astrophysics

Stories 21 - 40 | << Prev   Next >>

God Not Necessary for Big Bang: Scientists

But that doesn't mean there is no God

(Newser) - The Big Bang could have brought the universe into existence whether or not God exists, researchers said at the recent SETICon 2 conference. "The Big Bang could've occurred as a result of just the laws of physics being there," said one astrophysicist. "With the laws of...

3 Americans Win Nobel for Finding Expanding Universe

Americans independently made same discovery

(Newser) - The universe isn't just expanding, it's expanding faster every day. Three American scientists who made that discovery have won the Nobel Prize in Physics today for their efforts, the AP reports. The men were split between two competing research teams during the 1990s, with Saul Perlmutter on one...

Some Catholics Still Say Galileo Was Wrong

Conservatives tie astronomer's ideas to moral decline

(Newser) - Not only did Roman Catholics arrest Galileo for saying the Earth revolves around the sun—a handful of them still insist he was wrong. It's a small movement, but a few conservative Roman Catholics are turning to Church teachings and a dozen Bible verses as proof of a geocentric...

Stephen Hawking Talks Health Care, ALS, and Life

Physicist offers advice for living with disability

(Newser) - When you can only speak by twitching your cheek toward words flitting past your screen, you don’t tend to do a lot of interviews. But Stephen Hawking sat down with the New York Times last month to talk about his life, aliens, and health care. Some highlights:
  • On aliens:
...

New Planet Sought at Edge of Solar System

Planet Tyche explains change in path of comets: researchers

(Newser) - A huge and previously undetected planet lies at the outer edge of the solar system, believe two University of Louisiana astrophysicists. The planet Tyche, a gas giant four times the size of Jupiter, likely lies in the outer Oort cloud—the most remote part of the solar system—and almost...

Milky Way Emits Huge Gamma Ray Bubbles

Massive bubbles of energy stump astrophysicists

(Newser) - Scientists say they have discovered two vast and mysterious bubbles of gamma-ray energy coming from the center of our galaxy. The bubbles, which extend an incredible 25,000 light years above and below the galaxy's plane, were discovered by scientists analyzing data from NASA's Fermi telescope, the Los Angeles Times...

Northern Lights Head South—for 1 Night

Aurora borealis may be visible in northern US tonight

(Newser) - Thanks to a plasma eruption that roiled the surface of the sun, residents of the northern US and Canada may be able to enjoy a spectacular show tonight—the Northern Lights. "This eruption is directed right at us, and is expected to get here early in the day on...

Hunt for Dark Matter Heads Deeper Underground

Scientist to seek WIMPs at site more than a mile deep

(Newser) - Scientists hunting for the invisible substance believed to make up most of the matter in the universe are planning to move the search to a two-mile-deep mine in Canada. Researchers trying to detect dark matter about a half-mile below the surface of Minnesota suspect they may have captured two particles...

Massive Space Mission to Test Einstein Theory

Three ships to fire lasers at each other near sun

(Newser) - NASA and the European Space Agency are preparing to shoot three spacecraft into orbit around the sun and have them fire laser beams at each other, in an attempt to detect gravitational waves—the last unproven piece of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. They're calling the whole thing the...

NY Prof Urges UFO Degree
 NY Prof Urges UFO Degree 
Apr 14, 2010 2:40 AM CDT

NY Prof Urges UFO Degree

'Millions' of sightings require serious research

(Newser) - An American professor believes it's high time universities seriously study UFO sightings. "Millions" of sightings are reported each year, noted anthropology professor Philip Hasely. "It’s about time we looked into this as a worthy area of study," he tells the Buffalo News . "It's important that...

Dark Matter Particles Detected Deep in Mine

Astounding find may yield answers to universe mysteries

(Newser) - Scientists searching for traces of the mysterious substance believed to make up most of the universe's mass believe they have detected it for the first time at the bottom of an old mine in Minnesota. A team of physicists say detectors placed half a mile underground to shield them from...

'Big Wave' Theory Challenges 'Dark Energy'

(Newser) - The 'Big Wave,' a new explanation for the universe's mysterious accelerating expansion, is sending ripples through the world of astronomy. According to the theory, the Big Bang set off a wave, or waves, that rippled outward through space-time, making distant galaxies appear to expand away from us. Mathematicians came...

Massive Gamma Blast Spotted
 Massive Gamma Blast Spotted 
Feb 20, 2009 1:15 PM CST

Massive Gamma Blast Spotted

Explosion had force of 9,000 supernovas

(Newser) - The strongest-ever gamma ray blast—a burst more powerful than 9,000 exploding stars—has been detected 12.2 billion light years away in deep space, reports the Telegraph. The blast took place in September in the constellation Carina, and produced energy up to 5 billion times that of light....

Hawking To Retire From Cambridge Post

(Newser) - Stephen Hawking will retire from his chair at Cambridge University at the end of this academic year, the Telegraph reports. But the esteemed physicist will continue working at the college in an emeritus position. Cambridge requires profs to step down when they reach 67, and Hawking’s birthday is in...

Experts: Warp Drive Is Possible
 Experts: Warp Drive Is Possible
Aug 16, 2008 5:20 AM CDT

Experts: Warp Drive Is Possible

Physicists theorize warping space could allow faster-than-light travel

(Newser) - Two physicists believe the fictional "warp drive" of Star Trek fame could someday become a reality, the Daily Telegraph reports. The scientists theorize that a mysterious cosmic force called dark energy could be harnessed to warp space around a vessel, allowing a spacecraft to travel faster than light—"...

Discoveries Boost Hope for Alien Life

New forms of extreme bacteria fuel hope for extraterrestrial life

(Newser) - Humans have always wondered about the possibility of alien life somewhere out there. And while scientists seem to agree that the discovery of extraterrestrials will not happen soon, growing numbers are convinced it will happen. The search is being fueled in part by recent discoveries of strange new life forms...

Youngest Supernova Discovered
 Youngest
 Supernova Discovered 
May 15, 2008 3:55 AM CDT

Youngest Supernova Discovered

Exploding star found in Milky Way

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered the remains of the youngest exploding star, or supernova, ever seen in the Milky Way, shedding new light on the life cycles of stars. The baby supernova G1.9+0.3 is a mere 140 years old, reports National Geographic. Supernovas are a vital component of galaxy development...

Is Time Running Out on Time?
Is Time Running Out on Time?
Jan 1, 2008 5:39 PM CST

Is Time Running Out on Time?

Scientists speculate that the universe is winding down and could one day stop

(Newser) - Astronomers have been scratching their heads for years trying to figure out why exploding stars at the very edge of the universe seem to be moving faster than ones in the middle. Some theories say the acceleration is due to mysterious "dark energy,"but a new one posits...

Black Hole Smashes Record
Black Hole Smashes Record
Oct 31, 2007 6:38 AM CDT

Black Hole Smashes Record

Astronomers puzzled by all-time heaviest 'small' black hole

(Newser) - A newly discovered stellar-mass black hole shatters the weight record for holes formed from dying stars—and defies explanation by current theories. Faced with its mysterious heft,  astrophysicists can only conclude that stellar-mass black holes "can be much larger than we had realized," Space.com reports.

Orion Nebula Closer to Us
Orion Nebula Closer to Us
Oct 11, 2007 9:12 PM CDT

Orion Nebula Closer to Us

Famous stellar nursery 300 light-years nearer to Earth than thought

(Newser) - The famed Orion Nebula is the closest stellar nursery to Earth, and it's even nearer than scientists previously thought, a study finds. Researchers had pinned it at about 1,565 light years away 25 years ago, but using multiple telescope shots to create a "virtual telescope" as wide as...

Stories 21 - 40 | << Prev   Next >>
Most Read on Newser