Latest news with #Dorado
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
NASA discovers potential alien world in distant star's habitable zone
Aliens are real. Well, maybe. Scientists have found yet another tantalising clue that we might not be alone in the universe. NASA has confirmed the discovery of an Earth-sized planet parked right in the 'habitable zone' of a distant red dwarf star. Called TOI 700 e (which honestly sounds like something Elon Musk would name his child), it's about 100 light-years away in the constellation Dorado, and roughly 95 per cent the size of Earth. Being in the habitable zone means it gets just the right amount of light and warmth from its star to potentially allow liquid water on its surface, one of the key ingredients for life as we know it. TOI 700 e isn't even the only one. There's another Earth-sized planet in the same system, TOI 700 d, which scientists spotted earlier. According to NASA, this discovery was made using its Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which is basically a cosmic surveillance camera watching for planets crossing in front of their stars. Scientists are keen to study the system more closely to figure out if these worlds really could be life-friendly. Meanwhile, in another breakthrough, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope snapped a direct image of a giant exoplanet called TWA 7b orbiting a different red dwarf star about 34 light-years away. This planet is much larger than Earth, over 100 times its mass, and has average temperatures near 48 degrees Celsius. Although it's not Earth-like, the fact astronomers could directly photograph it showcases just how powerful the Webb telescope is for exploring distant worlds in extraordinary detail. It also hints at just how many hidden planets might be lurking around these dim, reddish stars. Red dwarfs are the most common type of star in our galaxy, and they're proving to be rich hunting grounds for planet-spotters. Recent studies, including work with the CARMENES spectrograph, suggest they often have multiple small, rocky planets — some right in those life-friendly zones. The more we look, the more potential homes for life we seem to find. It's enough to make even the most sceptical stargazer wonder what's really out there. So, while we're not exactly rolling out the welcome mat for alien neighbours just yet, discoveries like these are undeniably exciting. I mean, a planet with none of my exes? Sign me up.
Cision Canada
08-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
IsoEnergy and Purepoint Confirm Uranium Discovery In Initial Drilling at the Dorado Joint Venture Project
TORONTO, July 8, 2025 /CNW/ - IsoEnergy Ltd. (NYSE American: ISOU) (TSX: ISO) ("IsoEnergy") and Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTC: PTUUF) ("Purepoint") are pleased to announce a highly encouraging start to the inaugural drill program at their 50/50 Dorado project ("Dorado" or the " Project '"), located in Saskatchewan's world-class Athabasca Basin (Figure 1). Initial drilling at the Q48 target on the Project, completed by Purepoint as the operator of the program, intersected uranium mineralization in two holes, with downhole gamma probe readings up to 79,800 counts per second (CPS). The intercepts occur within strongly altered basement rocks –suggesting an active uranium-bearing hydrothermal system. Highlights Initial drillholes at the Q48 target, located in the southern portion of the Project, have intersected uranium mineralization, confirming the zone as a significant uranium-bearing structure. (Figure 2). Drillholes PG25-04 and PG25-05 intersected a steeply dipping, north-south trending mineralized structure at vertical depths of 60 and 20 metres below the unconformity, respectively. Radioactivity readings from downhole probe measurements averaged 11,050 cps over 3.7 metres with a maximum of 74,800 in PG25-04, and 27,750 over 2.3 metres with a maximum of 79,800 in PG25-05 (See Table 1 for full details). Mineralization is hosted within strongly clay-altered basement rocks—considered key indicators of a uranium-bearing hydrothermal system consistent with known Athabasca-style deposits. Q48 was originally highlighted as a high-priority target based on historic drilling that encountered structurally disrupted, altered basement rocks with weak radioactivity, and further confirmed in 2022 by IsoEnergy's identification of brittle faults, shearing, and alteration along the conductive trend. A third follow-up hole is underway to further track the mineralized structure along the Q48 conductive corridor to the northeast. Approximately 5,400 metres in 18 drill holes are planned for the Project in 2025. "This is exactly the kind of start we were aiming for. These early results suggest we're on the trail of something meaningful." said Chris Frostad, President and CEO at Purepoint. "These initial hits speak to the quality of the target and the systematic approach our team is taking to uncover its potential. We're moving quickly to follow up on these encouraging results as drilling continues." Philip Williams, CEO and Director of IsoEnergy commented, "Our JV projects was created to focus exploration where we see real discovery potential. This exploration success reinforces the strength of our partnership with Purepoint. By combining deep Basin experience with a focused, well-funded program, we believe we've positioned Dorado for continued success through a disciplined exploration effort. It's exciting to see that approach already delivering promising results." DDHs PG25-04 and PG25-05 Drill hole PG25-04 targeted the Q48 conductor (Figure 1) approximately 800 metres northwest of IsoEnergy's 2022 drilling (Figure 2). The drill hole was collared with a dip of -60 degrees and encountered Athabasca sandstone to a depth of 321 metres. Clay altered granitic gneiss and pegmatites were drilled to 393 metres then garnet-rich pelitic gneiss, with local pyrite and graphite, was drilled to the completion depth of 489 metres. The reddish-brown altered radioactive gouge seams were hosted by a chloritized pegmatite (Figure 3) and returned an average of 64,220 cps over 0.4 metres (Table 1). Hole PG25-05 was collared using the same azimuth as PG25-04 and intercepted the radioactive structure approximately 40 metres up-dip of that hole. The hole encountered the unconformity at 309 metres, clay altered granitic gneiss and pegmatites to 371 metres, then garnet-rich pelitic gneiss, locally with pyrite and graphite, to the completion depth of 498 metres. The central mineralized structure was hosted in a sheared / brecciated reddish-brown altered granitic gneiss (Figure 4) and returned an average of 75,660 cps over 0.4 metres. Table 1: Downhole Gamma Results of Drill Holes PG25-04 and PG25-05 Q48 Zone The Q48 zone lies within the southern portion of the Project and is characterized by a steeply dipping, north-south trending conductive package identified through geophysical surveys. Historic drilling in the area intersected strongly altered and structurally disrupted rocks at the unconformity and in the basement, including garnetiferous pelitic gneiss, graphitic pelitic gneiss, and semipelite, with local weak radioactivity and zones of intense clay alteration. These results, combined with the geophysical response, highlighted Q48 as a highly prospective but underexplored target. Drilling by IsoEnergy in 2022 confirmed that the conductive trend at Q48 hosts structure, shearing, and alteration, characteristics of uranium-bearing hydrothermal systems in the Athabasca Basin. The current program is designed to systematically follow-up and fully test the Q48 conductive corridor. About the Dorado Project Dorado is the flagship project of the IsoEnergy-Purepoint 50/50 joint venture, a partnership encompassing more than 98,000 hectares of prime uranium exploration ground. The Project includes the former Turnor Lake, Geiger, Edge, and Full Moon properties, all underlain by graphite-bearing lithologies and fault structures favorable for uranium deposition. Recent drilling by IsoEnergy east of the Hurricane Deposit has intersected strongly elevated radioactivity in multiple holes. The anomalous radioactivity confirms the continuity of fertile graphitic rock package and further highlights the opportunity for additional high-grade discoveries across the region. The shallow unconformity depths across the Dorado property—typically between 30 and 300 metres—allow for highly efficient drilling and rapid follow-up on results. Gamma Logging and Geochemical Assaying A Mount Sopris 2PGA-1000 downhole total gamma probe was utilized for radiometric surveying. The total gamma results provided in Table 1 were selected using a cutoff of 500 cps over a 0.5 metre width. All drill intercepts are core width and true thickness is yet to be determined. Core samples are submitted to the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon. The SRC facility is ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (scope of accreditation #537). The samples are analyzed for a multi-element suite using partial and total digestion inductively coupled plasma methods, for boron by Na2O2 fusion, and for uranium by fluorimetry. Qualified Person Statement The scientific and technical information contained in this news release relating to IsoEnergy and Purepoint was reviewed and approved by Dr. Dan Brisbin, IsoEnergy's Vice President, Exploration and Scott Frostad BSc, MASc, Purepoint's Vice President, Exploration, who are "Qualified Persons" (as defined in NI 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101")). For additional information with respect to the current mineral resource estimate for IsoEnergy's Hurricane Deposit, please refer to the Technical Report prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 entitled "Technical Report on the Larocque East Project, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada" dated August 4, 2022, available under IsoEnergy's profile at This news release refers to properties other than those in which IsoEnergy and Purepoint have an interest. Mineralization on those other properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Joint Venture properties. About IsoEnergy Ltd. IsoEnergy (NYSE American: ISOU; TSX: ISO) is a leading, globally diversified uranium company with substantial current and historical mineral resources in top uranium mining jurisdictions of Canada, the U.S. and Australia at varying stages of development, providing near-, medium- and long-term leverage to rising uranium prices. IsoEnergy is currently advancing its Larocque East project in Canada's Athabasca basin, which is home to the Hurricane deposit, boasting the world's highest-grade indicated uranium mineral resource. IsoEnergy also holds a portfolio of permitted past-producing, conventional uranium and vanadium mines in Utah with a toll milling arrangement in place with Energy Fuels. These mines are currently on standby, ready for rapid restart as market conditions permit, positioning IsoEnergy as a near-term uranium producer. About Purepoint Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTCQB: PTUUF) is a focused explorer with a dynamic portfolio of advanced projects within the renowned Athabasca Basin in Canada. Highly prospective uranium projects are actively operated on behalf of partnerships with industry leaders including Cameco Corporation, Orano Canada Inc. and IsoEnergy Ltd. Additionally, the Company holds a promising VMS project currently optioned to and strategically positioned adjacent to and on trend with Foran Mining Corporation's McIlvenna Bay project. Through a robust and proactive exploration strategy, Purepoint is solidifying its position as a leading explorer in one of the globe's most significant uranium districts. Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". This forward-looking information may relate to additional planned exploration activities for 2025, including the timing thereof and the anticipated results thereof; and any other activities, events or developments that the companies expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at the time, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such assumptions include, but are not limited to, that planned exploration activities are completed as anticipated; the anticipated costs of planned exploration activities, the price of uranium; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms; and that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Joint Venture's planned activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although each of IsoEnergy and Purepoint have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such statements represent the current views of IsoEnergy and Purepoint with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by IsoEnergy and Purepoint, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: the inability of the Joint Venture to complete the exploration activities as currently contemplated; uncertainty of additional financing; no known mineral resources or reserves; aboriginal title and consultation issues; reliance on key management and other personnel; actual results of technical work programs and technical and economic assessments being different than anticipated; regulatory determinations and delays; stock market conditions generally; demand, supply and pricing for uranium; and general economic and political conditions. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in each of IsoEnergy's and Purepoint's most recent annual management's discussion and analyses or annual information forms and IsoEnergy's and Purepoint's other filings with the Canadian securities regulators which are available, respectively, on each company's profile on SEDAR+ at IsoEnergy and Purepoint do not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Globe and Mail
03-07-2025
- Science
- Globe and Mail
Astronomers get picture of aftermath of a star's double detonation for the first time
The explosion of a star, called a supernova, is an immensely violent event. It usually involves a star more than eight times the mass of our sun that exhausts its nuclear fuel and undergoes a core collapse, triggering a single powerful explosion. But a rarer kind of supernova involves a different type of star - a stellar ember called a white dwarf - and a double detonation. Researchers have obtained photographic evidence of this type of supernova for the first time, using the European Southern Observatory's Chile-based Very Large Telescope. The back-to-back explosions obliterated a white dwarf that had a mass roughly equal to the sun and was located about 160,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Dorado in a galaxy near the Milky Way called the Large Magellanic Cloud. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). The image shows the scene of the explosion roughly 300 years after it occurred, with two concentric shells of the element calcium moving outward. This type of explosion, called a Type Ia supernova, would have involved the interaction between a white dwarf and a closely orbiting companion star - either another white dwarf or an unusual star rich in helium - in what is called a binary system. The primary white dwarf through its gravitational pull would begin to siphon helium from its companion. The helium on the white dwarf's surface at some point would become so hot and dense that it would detonate, producing a shockwave that would compress and ignite the star's underlying core and trigger a second detonation. First images shared from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory reveal why it will change astronomy forever 'Nothing remains. The white dwarf is completely disrupted,' said Priyam Das, a doctoral student in astrophysics at the University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia, lead author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature Astronomy. 'The time delay between the two detonations is essentially set by the time it takes the helium detonation to travel from one pole of the star all the way around to the other. It's only about two seconds,' said astrophysicist and study co-author Ivo Seitenzahl, a visiting scientist at the Australian National University in Canberra. In the more common type of supernova, a remnant of the massive exploded star is left behind in the form of a dense neutron star or a black hole. The researchers used the Very Large Telescope's Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, or MUSE, instrument to map the distribution of different chemical elements in the supernova aftermath. Calcium is seen in blue in the image - an outer ring caused by the first detonation and an inner ring by the second. These two calcium shells represent 'the perfect smoking-gun evidence of the double-detonation mechanism,' Das said. 'We can call this forensic astronomy - my made-up term - since we are studying the dead remains of stars to understand what caused the death,' Das said. Can science solve the puzzle of consciousness? Stars with up to eight times the mass of our sun appear destined to become a white dwarf. They eventually burn up all the hydrogen they use as fuel. Gravity then causes them to collapse and blow off their outer layers in a 'red giant' stage, eventually leaving behind a compact core - the white dwarf. The vast majority of these do not explode as supernovas. While scientists knew of the existence of Type Ia supernovas, there had been no clear visual evidence of such a double detonation until now. Type Ia supernovas are important in terms of celestial chemistry in that they forge heavier elements such as calcium, sulfur and iron. 'This is essential for understanding galactic chemical evolution including the building blocks of planets and life,' Das said. A shell of sulfur also was seen in the new observations of the supernova aftermath. Iron is a crucial part of Earth's planetary composition and, of course, a component of human red blood cells. In addition to its scientific importance, the image offers aesthetic value. 'It's beautiful,' Seitenzahl said. 'We are seeing the birth process of elements in the death of a star. The Big Bang only made hydrogen and helium and lithium. Here we see how calcium, sulfur or iron are made and dispersed back into the host galaxy, a cosmic cycle of matter.'
Reuters
03-07-2025
- Science
- Reuters
Astronomers get picture of aftermath of a star's double detonation
WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - The explosion of a star, called a supernova, is an immensely violent event. It usually involves a star more than eight times the mass of our sun that exhausts its nuclear fuel and undergoes a core collapse, triggering a single powerful explosion. But a rarer kind of supernova involves a different type of star - a stellar ember called a white dwarf - and a double detonation. Researchers have obtained photographic evidence of this type of supernova for the first time, using the European Southern Observatory's Chile-based Very Large Telescope. The back-to-back explosions obliterated a white dwarf that had a mass roughly equal to the sun and was located about 160,000 light‑years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Dorado in a galaxy near the Milky Way called the Large Magellanic Cloud. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). The image shows the scene of the explosion roughly 300 years after it occurred, with two concentric shells of the element calcium moving outward. This type of explosion, called a Type Ia supernova, would have involved the interaction between a white dwarf and a closely orbiting companion star - either another white dwarf or an unusual star rich in helium - in what is called a binary system. The primary white dwarf through its gravitational pull would begin to siphon helium from its companion. The helium on the white dwarf's surface at some point would become so hot and dense that it would detonate, producing a shockwave that would compress and ignite the star's underlying core and trigger a second detonation. "Nothing remains. The white dwarf is completely disrupted," said Priyam Das, a doctoral student in astrophysics at the University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia, lead author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature Astronomy, opens new tab. "The time delay between the two detonations is essentially set by the time it takes the helium detonation to travel from one pole of the star all the way around to the other. It's only about two seconds," said astrophysicist and study co-author Ivo Seitenzahl, a visiting scientist at the Australian National University in Canberra. In the more common type of supernova, a remnant of the massive exploded star is left behind in the form of a dense neutron star or a black hole. The researchers used the Very Large Telescope's Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, or MUSE, instrument to map the distribution of different chemical elements in the supernova aftermath. Calcium is seen in blue in the image - an outer ring caused by the first detonation and an inner ring by the second. These two calcium shells represent "the perfect smoking-gun evidence of the double-detonation mechanism," Das said. "We can call this forensic astronomy - my made-up term - since we are studying the dead remains of stars to understand what caused the death," Das said. Stars with up to eight times the mass of our sun appear destined to become a white dwarf. They eventually burn up all the hydrogen they use as fuel. Gravity then causes them to collapse and blow off their outer layers in a "red giant" stage, eventually leaving behind a compact core - the white dwarf. The vast majority of these do not explode as supernovas. While scientists knew of the existence of Type Ia supernovas, there had been no clear visual evidence of such a double detonation until now. Type Ia supernovas are important in terms of celestial chemistry in that they forge heavier elements such as calcium, sulfur and iron. "This is essential for understanding galactic chemical evolution including the building blocks of planets and life," Das said. A shell of sulfur also was seen in the new observations of the supernova aftermath. Iron is a crucial part of Earth's planetary composition and, of course, a component of human red blood cells. In addition to its scientific importance, the image offers aesthetic value. "It's beautiful," Seitenzahl said. "We are seeing the birth process of elements in the death of a star. The Big Bang only made hydrogen and helium and lithium. Here we see how calcium, sulfur or iron are made and dispersed back into the host galaxy, a cosmic cycle of matter."
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers capture incredible 1st image of a dead star that exploded twice. How did it happen?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. You may only live once, but some stars die twice. Astronomers have now discovered the first visual evidence of such a stellar event, a dead star that underwent a so-called "double-detonation." This could indicate that some stars could go supernova without reaching the so-called Chandrasekhar limit, the minimum mass that a star needs to go supernova. Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and its Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument, the team zoomed in on the centuries-old remains of supernova SNR 0509-67.5 located 60,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. This investigation revealed structures within this explosive wreckage that indicate its progenitor star exploded not once but twice. Said star was a white dwarf, the type of stellar remnant that forms when a star with a mass similar to that of the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion. The types of supernova explosions that white dwarfs undergo, Type Ia supernovas, are important to astronomers because they can be used to measure cosmic distances because their light output is so uniform. Thus, astronomers often refer to them as "standard candles."The first visual evidence of a double detonation white dwarf reveals hidden depths to these important stellar events, scientists say. "The explosions of white dwarfs play a crucial role in astronomy," team leader and University of New South Wales researcher Priyam Das said in a statement. "Yet, despite their importance, the long-standing puzzle of the exact mechanism triggering their explosion remains unsolved." Scientists agree that the genesis of Type Ia supernovas is binary systems of two stars in which one becomes a white dwarf. If this dead star orbits close enough to its living stellar companion, or if that companion swells up, then the white dwarf becomes a stellar vampire, greedily stripping material from its companion or "donor" star. This continues until the piling up stolen material has added so much mass to the white dwarf that the stellar remnant crosses the so-called Chandrasekhar limit, which is about 1.4 times the mass of the sun. Hence, this cosmic vampire white dwarf explodes in a Type Ia supernova. It is believed that in most cases, the eruption completely destroys the white dwarf. But for some time, astronomers have suspected there may be more to the story. Maybe white dwarfs can experience a second explosion. This research confirms that at least some white dwarfs experience double-detonations. The question is: why? Theory behind double-detonations suggests that in these cases, as white dwarfs are stripping material from a donor star, they wrap themselves in a blanket of stolen helium. This envelope becomes unstable and eventually ignites, triggering the first detonation. The initial explosion generates a shockwave that ripples inwards, eventually striking the core of the white dwarf, triggering a second detonation, the actual supernova. The significance of this to our understanding of Type Ia white dwarf supernovas is that it can occur well before a dead star swells beyond the Chandrasekhar limit. Recently, scientists determined that this double-detonation process would imprint a distinctive "fingerprint" with supernova wreckage. This should be present long after the supernova ripped its progenitor star apart. That fingerprint is now visually confirmed as being present in the wreckage of SNR 0509-67.5, supernova wreckage in the Large Magellanic Cloud first detected in 2004 and believed to be around 400 years old as we see it. Related Stories: — 'Vampire stars' explode after eating too much — AI could help reveal why — Supernova explosion's weird leftovers may contain a super-dense star — Peer inside remnants of an 800-year-old supernova and see a 'zombie' star Beyond being an important discovery for our scientific understanding of these events and solving a lingering mystery about the evolution of white dwarfs, the observation of SNR 0509-67.5 has provided astronomy lovers with some stunning eye-candy. "This tangible evidence of a double-detonation not only contributes towards solving a long-standing mystery, but also offers a visual spectacle," Das concluded. The team's research was published on Wednesday (July 2) in the journal Nature Astronomy
