astrophysics
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This ‘Unusual Star’ Is Unlike Anything Astronomers Have Seen Before
Space is full of surprises, like this apparent star — which, given the tumultuous circumstances of its formation, shouldn’t really exist.
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Arecibo Observatory’s Greatest Triumphs
Yesterday brought the tragic news that the famous 304.80 m radio dish at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico will have to be demolished after the failure of two support cables. It’s the end of an era, but a good excuse to revisit some of the most important scientific contributions made possible by the famous…
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Mysterious Radio Burst in Our Galaxy Came From a Magnetar
For the first time ever, astronomers have linked an actual object to those mysterious radio bursts they’ve been detecting since 2007. The culprit in this case, as suspected, is a super-dense object known as a magnetar, but the finding has prompted an entirely new set of questions.
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Funky Discrepancy Deepens Dark Matter Mystery
New research, in which empirical data failed to jibe with theoretical calculations, shows just how much physicists still have to learn about dark matter.