May 25, 2011 - Astronomy.com
A gamma-ray burst detected by NASA's Swift satellite in April 2009 has been newly unveiled as a candidate for the most distant object in the universe. At an estimated distance of 13.14 billion light-years, the burst lies far beyond any known quasar and could be more distant than any previously known galaxy or gamma-ray burst (GRB). ...
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Less than a week after the record-setting GRB 090423 made headlines around the world, this new burst, GRB 090429B, appeared in the sky with suspiciously similar properties. As with the previous burst, GRB 090429B was a short-lived event, lasting less than 10 seconds, and automated Swift observations showed it to have a relatively faint X-ray afterglow. Cucchiara, then a graduate student at Penn State, woke up in the early morning hours to direct observations at the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, that he hoped would pin down the nature of this burst. ...
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Betting on the Most Distant Gamma Ray Burst Ever Seen
May 27, 2011 - SpaceRef.com
In a game of cosmological one-upmanship, what is likely the most distant gamma ray burst (GRB) ever detected could be presenting humanity with a glimpse back to within about half a billion years of the Big Bang. "Like any finding of this sort there are uncertainties," said the study's principal investigator Antonino Cucchiara. "However, if I were in Vegas, I would never bet against the odds that this is the most distant GRB ever seen and we estimate that there is even a 23% chance that it is the most distant object ever observed in the universe."
A unique set of images from the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii clearly reveals the infrared afterglow of this powerful burst. More importantly, the data allowed the researchers to estimate its distance with a relatively high degree of certainty, placing it near the edge of the observable universe.
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In a game of cosmological one-upmanship, what is likely the most distant gamma ray burst (GRB) ever detected could be presenting humanity with a glimpse back to within about half a billion years of the Big Bang. "Like any finding of this sort there are uncertainties," said the study's principal investigator Antonino Cucchiara. "However, if I were in Vegas, I would never bet against the odds that this is the most distant GRB ever seen and we estimate that there is even a 23% chance that it is the most distant object ever observed in the universe."
A unique set of images from the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii clearly reveals the infrared afterglow of this powerful burst. More importantly, the data allowed the researchers to estimate its distance with a relatively high degree of certainty, placing it near the edge of the observable universe.
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NASA's Swift finds most distant gamma-ray burst yet
May 27, 2011 - PhysOrg.com
On April 29, 2009, a five-second-long burst of gamma rays from the constellation Canes Venatici triggered the Burst Alert Telescope on NASA's Swift satellite. As with most gamma-ray bursts, this one -- now designated GRB 090429B -- heralded the death of a star some 30 times the sun's mass and the likely birth of a new black hole.
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The Gemini-North Telescope in Hawaii captured optical and infrared images of GRB 090429B's quickly fading afterglow within about three hours of Swift's detection. "Gemini was the right telescope, in the right place, at the right time," said lead researcher Antonino Cucchiara at the University of California, Berkeley. "The data from Gemini was instrumental in allowing us to reach the conclusion that the object is likely the most distant GRB ever seen."
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On April 29, 2009, a five-second-long burst of gamma rays from the constellation Canes Venatici triggered the Burst Alert Telescope on NASA's Swift satellite. As with most gamma-ray bursts, this one -- now designated GRB 090429B -- heralded the death of a star some 30 times the sun's mass and the likely birth of a new black hole.
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The Gemini-North Telescope in Hawaii captured optical and infrared images of GRB 090429B's quickly fading afterglow within about three hours of Swift's detection. "Gemini was the right telescope, in the right place, at the right time," said lead researcher Antonino Cucchiara at the University of California, Berkeley. "The data from Gemini was instrumental in allowing us to reach the conclusion that the object is likely the most distant GRB ever seen."
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Extending the edge of the observable Universe
May 26, 2011 - Astronomy Now
After two years of analysing images and data from gamma-ray burst (GRB) 090429B, astronomers estimate that its light began travelling on its journey just 520 million years after the Universe began.
GRBs are the brief burst of high-energy radiation that mark the death of massive stars. Over time this emissions fades to an afterglow of light at other wavelengths. Initially discovered by the Swift satellite, the subsequent afterglow was detected by the Gemini North telescope at infrared wavelengths.
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After two years of analysing images and data from gamma-ray burst (GRB) 090429B, astronomers estimate that its light began travelling on its journey just 520 million years after the Universe began.
GRBs are the brief burst of high-energy radiation that mark the death of massive stars. Over time this emissions fades to an afterglow of light at other wavelengths. Initially discovered by the Swift satellite, the subsequent afterglow was detected by the Gemini North telescope at infrared wavelengths.
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Cosmic distance record 'broken'
May 25, 2011 - BBC News
A cataclysmic explosion of a huge star near the edge of the observable Universe may be the most distant single object yet spied by a telescope.
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A cataclysmic explosion of a huge star near the edge of the observable Universe may be the most distant single object yet spied by a telescope.
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Cosmic explosion may be most distant object in Universe
May 25, 2011 - USA Today
Astronomers may have spotted the most distant object in the universe -- 13.14 billion light years away. Going by the prosaic name GRB 090429B, the object came to their attention because of a 10-second gamma-ray burst originally detected by NASA's Swift satellite in April 2009.
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Astronomers may have spotted the most distant object in the universe -- 13.14 billion light years away. Going by the prosaic name GRB 090429B, the object came to their attention because of a 10-second gamma-ray burst originally detected by NASA's Swift satellite in April 2009.
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Huge explosion most distant ever seen
May 26, 2011 - ABC Online
Scientists have set a new record for the most distant object ever observed - 13.14 billion light years way.
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Cucchiara who was at Penn State University at the time, says he tried to determine how far away the object was by obtaining a spectral analysis using the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii.
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Scientists have set a new record for the most distant object ever observed - 13.14 billion light years way.
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Cucchiara who was at Penn State University at the time, says he tried to determine how far away the object was by obtaining a spectral analysis using the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii.
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Huge space blast: The farthest thing ever seen?
May 26, 2011 - MSNBC.com
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The explosion was observed by NASA’s Swift satellite in April 2009, and it was named GRB 090429B. Though the initial blast lasted only about 10 seconds, the event left a fainter afterglow that was visible in the sky for days. Researchers observed this afterglow with the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
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The explosion was observed by NASA’s Swift satellite in April 2009, and it was named GRB 090429B. Though the initial blast lasted only about 10 seconds, the event left a fainter afterglow that was visible in the sky for days. Researchers observed this afterglow with the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Gamma-ray burst is most distant yet seen - May 25, 2011
May 25, 2011 - Nature NewsBlog (subscription)
A record has been set for the most distant gamma-ray burst, astronomers announced at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Boston today. The result pushes back the time by which stars and galaxies must have formed to just 500 million years after the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago.
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... The GRB discussed today at the meeting, GRB090329B, was first picked up in 2009 by NASA’s Swift satellite, and then imaged by the 8.1 meter Gemini North telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. But due to bad weather in Hawaii, the research team was not able to study the afterglow long enough to obtain a detailed spectrum that would have pinpointed how faraway it was.
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A record has been set for the most distant gamma-ray burst, astronomers announced at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Boston today. The result pushes back the time by which stars and galaxies must have formed to just 500 million years after the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago.
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... The GRB discussed today at the meeting, GRB090329B, was first picked up in 2009 by NASA’s Swift satellite, and then imaged by the 8.1 meter Gemini North telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. But due to bad weather in Hawaii, the research team was not able to study the afterglow long enough to obtain a detailed spectrum that would have pinpointed how faraway it was.
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Most distant object ever seen… maybe
May 25, 2011 - Discover Blog
That is GRB 090429B, a gamma-ray burst (or just GRB to those who want to sound nerdcool), the catastrophic and extremely violent detonation of a massive star. Think of it as a super-supernova, the death throes of a star that lived a short, hot, turbulent life. I wrote about them extensively in my book "Death from the Skies!", or you can get the details about how they form and why they’re so awesome in an earlier post.
Its distance is estimated to be a whopping 13.14 billion light years. If this holds up, it may be the single most distant object ever seen by humans.
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That is GRB 090429B, a gamma-ray burst (or just GRB to those who want to sound nerdcool), the catastrophic and extremely violent detonation of a massive star. Think of it as a super-supernova, the death throes of a star that lived a short, hot, turbulent life. I wrote about them extensively in my book "Death from the Skies!", or you can get the details about how they form and why they’re so awesome in an earlier post.
Its distance is estimated to be a whopping 13.14 billion light years. If this holds up, it may be the single most distant object ever seen by humans.
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Gemini images a psychedelic stellar nursery
May 5, 2011 - Astronomy.com
An all-time favorite of sky watchers on both hemispheres, the Lagoon Nebula (M8) is among the most striking examples of a stellar nursery in our neighborhood of the Milky Way Galaxy. Visible in small telescopes and binoculars, its fuzzy glow reveals the type of chaotic environment where new stars are born.
Argentinean astronomers Julia Arias from the Universidad de La Serena and Rodolfo Barbá from the Universidad de La Serena and ICATE-CONICET have used the Gemini South telescope in Chile to obtain a dramatic new image of the nursery that could be described as psychedelic...
An all-time favorite of sky watchers on both hemispheres, the Lagoon Nebula (M8) is among the most striking examples of a stellar nursery in our neighborhood of the Milky Way Galaxy. Visible in small telescopes and binoculars, its fuzzy glow reveals the type of chaotic environment where new stars are born.
Argentinean astronomers Julia Arias from the Universidad de La Serena and Rodolfo Barbá from the Universidad de La Serena and ICATE-CONICET have used the Gemini South telescope in Chile to obtain a dramatic new image of the nursery that could be described as psychedelic...
Now that IS cosmic: The psychedelic majesty of the Lagoon Nebula displayed in all its multi-coloured glory
May 6, 2011 - Daily Mail
Things have come a long way since the late '60s re-release of 2001: A Space Odyssey promised a hippy audience 'the ultimate trip'. Quite what they would have made of an image as psychedelic and, more importantly, as real as this is anyone's guess. The Lagoon Nebula - aka Messier 8 - is among the most striking examples of a stellar nursery in Earth's region of the Milky Way. Its fuzzy glow reveals the type of chaotic environment where new stars are born.
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Things have come a long way since the late '60s re-release of 2001: A Space Odyssey promised a hippy audience 'the ultimate trip'. Quite what they would have made of an image as psychedelic and, more importantly, as real as this is anyone's guess. The Lagoon Nebula - aka Messier 8 - is among the most striking examples of a stellar nursery in Earth's region of the Milky Way. Its fuzzy glow reveals the type of chaotic environment where new stars are born.
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Swirling Lagoon
May 6, 2011 - National Geographic
Seen through binoculars or small telescopes, the Lagoon nebula is a ghostly blur tinged with pink tucked inside the constellation Sagittarius. But with the powerful gaze of the Gemini South telescope in Chile, astronomers have created a dramatic new view of this stellar nursery.
Released this week, the false-color picture shows the nebula in vibrant hues thanks to a combination of data from several light filters. The dense cloud of dust and gas is a birthplace for medium- and low-mass stars, most of which are embedded in thick cocoons of material. The bluish points of light in the frame are young stars in the background.
Seen through binoculars or small telescopes, the Lagoon nebula is a ghostly blur tinged with pink tucked inside the constellation Sagittarius. But with the powerful gaze of the Gemini South telescope in Chile, astronomers have created a dramatic new view of this stellar nursery.
Released this week, the false-color picture shows the nebula in vibrant hues thanks to a combination of data from several light filters. The dense cloud of dust and gas is a birthplace for medium- and low-mass stars, most of which are embedded in thick cocoons of material. The bluish points of light in the frame are young stars in the background.
‘Psychedelic’ photo of a stellar nursery
May 6, 2011 - Yahoo News
Ever wonder what a star "nursery" looks like?
Two Argentine astronomers using a powerful Gemini South telescope in Chile produced this dramatic and colorful image that shows newly born stars in the beautiful Lagoon nebula, located in the Sagittarius constellation in the southern Milky Way.
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Gemini: Image of a Psychedelic Stellar Nursery
May 5, 2011 - Space Ref
An all-time favorite of skywatchers on both hemispheres, the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8 or M8) is among the most striking examples of a stellar nursery in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy. Visible in small telescopes and binoculars its fuzzy glow reveals the type of chaotic environment where new stars are born.
Argentinean astronomers Julia Arias (Universidad de La Serena) and Rodolfo Barba (Universidad de La Serena and ICATE-CONICET) have used the Gemini South telescope in Chile to obtain a dramatic new image of the nursery that could be described as psychedelic. ...
An all-time favorite of skywatchers on both hemispheres, the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8 or M8) is among the most striking examples of a stellar nursery in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy. Visible in small telescopes and binoculars its fuzzy glow reveals the type of chaotic environment where new stars are born.
Argentinean astronomers Julia Arias (Universidad de La Serena) and Rodolfo Barba (Universidad de La Serena and ICATE-CONICET) have used the Gemini South telescope in Chile to obtain a dramatic new image of the nursery that could be described as psychedelic. ...
Stunning, Colorful New Look at the Lagoon Nebula
May 5, 2011 - Universe Today
Wow, is this gorgeous or what?! Argentinean astronomers Julia Arias and Rodolfo Barbá used the Gemini South telescope in Chile to obtain this stunning new image, allowing us to dive right into part of the Lagoon Nebula (M8). This region of the Lagoon is sometimes called the “Southern Cliff” because it resembles a sharp drop-off. Beyond the cliff, light from a spattering of young background stars in the upper left of the image shines through the cloudscape.
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Lose yourself in a celestial lagoon
May 5, 2011 - MSNBC.com
Most folks think of outer space as a vast emptiness, but if you look at the right place in the right light, you'll find beautiful clouds of glory. The Lagoon Nebula in the constellation Sagittarius, also known as M8, is such a place. This region of the nebula, 5,000 light-years from Earth, is known as the "Southern Cliff" because of the sharp dropoff that can be seen in the clouds of glowing gas and dust.
The view captured by the Gemini South telescope in Chile does not reflect what the human eye would see. If you looked at the Lagoon through a good-sized amateur telescope, you'd see a pale ghostly glow with a touch of pink. But this picture was created using filters that are sensitive to emissions from hydrogen (red) and ionized sulfur (green), plus far-infrared light (shown here in blue). That explains the psychedelic color scheme.
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Monday, May 2, 2011
Low-energy astrophysics: How scientists are trying to save the Earth
April 29, 2011 - Boingboing.com
Listen to the scientists. That's what we say. When lots of different scientists, working separately, are turning up evidence that the Earth is getting warmer and human activities are to blame, then we should heed their warnings.
Scientists, from many different disciplines, say that their research shows we should be concerned about climate change. If we want to reduce our risk, we'll have to start using less fossil fuels. That's a big shift in the way the world thinks about energy. It's bound to change our lives—and we may not necessarily like all the changes. And that fact begs a question: Do the scientists who sound the alarm on climate change have a responsibility to take the lead on energy change?
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In 2008, Rodgers was part of a group led by Peter McEvoy, Gemini facilities manager, which launched a campaign to make the Gemini Observatory—actually two facilities, one in Chile and the other in Hawaii—more energy efficient. Pooling ideas from Gemini staff, they started making changes, both to the buildings and equipment, and to the way people worked.
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Listen to the scientists. That's what we say. When lots of different scientists, working separately, are turning up evidence that the Earth is getting warmer and human activities are to blame, then we should heed their warnings.
Scientists, from many different disciplines, say that their research shows we should be concerned about climate change. If we want to reduce our risk, we'll have to start using less fossil fuels. That's a big shift in the way the world thinks about energy. It's bound to change our lives—and we may not necessarily like all the changes. And that fact begs a question: Do the scientists who sound the alarm on climate change have a responsibility to take the lead on energy change?
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In 2008, Rodgers was part of a group led by Peter McEvoy, Gemini facilities manager, which launched a campaign to make the Gemini Observatory—actually two facilities, one in Chile and the other in Hawaii—more energy efficient. Pooling ideas from Gemini staff, they started making changes, both to the buildings and equipment, and to the way people worked.
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