DigitiMed

A red supergiant star exploded just 130 days after astronomers detected its final activity. Key Takeaways Astronomers imaged a red supergiant star for 130 days before it exploded into a supernova. This is the first direct observation of a red supergiant’s pre-supernova activity. Dense circumstellar material surrounding the star indicated it underwent violent eruptions before…

Proxima Centauri hosts a tiny planet only 1/4 the mass of Earth! Key Takeaways A third planet, Proxima d, was discovered orbiting Proxima Centauri, our closest stellar neighbor. Proxima d is one of the lightest exoplanets found, weighing just 1/4 of Earth’s mass. The planet orbits extremely close to its star, completing one orbit in…

Two Earth-sized planets were found just 33 light-years away—our galactic neighbors! Key Takeaways Astronomers have discovered a multiplanet system only 33 light-years from Earth, making it one of the closest known systems. The system’s star, HD 260655, hosts at least two rocky, Earth-sized planets with tight orbits. These planets, HD 260655b and HD 260655c, have…

Stars on the move: Galactic hitchhiking could revolutionize interstellar exploration! Key Takeaways Fast-moving stars could act as natural spaceships, carrying civilizations across the galaxy. Astronomers simulate how galactic hitchhiking may enable rapid settlement of new star systems. The approach might explain why advanced civilizations aren’t evenly spread across galaxies. Star movements challenge traditional ideas of…

A pristine gas cloud from the Big Bang reveals the universe’s untouched origins! Key Takeaways Astronomers discovered a rare “fossil cloud” untouched by stars since the Big Bang. This cloud, found 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, is nearly free of heavy elements. Using telescopes at the W.M. Keck Observatory, researchers identified this pure…

James Webb Space Telescope orbit as seen from above the Sun’s north pole and as seen from Earth’s perspective. The James Webb Space Telescope will not be in orbit around the Earth, like the Hubble Space Telescope is – it will actually orbit the Sun, 1.5 million kilometers (1 million miles) away from the Earth…

First-ever jet seen from a neutron star with a 10-trillion-times stronger magnetic field! Key Takeaways For the first time, a powerful jet was observed from a neutron star with an intense magnetic field, 10 trillion times stronger than the Sun’s. This discovery challenges long-standing theories that such magnetic fields prevent jet formation. The neutron star…

Cosmic rays from a supernova may have wiped out the Megalodon! Key Takeaways A nearby supernova 2.6 million years ago might have triggered a mass extinction. Radiation from cosmic rays likely increased cancer rates in marine megafauna, including the Megalodon. Evidence includes a spike in radioactive iron-60 linked to the supernova. The Local Bubble, created…

Gas plunges into a black hole at a blazing 56,000 miles per second! Key Takeaways Matter falling into a black hole was observed moving at 30% of light speed. Researchers tracked an Earth-sized clump of gas being swallowed by a black hole. The infalling gas showed no rotation, challenging traditional accretion disk models. This supports…

Exoplanet Gliese 12 b, 40 light-years away, may have Earth-like conditions and atmosphere. Key Takeaways Gliese 12 b, dubbed an ‘exo-Venus,’ is a temperate, Earth-size planet 40 light-years away. Its estimated surface temperature of 42°C makes it cooler than most known exoplanets. The planet’s potential habitability depends on the presence and type of atmosphere it…