Spacetime With Stuart Gary

*Black holes control star formation in galaxies  Astronomers have discovered a close correlation between the mass of a galaxy’s central black hole and how quickly that galaxy shunts down star formation. Young galaxies blaze with bright new stars forming at a rapid rate, but star formation eventually shuts down or quenches as galaxies evolves. *The Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program via Space Nuts podcast The United States military has confirmed the existence of a modern-day version of Project Blue Book. Project blue book was a program run by the US Air Force during the 1960s to deal with reports of flying saucers and other Unidentified Flying Objects. *The Science Report Over a quarter of the world's landmass to become significantly drier because of global warming. The new study that’s found that bad people really do win Warnings that energy drinks and junk food might have unique risks for teenagers. Discovery of a strange new species of semi-aquatic theropod dinosaur related to Velociraptor. Sto

*Solving the mystery of what came first? Astronomers may be a step closer to solving one of the greatest mysteries in astrophysics – which came first the galaxy – or the supermassive black hole at its centre. The problem is do galaxies form first from the accumulation of stars, globular clusters, and molecular gas and dust clouds -- with densities at the galactic centre eventually becoming so high it forms a black hole. *Supermassive black hole stellar factory Astronomers have discovered 11 newly formed infant protostars within three light years of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Black holes generate powerful gravitational tidal forces and intense ultraviolet and X-ray radiation – environments far more conducive to destroying stars rather than creating them. *Mars may not be as dry as it seems A new study suggests water on Mars is being absorbed by the red planet’s rocks like a sponge. The findings reported in the journal Nature suggest that Martian basalt rocks can hold up to 25 perc

Happy New Year!*Fireworks predicted from Rare Stellar Encounter in 2018 Astronomers are gearing up for high-energy fireworks in the next few months when a pulsar plows through the outer atmosphere of one of the galaxy’s brightest stars. The cosmic light show spectacular will occur just 5000 light years from Earth – astronomers aren’t sure exactly when – but it will be soon. *Bright Areas on Ceres Suggest Geologic Activity If you could fly aboard NASA's Dawn spacecraft, the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres would generally look quite dark, but with notable exceptions. These exceptions are the hundreds of bright areas that stand out in images Dawn has returned. *2018 promises to be another stellar year for astronomy There’ll be three partial Solar Eclipse in 2018. And as solar eclipses always occur about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse there’ll be a couple of total lunar eclipses as well. *Cometary close encounter The next big cometary visitor scheduled to make a close encounter with Earth is the come

*NASA looking at missions to a comet and to Saturn’s moon Titan NASA has selected two finalist concepts for a robotic mission planned to launch in the mid-2020s. The agency is considering a comet sample return mission and a drone-like rotorcraft that would explore potential landing sites on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. *Was the star of Bethlehem a real thing? For astronomy the idea of three wise men being guided by a star to a stable in a little town called Bethlehem two thousand years ago raises a number of problems. But let’s for a moment just suppose it really happened -- So, what star were they following? *ET’s not calling Scientists say they’ve detected no alien signals or any evidence of extraterrestrial technology coming from the strange cigar shaped interstellar visitor which speed through our solar system in September and October. The 400 metre long 40 metre wide asteroid designated A/2017 U1 and named Oumuamua the Hawaiian name meaning "messenger" or "scout"— has been the centre of astronomical att

*Artificial Intelligence used to discover an eighth exoplanet orbiting a distant star. Our solar system now is tied for most number of planets around a single star, following the discovery of an eighth planet orbiting the Sun like star Kepler-90 some 2,545 light years away in the constellation Draco. The planet was discovered in data from NASA's planet hunting Kepler Space Telescope. *NASA’s mission to asteroid 16 Psyche NASA has accelerated its plans to send a spacecraft to the asteroid 16 Psyche. The mission which was slated to launch in 2023 will now fly a year earlier. *Expedition 54 crew blasts into orbit Three expedition 54 crew members have blasted into orbit on a two day flight to the International Space Station. The new crew members will join three existing expedition 53/54 crew conducting some 250 science experiments in microgravity. *Soyuz touches down safely Three Expedition 52 crew members have returned safely to Earth after five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. Their Soyuz

*Juno probes the depths of Jupiter's Great Red Spot Data collected by NASA's Juno spacecraft during its first pass over Jupiter's Great Red Spot in July indicate that this iconic feature penetrates well below the clouds. Other revelations from the mission include that Jupiter has two previously uncharted radiation zones. *Life discovered living on just thin air Scientists have discovered microbes that literally live on thin air. 01The findings have implications for the search for life on other planets, suggesting extra-terrestrial microbes could also rely on trace atmospheric gases for survival. *Claims that Mars does have a protective magnetosphere after all A new study claims the Martian atmosphere is well protected from the effects of the solar wind despite the absence of a global Earth-like magnetic field. While Mars now lacks Earth’s geodynamo driven magnetic field, the Sun’s solar wind instead induces currents in the ionized upper Martian atmosphere -- creating an induced magnetosphere. *Sceptics guide

*Voyager 1 Fires Up Thrusters After 37 Years If you tried to start a car that's been sitting in a garage for decades, you might not expect the engine to respond. But a set of thrusters aboard the Voyager 1 spacecraft successfully fired up Wednesday after 37 years without use. Voyager 1, NASA's farthest and fastest spacecraft, is the only human-made object in interstellar space, the environment between the stars. *Back to the Moon as well as to Mars and beyond The United States is returning humans to the Moon. President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1 at the White House, which is designed to refocus national space policy, with a U.S. led, integrated program involving the private sector and international partners for a human return to the Moon, followed by missions to Mars and beyond. *The night skies are getting brighter The night skies are getting brighter – and it’s our increased efforts to get rid of inefficient incandescent lighting replacing them with eco-friendly LED lights that’s become par

Stream episodes on demand via www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly) *Earliest supermassive black hole ever seen Astronomers have discovered a monstrous supermassive black hole some 800 million times the mass of the Sun in the very early universe -- just 690 million years after the big bang. The observations represents the most distant supermassive black hole ever detected. *Rare glimpse of the magnetic field around a black hole A sudden flare and cooling of gas has given astronomers a rare glimpse of the magnetic field around a black hole. The findings indicate the gravity well’s magnetic field is far weaker than expected. *Massive primordial galaxies discovered swimming in a vast ocean of dark matter Astronomers have been astounded by the discovery of two massive primordial galaxies swimming in a vast ocean of dark matter near the dawn of time – just 780 million years after the big bang. The findings are forcing scientists to go back to the drawing board to explain how such massive objects could have formed so so

Stream episodes on demand via www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly) *New evidence shows the Earth got a bigger beating than thought A new study suggests the early Earth may have been subjected to five times as many impact events as previously thought -- following the big one which formed the Moon. The findings were revealed in new models of the planet’s impact history based on its mineral composition. *A new contender in the fight to understand dark matter The road to understanding dark matter is littered with failed hypothesis. MACHOS are dead, and WIMPS are a no show so far. So, say hello to Strongly Interacting Massive ParticleS or SIMPS. *New mission to search for life on the Saturnian moon Enceladus Russian physicist and entrepreneur Uri Milner is backing a new private venture to search for the building blocks of life around the Saturnian ice moon Enceladus. Breakthrough Initiatives -- a program founded by the billionaire tech investor is now work-shopping the idea which would take over from where NASA’s Cass

Stream episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly) *Infant stars discovered near supermassive black hole Astronomers have discovered 11 newly formed infant protostars where they shouldn’t exist – right next to the monstrous supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. The findings have shocked scientists as regions around black holes are wracked by powerful gravitational tidal forces and bathed in intense ultraviolet and X-ray radiation -- generating extremely harsh conditions which shouldn’t favour star formation. *Rosetta gives a recipe for making a comet. Scientists have developed the recipe for making a comet. The findings based on data from the Rosetta spacecraft provides the first quantitative analysis of the chemical elements that make up the cometary dust of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. *Buccaneer in stable orbit Mission managers at the University of New South Wales say the Buccaneer satellite has attained stable orbit and is operating nominally. Buccaneer was deployed aboard

*The universe before the big bang A new hypothesis is proposing to eliminate the need for cosmological spacetime singularity and with it the big bang which kicked of the cosmos 13.8 billion years ago. Instead, physicists suggest the universe’s current expansion phase was preceded by a big crunch contraction and possibly a bouncing universe with infinite prior cycles of expansion and contraction. *The next nearest planet to our solar system A temperate Earth-sized planet has been discovered just 11 light-years away. The new world named Ross 128 b is currently the second-closest temperate planet ever detected – the nearest being Proxima b which orbits the star Proxima Centauri some 4.25 light years from Earth. *Dawn explores Ceres’ interior evolution Scientists have begun studying the internal structure and composition of the dwarf planet Ceres finding a close relationship between its internal evolution and its surface features. The findings used data collected by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft to analyse Ceres’ surfac

Stream episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly) *New questions about dark matter and dark energy A new study is raising fresh questions about dark matter and dark energy -- two of the most mysterious and least understood features in the universe. A new hypothesis attempts to explain both the accelerating expansion of the universe and the movement of stars in galaxies without needing to draw on the concepts of dark matter and dark energy. *Murchison Widefield Array construction completes phase two The Murchison Widefield Array has reached a key milestone in its ongoing development, with the completion of its phase two expansion. The work which has taken nearly 16 months, includes 128 new antenna stations at the observatory site in outback Western Australia. *Is antimatter the hidden face of lightning Terrestrial Gamma Rays Flashes produced in lightning from thunderstorms can also generate antimatter. New research claims Terrestrial Gamma Rays Flashes react with the air to produce radioisotopes

*Recurring Martian Streaks could be just sand rather than water A new study claims dark streaks often seen on the Sun facing slopes of Martian gullies and ravines could be caused by moving sand rather than melting sub-surface permafrost. The conclusions provide an alternative to previous speculation that the features – known as recurring slope lineae or RSLs – were caused by flowing meltwater from permafrost layers seeping out from the sides of gullies and ravines. *Could cosmic dust be transporting life between worlds? A new study suggests that life on Earth might have originated from biological particles brought to the planet in streams of cosmic dust particles. The findings would mean fast-moving flows of interplanetary dust that continually bombard Earth’s atmosphere could deliver tiny organisms from far-off worlds, or send Earth-based organisms to other planets, according to the research. *Listening for alien signals. Way back on August the 15th 1977 astronomers at Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio t

*More clues about our interstellar visitor Astronomers have released new details about a mysterious interstellar visitor which sped through our solar system during September and October. The new observations show the object -- known as 1i/2017 U1 -- measures some 180 by 30 meters and is shaped like a fat cigar, half a city block long. *Why the star Regulus is almost ripping apart A new study of the star Regulus indicates it’s almost spinning fast enough to literally rip itself apart. The findings reported in the journal Nature Astronomy show the star has a spin rate of 96.5 per cent of its angular velocity needed for break-up. *Another gravity wave discovery from merging black holes Scientists have confirmed another detection of gravitational waves generated by the collision of two stellar mass back holes. This latest detection involved the merger of two relatively light black holes, with 7 and 12 times the mass of the Sun -- a billion light years away. *Pluto’s freezer explained A new study of Pluto’s atmosp

*Monster planet discovery rewrites the text books Astronomers have discovered a large Jupiter sized planet orbiting around a small red dwarf star. It’s the first time such a large planet has been seen orbiting such a low mass host star. *Possible ancient ocean remnants found on Ceres Scientists have detected widespread reserves of minerals containing water on the dwarf planet Ceres. The discovery by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft suggests that the 945 kilometre wide world may have once had a global ocean and may still have liquid today. *The Rochechouart Astrobleme Geologists have begun an intense core drilling campaign at Rochechouart in central France to study an astrobleme. The Rochechouart Astrobleme is thought to be the remains of a 20 to 30 kilometre wide 207 million year old impact crater. *New clues to the origin of life on Earth Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a compound that may have been a crucial factor in the origins of life on Earth. Origins-of-life researchers have hypothesized th

*The star that wouldn’t die Astronomers have discovered a zombie star that that appears to have risen from the grave. The strange star appears to have somehow survived its initial brush with death to undertake a second supernova explosion fifty years later. *Hunting dark photons Scientists are searching for signs of new particles that might help fill in some big blanks in sciences understanding of the universe. The new research is hunting for the hiding places for one type of theorized particle known as the dark photon - that was proposed to help explain the mystery of dark matter. *The link between a galaxy’s shape and its spin. Astronomers have discovered a link between a galaxies shape and how fast it rotates. The findings follow the recent discovery by a separate team linking a galaxy’s rotation in a galactic cluster to its mass rather than the density of the surrounding cluster. . *Juno completes its eighth orbit of Jupiter NASA’s Juno spacecraft has successfully completed its eighth swoop down towards t

*Dust cloud discovered around nearest star Astronomers have discovered a dust ring around Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun. A report claims the dust ring’s detection could point to a significant planetary system around the star. *Why massive galaxies don't dance in crowds A new study has discovered that the rotational movement of a galaxy in a galactic cluster is determined by its mass rather than galactic density. The findings are based on a detailed study of over than 300 galaxies. *Introducing the quarksplosion Scientists have discovered the quarksplosion -- a blast that could be eight times more powerful than any thermonuclear bomb. Physicists have discovered that fusing two sub atomic elementary particles -- known as beauty or bottom quarks -- could result in the creation of a new primary particle, a secondary particle known as a nucleon and the release of huge amounts of energy -- some eight times more -- than a nuclear fusion reaction. *Powering Enceladus active ocean Heat from friction

*Solving a black hole mystery Astronomers have for the first time measured the acceleration zone of a powerful jet of plasma being shot deep into space by a feeding black hole. The findings indicate these intense plasma streams are charged within 30 thousand kilometres of the black hole itself. *Mars 2020 Rover will have 23 eyes NASA says improvements in camera technology mean its next rover to Mars will have no fewer than 23 cameras, to create sweeping panoramas, reveal obstacles, study the atmosphere, and assist science instruments. *Rare Mariner’s astrolabe discovered Marine archaeologists have recovered a rare Mariner’s Astrolabe in a shipwreck off the coast of Oman. The astrolabe -- stamped with the Portuguese royal coat of arms -- was found in the wreckage of the 500-year-old Portuguese ship Esmeralda -- part of a fleet of 20 vessels under the command of the explorer Vasco da Gama who in 1498 discovered a direct route from Europe to India. *Strange auroral activity discovered on Jupiter It’s been discov

*First confirmed interstellar visitor to our solar system Astronomers have confirmed their first interstellar visitor to the solar system. The 400 metre wide newly discovered asteroid or comet has been designated A/2017 U1. *Asteroid Itokawa’s violent past Samples of the Asteroid Itokawa indicate the 500 metre wide space rock has had a violent history. The samples were collected by Japan’s Hayabusa spacecraft in 2005. *Rosetta’s comet provides missing link in planet formation Scientists have confirmed that planets are created by small particles of matter coming together over time to form progressively larger and larger bodies. The findings provide an important missing link in sciences understanding of how planets are formed. *Galaxies wobble at the centres of galaxy clusters Existing models on dark matter claim the super dense cores of the largest galaxy clusters contain massive galaxies with so much dark matter that that they never move. However new observations have shown that this density is much smaller t

*Filling the early universe with knots could explain why it’s three-dimensional Have you ever wondered why your ear bud wires, ropes, garden hoses, even knitting yarn tend to get all knotted and jumbled up. Well, a team of scientists think it’s a basic cosmic characteristic – which may just explain why we live in a universe with three spatial dimensions. and it may even explain how the universe formed. *Titan’s noxious ice clouds Scientists have discovered a toxic band of high altitude ice clouds above the south pole of Saturn’s largest moon Titan. The noxious stratospheric cloud cover was detected floating about 160 to 210 kilometres above the surface -- far higher than the methane rain clouds in Titan’s troposphere. *Whatever happened to the Beagle 2 A new scientific paper looking at the discovery of Britain’s Beagle 2 Mars lander has been published in the open science journal of the Royal Society. The findings detail efforts to locate the 32 kilogram probe which disappeared after being deployed from the Eu