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How fast can solar systems orbit our Milky Way Galaxy? This is what a recent study published in The Astronomical Journal hopes to address as an international team of researchers confirmed the existence of a star and exoplanet companion orbiting within the Milky Way’s galactic bulge that could be the fastest orbiting exoplanet system ever found. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand the formation and evolution of exoplanetary systems throughout the Milky Way and potentially beyond.

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from a 2011 study published in The Astrophysical Journal comprised of some of the same team that used the microlensing method to identify the existence of two objects orbiting near the Milky Way’s galactic bulge, which is a region containing a high-density number of stars. At the time, those researchers hypothesized the objects were either a gas giant with an exomoon or a fast-moving exoplanetary system. The researchers on this recent study deduced that the objects consisted of a star approximately 20 percent the size of our Sun and an exoplanet approximately 30 times the size of Earth.

But the surprise was finding out the pair’s speed by comparing their 2011 location to its 2021 location, which the team estimated is traveling at approximately 600 kilometers per second (372 miles per second), or approximately 2.1 kilometers per hour (1.3 million miles per hour). At this speed, the objects will leave the Milky Way millions of years from now since it surpasses our galaxy’s escape velocity. For context, our solar system is orbiting our Milky Way at approximately 828,000 kilometers per hour (515,000 miles per hour).

An international team of astronomers has investigated a newly detected Type II supernova designated SN 2024jlf. The new study, detailed in a paper published Jan. 30 on the arXiv pre-print server, yields important information regarding the evolution of this supernova and the nature of its progenitor.

Type II supernovae (SNe) are the results of rapid collapse and violent explosion of massive stars (with masses above 8.0 solar masses). They are distinguished from other SNe by the presence of hydrogen in their spectra.

Based on the shape of their light curves, they are usually divided into Type IIL and Type IIP. Type IIL SNe show a steady (linear) decline after the explosion, while Type IIP exhibit a period of slower decline (a plateau) that is followed by a normal decay.

Researchers at the Biomimetics-Innovation-Center, Hochschule Bremen—City University of Applied Sciences, have made pioneering discoveries about how mechanical stress shapes the ultrastructure of starfish skeletons. Published in Acta Biomaterialia, their study delivers the first in-depth analysis of how starfish skeletons respond to varying stress conditions, revealing new insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that drive skeletal adaptation.

While starfish are widely recognized—especially thanks to pop-culture icons like Patrick Star in SpongeBob SquarePants—their remarkable internal structure often goes unnoticed. Sharing an evolutionary lineage with vertebrates, starfish serve as powerful models for studying the development of endoskeletons.

Their skeletons consist of thousands of small, bone-like elements called ossicles, which feature a complex, porous structure strikingly similar to human and other vertebrate bones. According to lead author Raman and colleagues, these ossicles exhibit microstructural adaptations that mirror the they experience, demonstrating a universal principle of stress adaptation.

Star formation begins in the molecular cloud where each dense core is initially in a balance between self-gravity, which tends to compress the object, and both gas pressure and magnetic pressure, which tend to inflate it.

Since the mass of the Milky Way galaxy is about 1011 M and its age is about 1010 years, we can calculate that at present, new stars are forming in the molecular cloud of the Milky Way at a rate of about three M per year.

Related: Astronomer Witnessed a Star System Being Born.

Scientists explored Human Accelerated Regions (HARs), genetic regulators that tweak existing genes rather than introducing new ones. Using cutting-edge techniques, they mapped nearly all HAR interactions, revealing their role in brain development and neurological disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

Decoding the Genetic Evolution of the Human Brain

A new Yale study offers a deeper understanding of the genetic changes that shaped human brain evolution and how this process differed from that of chimpanzees.

Scientists have just discovered the largest structure ever found in the universe, and it’s changing everything we thought we knew about space! Quipu, a superstructure spanning 1.3 billion light-years, is bending light, distorting cosmic expansion, and even affecting the Cosmic Microwave Background. What does this mean for our understanding of dark matter, energy, and galaxy evolution? Watch this video to explore Quipu’s secrets and their impact on the universe! 🚀✨ paper link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.19236 MUSIC TITLE : Starlight Harmonies MUSIC LINK : https://pixabay.com/music/pulses-starlight-harmonies-185900/ Visit our website for up-to-the-minute updates: www.nasaspacenews.com Follow us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nasaspacenews Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpacenewsNasa Join this channel to get access to these perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEuhsgmcQRbtfiz8KMfYwIQ/join #NSN #NASA #Astronomy#SpaceDiscovery #Quipu #LargestStructure #Astronomy #Cosmos #BiggestThingInSpace #DarkMatter #GalaxyClusters #SpaceScience #NASA #Astrophysics #CosmicWeb #ScienceNews #MindBlowing #Intergalactic #BlackHoles #Physics #TimeAndSpace #Superstructure #Galaxies #Universe #Science #Exoplanets #MilkyWay #Astronomers #XrayMapping #SpaceTech #BeyondTheStars #FutureOfSpace #CosmicEvolution …

A study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP) presents a methodology to test the assumption of cosmic homogeneity and isotropy, known as the Cosmological Principle, by leveraging weak gravitational lensing—a light distortion effect described by general relativity—in astronomical images collected by new observatories such as the Euclid Space Telescope. Finding evidence of anomalies in the Cosmological Principle could have profound implications for our current understanding of the universe.

“The Cosmological Principle is like an ultimate kind of statement of humility,” explains James Adam, astrophysicist at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, and lead author of the new paper. According to the Cosmological Principle, not only are we not at the center of the universe, but a true center does not exist.

A further assumption, similar to but distinct and independent from homogeneity, is that the universe is also isotropic, meaning it has no preferred directions. These assumptions underlie the Standard Model of Cosmology, the theoretical framework used to explain the origin, evolution, and current state of the universe. It is currently the most robust and consistent model, verified by numerous scientific observations, though not yet perfect.

The Last Evolution, SF Audiobook, Science Fiction by John W. Campbell Jr.

I am the last of my type existing today in all the Solar System. I, too, am the last existing who, in memory, sees the struggle for this System, and in memory I am.

The Last Evolution by John W. Campbell, Jr.

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Geologically, Mars is very reminiscent of the moon. But it also looks a lot like the Earth. It all depends on who you ask.

Current understanding of Mars’ evolution is based on spacecraft measurements and meteorite analysis. Those meteorites were ejected from Mars and traversed space before landing on Earth, where they were discovered primarily in African deserts and Antarctica. They come in two categories: shergottites and nakhlites. Each paints a distinctly different picture of Mars’ geologic history.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, LLNL researchers argue that samples retrieved from known locations on Mars by sample return missions could solve this conundrum.

What kinds of strange life forms might exist on exoplanets? Invest in your mind with Imprint. Go to https://imprintapp.com/V101-Fans to get a 7-day free trial and get 20% off an annual membership.

Scientists are uncovering bizarre exoplanets that challenge everything we know about habitability. From super-Earths with crushing gravity to tidally locked planets with scorching hot and frozen hemispheres, these extreme worlds could give rise to lifeforms unlike anything on Earth. In this video, we explore the scientific possibilities of extraterrestrial life—how gravity, atmosphere, and star types could shape truly alien evolution. Could we find snake-like creatures on high-gravity worlds, black-leaved plants around red dwarf stars, or ocean-dwelling bioluminescent life on Europa-like moons? The possibilities are endless, and the science is fascinating!

Writers credit:
Today’s script comes from the brilliant astronomy author: Colin Stuart.
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