Introduction to the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Historical Context of Alien Inquiry The quest to understand whether we are alone in the universe has captivated humanity for centuries. Historical accounts suggest that even ancient civilizations pondered the existence of life beyond Earth. The modern era of alien inquiry, however, began to take shape with the […]
astrophysics
Taming Gravity is all about the possibility through science and technology to harness gravity. If we accomplish this we will then have the means to travel to the stars.
Of course, to do this will involve knowledge of astrophysics.
So, here at Taming Gravity we include inspiring news and breakthroughs happening in the field of astrophysics.
James Webb Space Telescope uncovers starbirth clues at ‘cosmic noon’ for 33,000 young stars
The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) has provided new insights into early star formation by capturing images of over 33,000 young stars in the NGC 346 nebula, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy. This galaxy, one of the Milky Way’s closest neighbors, is a unique environment for studying early galaxies due to its lack […]
Massive Star Formation Displays Self-Control
New observations of a stellar nursery suggest that star formation is self-regulated, resolving discrepancies between simulated and observed efficiencies of star formation. Young, massive stars inject energy into their surroundings, disrupting star formation by shredding the surrounding medium and encouraging it by collecting dense gas shells that are prone to gravitational collapse. However, these new […]
Milky Way’s ‘poor old heart’ could reveal how our galaxy formed
Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute in Germany have discovered the “poor old heart of the Milky Way” – faint stars that were present when our galaxy was young, deep in the galaxy’s core. The team used data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission and the LAMOST and APOGEE surveys to identify these ancient […]
James Webb Space Telescope finds water and methane in atmosphere of a ‘warm Jupiter’
The James Webb Space Telescope has made a significant discovery of methane and water vapor in the atmosphere of WASP-80b, a Jupiter-like exoplanet located 163 light-years away. This detection is notable because, while water vapor has been found in a handful of exoplanetary atmospheres, methane detection using space-based spectroscopy is much less common. The discovery, […]
Newfound alien planet has nuclear fusion going in its core
An international team of scientists has discovered a new exoplanet, HD 206893 c, using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft. The exoplanet, which is roughly 13 times the mass of Jupiter, was found orbiting the star HD 206893, about 130 light-years from Earth. The team also used the GRAVITY instrument on the Very […]
3.3 billion Milky Way objects revealed by colossal astronomical survey
A new survey of the Milky Way’s galactic plane has identified 3.32 billion cosmic objects. The survey, which is believed to be the largest of its kind, was conducted using the Dark Energy Camera at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. The catalog took two years to complete and produced over 10 terabytes […]
Astronomers weighed our Milky Way, and it’s lighter than expected
Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), the ultra-short, bright flashes of radio waves that occur daily across the sky, have been a mystery to scientists for over a decade. However, new observations could help astronomers learn more about our galaxy. A team of astronomers from Caltech used an FRB to measure the mass of the Milky Way, […]
A comet impact may have paved the way for human civilization
A comet strike around 13,000 years ago may have significantly influenced the course of human civilization, according to the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis. The comet strike is believed to have caused a global cooling event and the extinction of numerous large animal species. This theory, which became mainstream in 2007, is supported by evidence found […]
Betelgeuse may be the result of a ‘quiet’ star merger
Betelgeuse, a prominent star in the Orion constellation, exhibits unusual characteristics for a red supergiant, such as rapid rotation and a high level of heavy elements like nitrogen in its atmosphere. These traits have led astronomers to speculate that it might be the product of two smaller stars merging. Stars typically follow predictable life cycles, […]
