Korey Haynes, Author at Astronomy.com

Want to find a black hole? Pick up a rock

Korey Haynes — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000

While black holes are perplexing at any size, some of the most mysterious are hypothetical primordial black holes, those that sprung into existence in the first second after the Big Bang and some of which are featherweights on the black hole scale. Because black holes collapse matter down to nothing, a black hole with theContinue reading "Want to find a black hole? Pick up a rock"

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Sun-like stars experience superflares roughly once per century

Korey Haynes — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Solar flares are bright flashes of light from the Sun that release large amounts of electromagnetic radiation. And while normal flares can release as much as 1025 joules of energy, so-called superflares, observed on other stars, are up to 10,000 times more powerful. Even normal solar flares and the charged particles that often accompany themContinue reading "Sun-like stars experience superflares roughly once per century"

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Proba-3 launches, ready to eclipse the Sun

Korey Haynes — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:42:51 +0000

UPDATE: Proba-3 launched successfully Thursday morning at 5:34 A.M. EST (10:34 GMT). You can watch a replay of the launch here. In a fabulous feat of formation flying, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission, now set to launch Thursday morning, will fly two spacecraft 490 feet (150 meters, or one and a half footballContinue reading "Proba-3 launches, ready to eclipse the Sun"

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The Sombrero Galaxy doffs its cap to the power of JWST

Korey Haynes — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows off its infrared capabilities once again in new imaging of the well-known Sombrero Galaxy, otherwise known as Messier 104. By resolving the thickly textured dust clouds in the outer disk and toning down the brilliant central star glow, JWST shows a whole new side of the famous galaxy.Continue reading "The Sombrero Galaxy doffs its cap to the power of JWST"

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Uranus may not have a weird magnetic field after all

Korey Haynes — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 22:43:15 +0000

In 1986, Voyager 2 flew by the ice giant Uranus. It was humanity’s first close-up view of the outer planet, and it remains the closest any spacecraft has ever come. On this trip, the spacecraft found 10 previously undiscovered moons, two rings, and a truly bizarre magnetic field that has baffled scientists ever since. MostContinue reading "Uranus may not have a weird magnetic field after all"

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ESO captures Dark Wolf Nebula stalking across the Milky Way

Korey Haynes — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 16:15:11 +0000

Inside the bright but unassumingly named nebula Gum 55 lies a dark nebula — a rift of dust grains that absorb visible light — creating a swatch of darkness against the glow of bright gas. Fittingly named for its shape, the Dark Wolf Nebula is no mere puppy — it spans an area some fourContinue reading "ESO captures Dark Wolf Nebula stalking across the Milky Way "

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How carbon dioxide glaciers gave Mars liquid water

Korey Haynes — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:08:02 +0000

Mars is tantalizingly similar to Earth in many ways, but especially in its surface features, which often resemble Earth deserts to an eerie degree. Both Earth and Mars share features such as valleys; canyons; fanlike washes of sand and rock; and long, winding gravel ridges called eskers. All are formed by flowing water, marking theContinue reading "How carbon dioxide glaciers gave Mars liquid water"

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For sale: One Boeing space program, says report

Korey Haynes — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:48:39 +0000

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Boeing is getting out of the space business — or trying to. Part of a wider move to trim and improve business holdings and operations, the company is looking to offload its space program, assuming it can find a suitable buyer. Boeing has been one of NASA’sContinue reading "For sale: One Boeing space program, says report"

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Betelgeuse may have a Betelbuddy

Korey Haynes — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:26:32 +0000

The bright red supergiant star Betelgeuse has long been a familiar sight for star watchers, winking with a ruddy glow from the shoulder of Orion the Hunter. But it’s also an increasingly popular target for professional astronomers thanks to its scientific peculiarities, ranging from pulsations to mysterious dimming events. Now, astronomers think they may haveContinue reading "Betelgeuse may have a Betelbuddy"

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The Sun has reached solar maximum, NASA and NOAA scientists say

Korey Haynes — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:11:37 +0000

In a teleconference Oct. 15, representatives from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the Sun has reached the peak level in its current cycle of activity, the 25th for which humans have kept detailed records. The 25th cycle has been far more active than the previous one, especially this year,Continue reading "The Sun has reached solar maximum, NASA and NOAA scientists say"

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