excitation and the absence of heavy elements (except for small collections of lithium) because they have not yet formed through supernova explosions.
These galaxies - Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs) - appeared suddenly and for reasons that are not entirely clear. LAE galaxies are prolific star producers, and their advanced ages provide insight into the evolution of the Universe. But astronomers aren't sure whether these galaxies captured by Subaru were newly formed or pre-existing, obscured by cosmic gas.
Magic Island of Titan
Saturn's largest moon, Titan, may be the most intriguing member of the solar system. Essentially this is primeval earth, with its atmosphere, liquid bodies and even geological activity.
In 2013, the orbiting Cassini spacecraft discovered an entirely new piece of land that mysteriously emerged from Titan's second largest sea, Ligeria Mare. Soon after this, the “magic image” also mysteriously disappeared into a translucent methane-ethane sea with a temperature of -200 degrees Celsius. It then appeared again, with a much larger mass of land, during another radar scan of Titan.
The ephemeral land supports the assumption that Titan's alien oceans and seas are dynamic components of an active environment rather than static features. However, astronomers find it difficult to explain physical processes, standing behind the ephemeral land. In addition, it has increased in size from 50 to 100 kilometers in diameter since its first appearance.
Asteroid with rings
All of our gas giants are surrounded by rings, although most of these rings are thin wisps of debris compared to Saturn's massive set of rings. For the first time and completely unexpectedly, astronomers have discovered rings around a body much smaller than a gas giant. The asteroid Chariklo, just 250 kilometers across, boasts a ring system.
Chariklo, despite its rather impressive size, looks like an unremarkable piece of stone. But astronomers noticed that it had an anomalous light signature. As it eclipsed a distant star, an unexpected amount of light reached our telescopes. It turned out that Chariklo has two space necklaces at once. They contain a lot of frozen water, the largest of the rings is 7 kilometers wide, and the smallest is half that size.
And while some asteroids even have "moons" - tiny satellites nearby - Chariklo is unique because rings around an asteroid have never been observed before. The origin of the rings is still unclear, although it is believed that they were formed upon impact. Either these are the remains of a foreign body that Chariklo himself destroyed, or parts of Chariklo himself that remained after the crash.
Underproduction of ultraviolet
We are proud to find different types balance in space. One such balance is the correlation between ultraviolet light and hydrogen, both of which coexist in well-defined proportions.
A recent study, however, showed a significant underproduction of ultraviolet photons from known sources - a 400 percent discrepancy compared to predicted values. Lead author Juna Kollmeyer compares the discovery to walking into a blindingly bright room only to find a few dim bulbs that can't produce as much light.
There are two known processes that produce ultraviolet radiation - unruly young stars and massive black holes - but in fact there is more radiation than these two sources can produce. Astronomers can't explain the ultraviolet overproduction and have to admit that "at least one thing we thought we knew about modern universe, doesn't work." This is sad, considering that we had a “well-understood” balance between ultraviolet and hydrogen. As in many other cases in the past, astronomers had to return to calculations.
It is also very interesting that this underproduction of ultraviolet radiation manifests itself only at local distances. Looking further into space and time, astronomers find that their predictions hold up quite well. It is possible that the missing radiation could be the result of exotic and still undiscovered processes. Including dark matter decay.
Strange X-Rays
Strange pulses of X-rays are streaming from the cores of the Andromeda and Perseus galaxies. And the signal spectrum (light signature) does not match any known particles or atoms. That's why astronomers are drooling over what's to come scientific breakthrough, as this phenomenon may be the first evidence of dark matter.
The elusive and invisible matter that makes up most of the mass of the Universe may consist of sterile neutrons, which may or may not exist depending on different points of view. Allegedly, these particles produce x-rays in its death throes, and these emissions may explain the bursts from the centers of the above-mentioned galaxies.
In addition, since the radiation comes from galactic nuclei, it corresponds to regions with high concentrations of dark matter clusters. We may be on the verge of an important discovery.
Six-tailed asteroid
Hubble showed one interesting asteroid that thinks it's a comet. While a comet is easily recognizable by its bright tail, asteroids usually do not have such features: they have little ice and are composed mainly of heavy elements and rock. Therefore, the discovery of an asteroid with six tails is an incredible surprise.
Asteroid P/2013 P5 is unique; it has six gushing jets. It scatters material in space like a cosmic lawn sprinkler.
It is not clear why this object behaves and looks this way. It is believed that P5 is spinning so fast that it accidentally kills itself. Its tiny gravity does not match the speed of its rotation, so the rapid rotation tears it apart. Solar radiation pressure disperses these debris, creating dazzling tails similar to those of a comet.
However, astronomers know that P5 is the remnant of a previous collision. The tailings most likely contain no ice at all, since frozen water is unlikely to be found in an object that previously exploded at a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius.
Distant Monster HD 106906b
Planet HD 106906b raises many questions. This monster is 11 times more massive than Jupiter, and its gigantic orbit challenges everything we know about planet formation. The distance from HD to the parent star is 650 AU. e. (1 AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun).
Even Neptune, our most distant planet, orbits the Sun at a distance of 30 AU. e. It is quite far away, but HD is much further away from its star. Astronomers are trying to find explanations for the existence of HD with all its mass and long orbit.
The forces responsible for creating planets no longer work at such enormous distances, raising the possibility that HD was created during the collapse of a ring of debris. But HD is too massive for that. And the primary disks of raw material from which planets emerge simply cannot contain enough “meat” to create such a monster.
Storms on Uranus
Uranus took astronomers by surprise. The second most distant member of our solar family tends to remain calm, but for some reason the planet is currently rife with storms.
Magnificent storms were expected on Uranus in 2007, when the planet completed half of its 82-year orbit and entered the equinox. However, the stormy weather should have gradually died down as Uranus continues its path around the Sun. But this did not happen.
With no internal heat source, the green giant relies on solar emissions to fuel its storms. But astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, recently noticed powerful activity in the planet's upper region, covered in a layer of frozen methane. Some of these storms were the size of Earth and shone so brightly that even amateur astronomers were able to detect reflections on the planet.
It's unclear how storms remain so healthy without the support of the Sun. The Northern Hemisphere is in shadow but continues to experience intense storm activity. It is possible that the vortices deep in the planet's atmosphere are caused by processes similar to those observed on the more turbulent Jupiter.
KIC 2856960, three star system
The Kepler Space Observatory is usually busy hunting for new planets, but has spent four years of its life tracking three gravitationally bound stars - KIC 2856960. KIC is a mill of three stars, with a third celestial body orbiting two dwarf stars. Nothing special, just three stars.
Kepler observed four daily dimmings in the light curve, with binary dwarfs crossing each other every six hours. He also saw another small dimming every 204 days caused by the third star. You would think that four years of observation would be enough to become well acquainted with KIC. Astronomers thought so too. But after all the calculations, the data lost its meaning in the context of the behavior of the observed stars. They couldn't even calculate the masses of the stars, although it's quite simple.
By now, the star trinity has led astronomers to a dead end. There is one possible answer that fits the numbers but is not logical. Besides, it's almost unbelievable. The KIC system may be hiding the fourth star. However, its orbit should perfectly mimic that of the third star, creating the illusion of a single object.
Based on materials from listverse.com
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