Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

What is the Brocken Spectre? A misty figure in the fog

The Brocken Spectre is your own shadow cast on mists below you from high on a mountain. The shadow may appear enormous and has a rainbow ring around it.

What is the Great Filter, and can we survive it?

A new study suggests the reason we haven't found intelligent civilizations in the galaxy is that such civilizations might not have survived their Great Filter.

Gold-rich stars as Milky Way ‘fossils’

New computer simulations show that most gold-rich stars were formed in low-mass dwarf galaxies that merged with our Milky Way galaxy some 10 billion years ago.

One supernova at 3 different times in cosmic history

How can we see one supernova at 3 different times in cosmic history? The answer lies in the powerful gravity of a giant galaxy cluster.

World population to hit 8 billion this month

The world population will reach 8 billion people on November 15, 2022. Read more about population trends across the world.

Space-based solar power to become reality?

Space-based solar power is a long-held dream of space visionaries. ESA will present a plan to implement it at an upcoming council meeting later this month.

Hot Jupiters keep their stars young

A study of multiple hot Jupiters - using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory - confirms that hot Jupiters do cause their stars to appear younger than they are.

New sun-hugging asteroids: ‘Biggest in 8 years’

Using a special camera, astronomers have found several new sun-hugging asteroids, including the biggest potentially hazardous asteroid in 8 years.

Perseus the Hero and a Demon Star

The star name Algol comes from the Arabic for "head of the demon." Come to know this star, and point it out to your friends this Halloween.

Super-fast jet blasts from neutron star collision

Astronomers discovered and measured a super-fast jet, thought to be the result of 2 neutron stars colliding. The jet is moving at 99.97% the speed of light!

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