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Categories: Paleontology: Dinosaurs, Space: Structures and Features
Published Nova outbursts are apparently a source for cosmic rays
(via sciencedaily.com) The MAGIC telescopes have observed the nova RS Ophiuchi shining brightly in gamma rays at extremely high energy. The Gamma rays emanate from protons that are accelerated to very high energies in the shock front following the explosion. This suggests that novae are also a source of the ubiquitous cosmic radiation in the universe which consists mainly of protons rich in energy, which race through space at almost the speed of light.
Published Hubble sheds light on origins of supermassive black holes
(via sciencedaily.com) Astronomers have identified a rapidly growing black hole in the early universe that is considered a crucial 'missing link' between young star-forming galaxies and the first supermassive black holes. They used data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to make this discovery.
Published Simulating supernova remnants, star formation in earthbound lab
(via sciencedaily.com) When triggered by some external agent, shockwaves can propagate through molecular clouds of gas and dust to create pockets of dense material. At a certain limit, that dense gas and dust collapses and begins to form new stars. Researchers modeled this interaction using a high-power laser and a foam ball. The foam ball represents a dense area within a molecular cloud. The high-power laser creates a blast wave that propagates through a surrounding chamber of gas and into the ball, where the team observed the compression using X-ray images.
Published Hunting for gravitational waves from monster black holes
(via sciencedaily.com) Our universe is a chaotic sea of ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. Astronomers think waves from orbiting pairs of supermassive black holes in distant galaxies are light-years long and have been trying to observe them for decades, and now they're one step closer.
Published Injured dinosaur left behind unusual footprints
(via sciencedaily.com) A set of dinosaur footprints in Spain has unusual features because the dinosaur that made the tracks had an injured foot, according to a new study.
Published Hubble probes extreme weather on ultra-hot Jupiters
(via sciencedaily.com) Astronomers have discovered bloated Jupiter-sized worlds that are so precariously close to their parent star they are being roasted at seething temperatures above 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's hot enough to vaporize most metals, including titanium. They have the hottest planetary atmospheres ever seen. Hubble astronomers are reporting on bizarre weather conditions on these sizzling worlds. It's raining vaporized rock on one planet, and another one has its upper atmosphere getting hotter rather than cooler because it is being 'sunburned' by intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation from its star.
Published 'Prenatal' protoplanet upends planet formation models
(via sciencedaily.com) An international research team has discovered a new planet so young that it has yet to emerge from the womb of matter where it is forming. This is the youngest protoplanet discovered to date. It's location and the surrounding patterns of matter suggest that an alternative method of planet formation may be at work. This discovery could help to explain the histories and features of extrasolar planets seen around other stars.
Published T. rex's short arms may have lowered risk of bites during feeding frenzies
(via sciencedaily.com) Extinct for 66 million years, T. rex still inspires speculation about its anatomy, behavior and fierce physique. One conundrum: its peculiarly short forelimbs, which have relatively limited mobility. While scientists have suggested explanations, a paleontologist puts the proposals to the test and finds them wanting. He hypothesizes that the arms reduced in size to limit damage, possibly fatal, when a pack of T. rexes descended on a carcass with their bone-crunching teeth.
Published Mammals put brawn before brains to survive post-dinosaur world
(via sciencedaily.com) Prehistoric mammals bulked up, rather than develop bigger brains, to boost their survival chances once dinosaurs had become extinct, research suggests.
Published Methane could be the first detectable indication of life beyond Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study assesses the planetary context in which the detection of methane in an exoplanet's atmosphere could be considered a compelling sign of life.
Published Ancient helium leaking from core offers clues to Earth's formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Helium-3, a rare isotope of helium gas, is leaking out of Earth's core, a new study reports. Because almost all helium-3 is from the Big Bang, the gas leak adds evidence that Earth formed inside a solar nebula, which has long been debated.
Published Mysterious death of carbon star plays out like six-ring circus
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists studying V Hydrae (V Hya) have witnessed the star's mysterious death throes in unprecedented detail. The team discovered six slowly-expanding rings and two hourglass-shaped structures caused by the high-speed ejection of matter out into space.
Published Dense bones allowed Spinosaurus to hunt underwater
(via sciencedaily.com) Spinosaurus is the largest predatory dinosaur known -- over two metres longer than the longest Tyrannosaurus rex -- but the way it hunted has been a subject of debate for decades. In a new paper, palaeontologists have taken a different approach to decipher the lifestyle of long-extinct creatures: examining the density of their bones.
Published Researchers map the movement of white dwarfs of the Milky Way
(via sciencedaily.com) White dwarfs were once normal stars similar to the Sun but then collapsed after exhausting all their fuel. These interstellar remnants have historically been difficult to study. However, a recent study reveals new information about the movement patterns of these puzzling stars.
Published Soil erosion and wildfire another nail in coffin for Triassic era
(via sciencedaily.com) New research has revealed that soil erosion and wildfires contributed to a mass extinction event 201 million years ago that ended the Triassic era and paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs in the Jurassic period.
Published Look! Up in the sky! Is it a planet? Nope, just a star
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Among thousands of known exoplanets, astronomers have flagged three that are actually stars.
Published Scientists announce discovery of supermassive binary black holes
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have discovered a supermassive black hole binary system, one of only two known such systems.
Published Newly identified softshell turtle lived alongside T. rex and Triceratops
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists describe the find of a new softshell turtle from the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Published Black hole billiards in the centers of galaxies
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers provide the first plausible explanation to why one of the most massive black hole pairs observed to date by gravitational waves also seemed to merge on a non-circular orbit. Their suggested solution involves a chaotic triple drama inside a giant disk of gas around a super massive black hole in a galaxy far, far away.
Published Mathematical discovery could shed light on secrets of the Universe
(via sciencedaily.com) How can Einstein's theory of gravity be unified with quantum mechanics? It is a challenge that could give us deep insights into phenomena such as black holes and the birth of the universe. Now, a new article presents results that cast new light on important challenges in understanding quantum gravity.