Latest news with #cosmos
Sustainability Times
3 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
Deep-Space Water War: The 140-Trillion-Ocean Discovery That's Fueling Global Tensions, Wild Conspiracies, and Scientific Revolt
IN A NUTSHELL 💧 Astronomers discovered a colossal water reservoir in space, estimated to be 100 trillion times the volume of Earth's oceans, surrounding the quasar APM 08279+5255 . . 🌌 The quasar features a supermassive black hole at its center, with a mass equivalent to 20 billion suns, emitting energy comparable to 1 trillion suns. at its center, with a mass equivalent to 20 billion suns, emitting energy comparable to 1 trillion suns. 🔭 Advanced technology, including the Z-Spec spectrograph and other observatories, played a critical role in identifying and confirming the vast amount of water vapor. ✨ This discovery provides new insights into early quasar environments and the evolution of supermassive black holes, highlighting the universe's complexity and potential for further exploration. Space exploration continuously reveals awe-inspiring discoveries that expand our understanding of the universe. One such revelation is the detection of a colossal water reservoir in the cosmos, a find that transcends our previous comprehension of celestial bodies. This extraordinary water mass, estimated to be 100 trillion times the volume of Earth's oceans, orbits the quasar APM 08279+5255, located 12 billion light-years away. This discovery not only underscores the universe's vastness but also opens new avenues for understanding quasar environments and the formation of black holes. A Glance into the Cosmic Universe: Quasar APM 08279+5255's Massive Water Cloud APM 08279+5255 is no ordinary quasar. At its heart lies a supermassive black hole weighing as much as 20 billion suns, making it one of the most powerful known entities in the universe. This black hole is enveloped by an immense cloud of water vapor, spreading over several hundred light-years. The energy produced by this quasar equals that of 1 trillion suns, fueling the surrounding gas, dust, and matter spiraling into the black hole. Among the most remarkable aspects of this discovery is the sheer volume of water vapor. In stark contrast, the Milky Way contains significantly less gaseous water, most of which remains frozen. The substantial concentration of water in APM 08279+5255 suggests an environment capable of heating the encircling gas to emit intense X-rays and Infrared radiation, creating a hot and dense atmosphere. This phenomenon hints at the dynamic processes at play in quasars, offering a glimpse into the universe's complexity. 'We Never Thought It Could Be This Huge': Astronomers Stunned by 10-Milky-Way-Sized Gas Thread Connecting Distant Galaxies Discovery of Water Vapor Provides New Insights into Early Quasar Environments and the Growth of Black Holes The detection of water vapor in this distant quasar not only highlights the quasar itself but also the atmospheric conditions surrounding such astronomical phenomena. Water, often considered a minor molecule in space, proves invaluable in assessing the thermodynamic properties like temperature and pressure of gases. Despite the gas temperature near the quasar being relatively low, at about minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit, it is significantly warmer and denser than typical galactic gases found in the Milky Way. This finding holds significance as it aligns with the universe's earliest epochs, captured at a redshift of z=3.9, when the quasar was merely 1.6 billion years old. Understanding these early conditions helps scientists comprehend the evolution of supermassive black holes. In APM 08279+5255's case, the potential for the black hole to grow up to six times its current size due to available gas is conceivable. Yet, whether the black hole will consume all this gas, or if some will transform into stars or disperse into space, remains uncertain. 'It's a Crazy, Unexplainable Signal From Space': Repeating Radio Burst Every 2 Hours Baffles Scientists and Reveals New Star System Innovative Instruments Trace Water Vapor in Quasar, Paving Way for the Study of the Cosmic Dawn The discovery of this vast water reservoir is attributed to advanced millimeter and submillimeter technology. At the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory in Hawaii, researchers utilized the Z-Spec spectrograph to identify water vapor in a high-redshift quasar. Follow-up observations with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer and CARMA further confirmed both the presence and the magnitude of the water content. These innovative tools, though recently available, are pivotal in exploring the early universe and its expansion. Such technological advancements are critical for delving into the cosmic dawn, offering insights into the universe's formative stages. The large water vapor region around a quasar, driven by a supermassive black hole, showcases the universe's richness and potential for further black hole growth. With ongoing technological progress, astronomers are poised to unveil more about the universe's origins and evolution, enhancing our cosmic comprehension. For the First Time in History, Astronomers Capture the Moment a Distant Solar System Is Born in Deep Space The Impact of This Cosmic Discovery on Understanding Universe Evolution The recent discovery of the largest and most distant water reservoir in the universe provides a fresh perspective on cosmic evolution during primitive stages. This discovery highlights the vastness of the universe and the potential for more black holes to grow. As technology advances, it's increasingly likely that astronomers will uncover more about the universe's beginnings and its transformation over time. The presence of such a massive water reservoir in space challenges our understanding and invites further exploration into the early universe's mysteries. As we continue to unravel the secrets of the cosmos, this discovery stands as a testament to human curiosity and innovation. What other remarkable revelations await us in the vast expanse of space, and how will they reshape our understanding of the universe and our place within it? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (25)
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Review: The Best Superhero Saga of the Year
Women with astonishing abilities are an essential component of superhero movies, but as 'Thunderbolts*' proved, the more effortlessly they shoot, kick and punch their way out of every situation, generally while firing off comical wisecracks to show us how bored they are with their own coolness, the less excitement they generate. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' by contrast, zeroes in on a far more interesting superpower: creating new life. There's an extended sequence built around a hero going into labor in zero gravity while hurtling through the cosmos, and it exemplifies the movie's unusual feel: interstellar yet down-to-earth. Making your characters relatable, likable, charming and vulnerable might seem to be a fairly obvious assignment, but it conflicts with the comic-book-movie urge to make its characters completely and devastatingly awesome. In getting back to basics, 'First Steps' proves to be easily the best superhero movie of the year.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Life might have come from outer space, scientist say
The seeds of life on Earth might have come from outer space – and might be widespread throughout the rest of the universe, scientist say. Researchers have found complex organic molecules in a disc around a 'protostar' in a major breakthrough. Those molecules are seen as the precursors to the building blocks of life, which go on to become sugars and amino acids that are then combined into the complex flora and fauna that surrounds us. Researchers have found such complex organic molecules in other places before. But the new findings fill in a previously mysterious missing link – one that could suggest that life is more abundant than we realise. When cold protostar becomes a young star, surrounded by a disc of dust and gas, it is a violent process that includes intense radiation and the hurling out of gas. Researchers had been concerned that the extreme nature of that process could 'reset' the chemical compounds available around a star, meaning that they would have to be formed in the discs that at the same time are making planets. But the new findings suggest that complex molecules can stick around through that process, meaning they will be inherited by the discs that follow. The findings are reported in a new study, 'A deep search for Complex Organic Molecules toward the protoplanetary disk of V883 Ori', published in the The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Life might have come from outer space, scientist say
The seeds of life on Earth might have come from outer space – and might be widespread throughout the rest of the universe, scientist say. Researchers have found complex organic molecules in a disc around a 'protostar' in a major breakthrough. Those molecules are seen as the precursors to the building blocks of life, which go on to become sugars and amino acids that are then combined into the complex flora and fauna that surrounds us. Researchers have found such complex organic molecules in other places before. But the new findings fill in a previously mysterious missing link – one that could suggest that life is more abundant than we realise. When cold protostar becomes a young star, surrounded by a disc of dust and gas, it is a violent process that includes intense radiation and the hurling out of gas. Researchers had been concerned that the extreme nature of that process could 'reset' the chemical compounds available around a star, meaning that they would have to be formed in the discs that at the same time are making planets. But the new findings suggest that complex molecules can stick around through that process, meaning they will be inherited by the discs that follow. The findings are reported in a new study, 'A deep search for Complex Organic Molecules toward the protoplanetary disk of V883 Ori', published in the The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Fast internet is getting in the way of understanding the universe, scientists warn
The rush for faster and more widely available internet is making it harder to understand the cosmos, according to scientists. SpaceX's Starlink satellites are intended to circle the Earth and offer fast internet in regions that might otherwise be underserved. The company has launched thousands of them in recent years, with a view to covering the planet with signals. But researchers have found that the satellites are interfering with radio astronomy, getting in the way of astronomers' view of space. The satellites leak out unintended signals that drown out the often very faint radio waves that astronomers use to see the universe. The new work from Curtin University looked specifically at SpaceX's Starlink because it has the most satellites in orbit. But a number of other companies are looking to use satellites to offer faster and more widely available internet. In the research, scientists gathered 76 million images of the sky using an early version of the Square Kilometre Array, which will be the world's biggest and most sensitive radio telescope when it is finished later this decade. In that data, scientists found more than 112,000 radio emissions from 1,806 Starlink satellites. Those emissions could make it much more difficult for scientists to see the important radio signals that they rely on. 'Starlink is the most immediate and frequent source of potential interference for radio astronomy: it launched 477 satellites during this study's four-month data collection period alone,' said Dylan Grigg, who led the study. 'In some datasets, we found up to 30 per cent of our images showed interference from a Starlink satellite.' Many of those signals were not being intentionally emitted from the satellites, and come more strongly at different frequencies than expected. That could make it difficult for researchers to pick them out. 'Some satellites were detected emitting in bands where no signals are supposed to be present at all, such as the 703 satellites we identified at 150.8 MHz, which is meant to be protected for radio astronomy,' Mr Grigg said. 'Because they may come from components like onboard electronics and they're not part of an intentional signal, astronomers can't easily predict them or filter them out.' That interference could eventually keep us from understanding deep truths of the cosmos, the researchers warned. 'We're standing on the edge of a golden era where the SKA will help answer the biggest questions in science: how the first stars formed, what dark matter is and even test Einstein's theories,' said Steven Tingay, who helped author the study. 'But it needs radio silence to succeed. We recognise the deep benefits of global connectivity but we need balance and that starts with an understanding of the problem, which is the goal of our work.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
