Offbeat: Space Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

New type of star gives clues to mysterious origin of magnetars      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Magnetars are the strongest magnets in the Universe. These super-dense dead stars with ultra-strong magnetic fields can be found all over our galaxy but astronomers don't know exactly how they form. Now, using multiple telescopes around the world, researchers have uncovered a living star that is likely to become a magnetar. This finding marks the discovery of a new type of astronomical object -- massive magnetic helium stars -- and sheds light on the origin of magnetars.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Unveiling Japan's ancient practice of cranial modification: The case of the Hirota people in Tanegashima      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cranial modification is a form of body alteration where the head is pressed or bound to permanently deform the skull. The practice has been reported across various cultures throughout history. Researchers report that the Hirota people -- who lived on the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima between the 3rd to 7th century CE -- also conducted cranial modification, with indication that both males and females performed the practice.

Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Scientists explore dinosaur 'Coliseum' in Denali National Park      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered and documented the largest known single dinosaur track site in Alaska. The site, located in Denali National Park and Preserve, has been dubbed 'The Coliseum' by researchers.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Hundred-year storms? That's how long they last on Saturn      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Megastorms regularly appear on Saturn, marring the relatively bland surface before disappearing. But radio observations show that the storms have long-lasting effects deeper in the atmosphere, in particular in the distribution of ammonia. Using NRAO's Very Large Array, astronomers see such impacts from storms that happened hundreds of years ago. The findings will help explain the differences between storms on the gas giants Saturn and Jupiter.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Marine Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Evolving elegance: Scientists connect beauty and safeguarding in ammonoid shells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With 350 million years of evolution culminating in almost two centuries of scientific discourse, a new hypothesis emerges. Researchers propose a new explanation for why ammonoids evolved a highly elaborate, fractal-like geometry within their shells. Their analysis shows that the increasing complexity of shell structures provided a distinct advantage by offering improved protection against predators.

Archaeology: General Ecology: Research Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Fossil feces infested with parasites from over 200 million years ago      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fossilized feces preserve evidence of ancient parasites that infected an aquatic predator over 200 million years ago, according to a new study.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Webb reveals colors of Earendel, most distant star ever detected      (via sciencedaily.com) 

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has followed up on observations by the Hubble Space Telescope of the farthest star ever detected in the very distant universe, within the first billion years after the big bang. Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument reveals the star to be a massive B-type star more than twice as hot as our Sun, and about a million times more luminous.

Anthropology: General Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Ancient DNA reveals an early African origin of Cattle in the Americas      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using ancient DNA, researchers have determined cattle were imported from Africa to the Americas much earlier in the process of European colonization than documented. The first records of African cattle in the Americas date back to the 1800s, leading some historians to conclude that early colonists relied entirely on a small stock of European cattle initially shipped to the Caribbean Islands. DNA from archaeological specimens pushes the introduction of African cattle back by more than 100 years.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Geomagnetic field protects Earth from electron showers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Geophysicists studied the activity of high energy electrons and clarified the unexpected protective role of the geomagnetic field surrounding the Earth.

Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Gas streamers feed triple baby stars      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New observations and simulations of three spiral arms of gas feeding material to three protostars forming in a trinary system have clarified the formation of multi-star systems.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Scientists discover the highest-energy light coming from the sun      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research details the discovery of the highest-energy light ever observed from the sun. The international team behind the discovery also found that this type of light, known as gamma rays, is surprisingly bright. That is, there's more of it than scientists had previously anticipated.

Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

New exoplanet discovery builds better understanding of planet formation      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An international team of scientists have discovered an unusual Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a low-mass star called TOI-4860, located in the Corvus constellation.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

James Webb Space Telescope captures stunning images of the Ring Nebula      (via sciencedaily.com) 

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has recorded breath-taking new images of the iconic Ring Nebula, also known as Messier 57.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Gravitational arcs in 'El Gordo' galaxy cluster      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new image of the galaxy cluster known as 'El Gordo' is revealing distant and dusty objects never seen before, and providing a bounty of fresh science. The infrared image displays a variety of unusual, distorted background galaxies that were only hinted at in previous Hubble Space Telescope images.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Oldest known species of swimming jellyfish identified      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Royal Ontario Museum announces the oldest swimming jellyfish in the fossil record with the newly named Burgessomedusa phasmiformis. This 505-million-year-old swimming jellyfish from the Burgess Shale highlights diversity in the Cambrian ecosystem.

Geoscience: Geology Paleontology: Fossils Space: The Solar System
Published

Earth's most ancient impact craters are disappearing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Earth's oldest craters could give scientists critical information about the structure of the early Earth and the composition of bodies in the solar system as well as help to interpret crater records on other planets. But geologists can't find them, and they might never be able to, according to a new study.

Biology: Evolutionary Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Bees evolved from ancient supercontinent, diversified faster than suspected      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The origin of bees is tens of millions of years older than most previous estimates, a new study shows. A team led by Washington State University researchers traced the bee genealogy back more than 120 million years to an ancient supercontinent, Gondwana, which included today's continents of Africa and South America.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Hubble sees evaporating planet getting the hiccups      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A young planet whirling around a petulant red dwarf star is changing in unpredictable ways orbit-by-orbit. It is so close to its parent star that it experiences a consistent, torrential blast of energy, which evaporates its hydrogen atmosphere -- causing it to puff off the planet.

Offbeat: Space Space: Exploration Space: Structures and Features
Published

Listen to a star 'twinkle'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Many people know that stars appear to twinkle because our atmosphere bends starlight as it travels to Earth. But stars also have an innate 'twinkle' -- caused by rippling waves of gas on their surfaces -- that is imperceptible to current Earth-bound telescopes. In a new study, researchers developed the first 3D simulations of energy rippling from a massive star's core to its outer surface. Using these new models, the researchers determined, for the first time, how much stars should innately twinkle.