Scientists used to wonder if planets were common throughout the universe, and now we know: they are. Observations with ground-based and space telescopes like Kepler and TESS have proven planets are extremely common. There’s even a small, Earth-like planet right next door orbiting Proxima Centauri. We can say that with confidence now that a team from the University of Geneva has confirmed and refined the initial observations .
Scientists discovered Proxima b in 2016 , but it took longer to confirm because of how it was detected. Most exoplanet identifications over the past decade come from the Kepler Space Telescope, which used the transit method of detection. When an exoplanet orbits its star, it can block out the star’s light for brief periods. By tracking these dips in brightness, we can infer the properties of the planet.
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Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
100 Undiscovered Galaxies May Be Out There Orbiting the Milky Way – With Dark Matter Secrets
A still image from a simulation of the formation of dark matter structures from the early universe until today. Gravity makes dark matter clump into dense halos, indicated by bright patches, where galaxies form. In this simulation, a halo like the one that hosts the Milky Way forms, and a smaller halo resembling the Large Magellanic Cloud falls toward it.
Two new studies have revealed more and more about these ‘groupie’ galaxies around the Milky Way, including evidence that large satellite galaxies can bring their own small satellites with them when they are sucked into orbit around the Milky Way. Scientists have also extracted information about the halos of dark matter that surround these galaxies, as well as a prediction that our home galaxy should host an additional 100 or so very faint satellite galaxies awaiting discovery.
Elon Musk's SpaceX Launches NASA Astronauts Into Orbit - WSJ
Elon Musk's SpaceX and NASA blasted two astronauts into orbit, marking the first human launch from U.S. soil in nearly a decade and a new partnership between industry and government aimed at revitalizing the country's space ambitions.
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Virgin Orbit provides more details about what went right with its first launch demo –
Virgin also says it was able to collect good data from “hundreds of channels and sensors” during the launch, which is another reason why companies test systems to begin with. That was the main purpose of Monday’s launch, and that should help them go back to work on ensuring that the part of the mission that didn’t go so well doesn’t happen again.
Meanwhile, Virgin Orbit says that this test did prove a number of important things about its approach to launching spacecraft. First, that its mobile, flexible ground operating system that can launch outside of U.S. federal ranges works as designed. Second, that its autonomous flight safety system works as designed to protect the safety of the general public.
Platinum Equity Portfolio Company Orbit Irrigation Acquires Bond Manufacturing's Garden Business
LOS ANGELES and SALT LAKE CITY , June 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Platinum Equity portfolio company Orbit Irrigation announced today the acquisition of Bond Manufacturing's garden business from affiliates of the company's founding family in a carve-out transaction. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Headquarted in Antioch, Calif. , Bond is a manufacturer and distributor of irrigation and garden products, including hose and watering devices, long and short-handle garden tools, and grower supply goods. The company markets products under the owned brands Bond and Bloom, and licensed brands such as Black & Decker®, Craftsman®, DuPont™, Miracle Gro®, Scotts® and Stanley®.
Virgin Orbit's 1st test launch fails to reach orbit | Space
The company, which is part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, aimed to send its LauncherOne rocket to orbit for the first time today (May 25), during a test mission called Launch Demo. However, something went wrong shortly after LauncherOne separated from its carrier plane, which is called Cosmic Girl.
"We've confirmed a clean release from the aircraft. However, the mission terminated shortly into the flight. Cosmic Girl and our flight crew are safe and returning to base," Virgin Orbit representatives said via Twitter today .
Mysterious 'active' object in Jupiter's orbit isn't so mysterious at all |
After originally believing the "continuously active" object in Jupiter's orbit was the first-known active "Trojan asteroid ," scientists have issued a correction and it's just a regular comet.
The object, now known as P/2019 LD2, was reclassified by researchers after they realized that it is a comet, albeit one "with a chaotically changing orbit currently resembling that of a Trojan asteroid," according to a statement from the University of Hawaii earlier this week.
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Astronomers have taken a new census of matter in the universe by examining how bright flashes of radio waves from o… https://t.co/GL3z4HqsB0 ScienceNews (from Washington, DC) Sun May 31 22:00:00 +0000 2020
NGC 4622 is a bit of an oddball: This spiral galaxy spins clockwise—in the direction its outer arms point 😳. Astron… https://t.co/WDmM43na2x HubbleTelescope Mon Jun 01 14:15:20 +0000 2020
The #MilkyWay has one very hot #halo, astronomers find @OhioState https://t.co/wpCB5Q5HPz physorg_com Mon Jun 01 15:10:05 +0000 2020
This quiet black hole sits just 1,000 light-years from Earth. But the two stars that dance around it are possible t… https://t.co/BcRsUWBwbi DiscoverMag (from Between gluons and galaxies) Mon Jun 01 10:30:10 +0000 2020
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