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Astronomers Witness the Awesome Power of a Black Hole's "Dancing Jets"

New Curtin University-led research has used a radio telescope that spans the Earth to snap images that measure the immense power of jets from black holes, confirming scientists’ theories of how black holes help shape the structure of the Universe. from Universe Today https://ift.tt/pwc7rSf via IFTTT
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Closing The Exoplanet Radius Gap

Kepler and TESS showed us that there's a radius gap in the exoplanet population. There are very few planets between 1.5 and 2 Earth radii, according to the data. But new research shows that the gap may not be as significant as thought. from Universe Today https://ift.tt/EylwqG6 via IFTTT

First Images From the Pandora Exoplanet Mission

A new mission promises to 'open the box' on exoplanet science. Scientists and engineers recently released the first engineering images from the Pandora exoplanet survey mission. The pictures represent the first ever images from a NASA Astrophysics Pioneers Program mission. Established in 2020, the program looks to test the feasibility of small low cost missions designed to address key questions in astronomy and astrophysics. from Universe Today https://ift.tt/UHAv8xL via IFTTT

Subaru Telescope Reveals New Data on the Interior Composition of 3I/ATLAS

The Subaru Telescope observed the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) on January 7, 2026 (UT), after it made its closest approach to the Sun. By observing colors in the coma around the comet, astronomers could estimate the ratio of carbon dioxide to water. This ratio is much lower than that inferred from earlier observations by space telescopes. These findings suggest that the chemistry of the coma is evolving over time and offers clues to the structure of comet 3I/ATLAS. from Universe Today https://ift.tt/gkrisVS via IFTTT

Drones Scanning Earth's Glaciers Are Paving the Way for Future Mars Helicopters

Mars has lots of glaciers located along its mid-latitudes. We’ve known this for years thanks to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (MRO’s) SHARAD sounder. But, despite all of the excellent data it’s managed to gather, SHARAD doesn’t have high enough resolution to accurately measure the boundary between the glacier itself and the rocky material that has been deposited on top of it over the course of billions of years. A new study, published in the journal JGR Planets, details a potential method of finding that boundary—by using a drone. from Universe Today https://ift.tt/kT0Bwvi via IFTTT

Moon’s Formation In Many Ways Still Remains A Mystery

Our Moon is still guarding its secrets decades after the last of the Apollo missions lifted off the lunar surface. Lunar scientists still puzzle over just when and how a giant Earth impactor formed our Moon, completely altering our early Earth in the process. from Universe Today https://ift.tt/2RGvYwD via IFTTT

We Might Have Massively Underestimated Io's Thermal Output

Io is a world of extremes. It is by far the most volcanically active world in our solar system. Being continually squeezed in the never-ending tug-of-war between Jupiter and its larger satellites will do that to a moon. As a result, Io has over 400 “paterae” - volcanic depressions that spew lava up onto its surface. And, according to a new paper available in pre-print on arXiv and utilizing data from Juno’s Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) tool, we have been massively underestimating the power output of those paterae for decades. from Universe Today https://ift.tt/jn1rVK2 via IFTTT