james webb space telescope
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Supercomputer Suggests ‘Super Diamonds’ Could Exist in Space
Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring material on Earth, but a supercomputer just modeled stuff that’s even harder. Called a ‘super-diamond,’ the theoretical material could exist beyond our planet—and maybe, one day, be created here on Earth. Like normal diamonds, super-diamonds are made from carbon atoms. This specific phase of carbon, composed of eight atoms,…
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Webb Spots Second Ancient Supernova in Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy
Last month, astronomers focused the Webb Space Telescope on the galaxy MRG-M0138 and found something surprising: a supernova in the ancient universe, magnified for your viewing pleasure by the gravitational lensed galaxy. When stars die, they release a huge amount of energy which astronomers can observe as a bright light source called a supernova. The…
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Glitching Hubble Puts Science Missions on Hold
NASA is addressing an issue with a Hubble Space Telescope gyroscope that prompted the observatory to enter safe mode on November 23. Science operations have been suspended as a result, but the space agency doesn’t seem too worried. Hubble, launched on April 24, 1990, and renowned for its significant contributions to astronomy, is experiencing a…
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Webb Telescope Spots Wild World With Sand Clouds and Sulfuric Skies
The Webb Space Telescope has revealed a world quite alien compared to our own: WASP-107b, a Neptune-like gas giant that orbits a star some 211 light-years from Earth. Webb has now detected water vapor and sulfur dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere, as well as sand-like silicate clouds. The planet’s atmosphere is not dense, allowing a…