Hacker News with Generative AI: Astronomy

Protoplanetary Disks Are Smaller Than Expected (centauri-dreams.org)
These results completely change our view of what a ‘typical’ protoplanetary disc looks like. Only the brightest discs which are the easiest to observe show large-scale gaps, whereas compact discs without such substructures are actually much more common.
Astronomy, Space, Protoplanetary Disks
28 points by JPLeRouzic 14 hours ago | 2 comments
Chance of asteroid hitting Moon increases slightly (bbc.com)
A large asteroid whose chances of hitting Earth have been all but ruled out is now slightly more likely to hit the Moon than previously thought, Nasa says.
Space, Astronomy, Asteroids, Moon
5 points by speckx 1 day ago | 0 comments
Rising odds asteroid that briefly threatened Earth will hit moon (phys.org)
A huge asteroid that was briefly feared to strike Earth now has a nearly 4% chance of smashing into the moon, according to new data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Space, Astronomy, Asteroids, Moon
6 points by pseudolus 1 day ago | 1 comments
A dramatic Einstein ring seen by Webb (phys.org)
One of the first verified predictions of general relativity is the gravitational deflection of starlight.
Space, Astronomy, Physics, General Relativity
122 points by programd 3 days ago | 28 comments
AI image recognition detects bubble-like structures in the universe (phys.org)
To learn more about the deepest reaches of our own galaxy and the mysteries of star formation, Japanese researchers have created a deep learning model.
Artificial Intelligence, Astronomy, Deep Learning, Universe
110 points by PaulHoule 5 days ago | 78 comments
European Gaia mapping satellite is retired but proves tough to kill (theregister.com)
The last commands have been sent to the ESA's Gaia satellite and, after a dozen years scanning the galaxy, the spacecraft is shutting down its computers and boosting out into a retirement orbit around the Sun.
Space Exploration, Astronomy, Satellites, Europe
6 points by rntn 5 days ago | 1 comments
James Webb Space Telescope reveals that most galaxies rotate clockwise (smithsonianmag.com)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched into orbit around the sun in December 2021. Since then, it has been studying the history of our universe. Now, images of deep space from JWST’s Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) have revealed something puzzling: most galaxies rotate in the same direction.
Space Exploration, Astronomy, Galaxies
356 points by instagraham 6 days ago | 308 comments
The Unluckiest Astronomer in History (armaghplanet.com)
Whether you are a researcher gathering data, or a hobbyist taking photos from your back garden, astronomy has always required a certain amount of good luck. Instruments can be uncooperative, data can be lost or damaged, and of course there’s the ever-present threat of bad weather. This is nothing new, and the long history of astronomy is full of examples of things not quite going according to plan for even the most brilliant observers.
Astronomy, History, Science
4 points by shubhamjain 6 days ago | 0 comments
What Did Hubble See on Your Birthday? (nasa.gov)
Hubble explores the universe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That means it has observed some fascinating cosmic wonder every day of the year, including on your birthday.
Space, Astronomy, NASA, Hubble Telescope, Birthday
7 points by throw0101b 6 days ago | 2 comments
The Surprising History of Scientific Ballooning in 11 Missions (nautil.us)
It started with farm animals—now it’s revealing secrets of the cosmos
History, Science, Astronomy, Ballooning
19 points by dnetesn 7 days ago | 1 comments
JWST reveals exoplanet composition with unprecedented clarity (chemistryworld.com)
Exoplanets orbiting a star 133 light years away contain a far greater abundance of carbon than the star itself, according to the first direct spectral data of this kind captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Astronomy, Exoplanets, Spectroscopy
7 points by Brajeshwar 9 days ago | 0 comments
Four new gamma-ray millisecond pulsars discovered (phys.org)
An international team of astronomers reports the detection of four new gamma-ray millisecond pulsars using the Murriyang radio telescope at the Parkes Observatory in Australia.
Astronomy, Pulsars, Radio Telescopes
6 points by Brajeshwar 9 days ago | 0 comments
Farewell, Gaia Spacecraft operations come to an end (esa.int)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has powered down its Gaia spacecraft after more than a decade spent gathering data that are now being used to unravel the secrets of our home galaxy.
Space Exploration, Astronomy
14 points by taubek 9 days ago | 0 comments
The disappearance of Gaia, ESA spacecraft will be turned off on 27 March 2025 (cosmos.esa.int)
On 4 March, astronomer Zhuo-Xiao Wang captured this view of the sudden disappearance of ESA’s Gaia spacecraft. After more than 11 years in space mapping the motions and properties of billions of stars, the spacecraft’s operations are coming to an end. Gaia will be switched off on 27 March 2025. During a series of final test operations, flight controllers at ESA’s ESOC mission control centre rotated Gaia, causing its sunshield to reflect more light towards Earth.
Space Exploration, Astronomy, Science, Spacecraft
126 points by croes 10 days ago | 45 comments
Were large soda lakes the cradle of life? (ethz.ch)
Life needs sufficient phosphorus. However, the element is scarce, not only today but also at the time of the origin of life. So where was there sufficient phosphorus four billion years ago for life to emerge? A team of origin-of-life researchers has an answer.
Science, Astronomy, Phosphorus
54 points by geox 11 days ago | 21 comments
Astronomers discover 128 new moons orbiting Saturn (theguardian.com)
Astronomers have discovered 128 new moons orbiting Saturn, giving it an insurmountable lead in the running tally of moons in the solar system.
Astronomy, Space, Saturn, Solar System
6 points by mooreds 14 days ago | 0 comments
Venus passes between the Earth and sun this weekend (apnews.com)
Venus will pass between the Earth and sun on Saturday during what’s called an inferior conjunction.
Astronomy, Space, Venus
9 points by tocs3 14 days ago | 7 comments
Euclid opens data treasure trove, offers glimpse of deep fields (esa.int)
On 19 March 2025, the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission released its first batch of survey data, including a preview of its deep fields.
Space Exploration, Astronomy, Data, Science
107 points by layer8 16 days ago | 21 comments
Oxygen atoms discovered in most distant known galaxy (eso.org)
Two different teams of astronomers have detected oxygen in the most distant known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0.
Astronomy, Space, Galaxies, Oxygen
228 points by sohkamyung 16 days ago | 173 comments
'More than a hint' that dark energy isn't what astronomers thought (nytimes.com)
An international team of astronomers on Wednesday unveiled the most compelling evidence to date that dark energy — a mysterious phenomenon pushing our universe to expand ever faster — is not a constant force of nature but one that ebbs and flows through cosmic time.
Cosmology, Astronomy, Dark Energy, Science
140 points by Hooke 17 days ago | 99 comments
Hubble Captures Vivid Auroras in Jupiter's Atmosphere (2016) (nasa.gov)
Astronomers are using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to study auroras – stunning light shows in a planet's atmosphere – on the poles of the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter.
Astronomy, Space Exploration, Jupiter, Auroras
56 points by mooreds 17 days ago | 11 comments
DESI Opens Access to the Largest 3D Map of the Universe Yet (newscenter.lbl.gov)
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is mapping millions of celestial objects to better understand dark energy: the mysterious driver of our universe’s accelerating expansion. Today, the DESI collaboration released a new collection of data for anyone in the world to investigate.
Science, Astronomy, Dark Energy, Mapping, Data Release
133 points by gnabgib 17 days ago | 18 comments
New high-definition images released of the baby universe (princeton.edu)
New research by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) collaboration has produced the clearest images yet of the universe’s infancy — the earliest cosmic time yet accessible to humans.
Astronomy, Cosmology, Science, Universe
12 points by layer8 17 days ago | 0 comments
New science results and exclusive data from the Euclid space telescope (euclid-ec.org)
Today, the Euclid Consortium (EC) releases scientific papers and exclusive data based on observations made by the Euclid space telescope.
Space Exploration, Astronomy, Data Release, Scientific Research
7 points by croes 17 days ago | 0 comments
How fast the days are getting longer (2023) (joe-antognini.github.io)
Here in the northern hemisphere the vernal equinox just passed and the days are quickly getting longer.
Seasons, Time, Astronomy
613 points by antognini 17 days ago | 203 comments
Violent supernovae triggered at least two Earth extinctions (phys.org)
At least two mass extinction events in Earth's history were likely caused by the "devastating" effects of nearby supernova explosions, a new study suggests.
Science, Space, Astronomy, Mass Extinction, Earth
12 points by wjSgoWPm5bWAhXB 18 days ago | 3 comments
What Will the Betelgeuse Supernova Be Like – and Will It Hurt Us? (universetoday.com)
When Beetlejuice goes off, it's going to be the show of a lifetime. But it’s not going to hurt us.
Astronomy, Supernova, Science
32 points by rbanffy 19 days ago | 15 comments
Is our universe trapped inside a black hole? This JWS Telescope discovery (space.com)
Black Holes, Space Exploration, Cosmology, Astronomy, Physics
81 points by janandonly 21 days ago | 56 comments
Saturn solidifies its title as moon king with the discovery of 128 new moons (cbc.ca)
With a whopping total of 274 moons, researchers say Saturn’s tug of war with Jupiter for the title is settled once and for all.
Space Exploration, Astronomy, Solar System, Saturn, Jupiter
20 points by handfuloflight 22 days ago | 3 comments
Amateur Telescope Making Main Page (stellafane.org)
"For it is true that astronomy, from a popular standpoint, is handicapped by the inability of the average workman to own an expensive astronomical telescope. It is also true that if an amateur starts out to build a telescope just for fun he will find, before his labors are over, that he has become seriously interested in the wonderful mechanism of our universe.
Astronomy, DIY, Hobby
254 points by Tomte 24 days ago | 54 comments