New Atlas

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Milky Way still reeling from impact with "ghost galaxy"

Michael Irving June 16, 2019

Last year astronomers discovered a gigantic “ghost” galaxy, named Antlia 2, orbiting the Milky Way. Now, new research led by Rochester University has found that the bizarre galaxy may have been involved in a hit-and-run that left the Milky Way with a wobbly galactic disc.

An artist's rendition of ripples in the outer disc of the Milky Way, which are believed ...

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Mysterious galaxy's missing dark matter may have been found

Michael Irving June 10, 2019

Dark matter is the mysterious substance that’s believed to permeate the universe, and the discovery last year of a galaxy with no dark matter was quite surprising. But now, astronomers have examined the oddball galaxy a bit closer – and found that it’s not so special after all.

The ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC1052-DF2 was previously thought to contain very little dark matter – but a ...

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Huge metallic anomaly detected buried beneath the Moon's largest crater

Michael Irving June 10, 2019

The South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon is the largest impact crater in the solar system, measuring about 2,500 km (1,550 mi) across at its widest point. And now scientists have detected something strange buried under the crater.

The huge South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon can be seen in this topographical map, as ...

Space

Dusty, gassy origins of giant planets observed at last

Matt Kennedy June 4, 2019

An international team of physicists has finally found proof of circumplanetary disks, adding substantial weight to current theoretical models of planet formation. These disks of gas surrounded by dust have eluded detection, until now.

Detail of an infrared image of the newborn planet, PDS 70 b and its circumplanetary disk

Space

First moving picture of a total solar eclipse restored to 4K quality

David Szondy May 30, 2019

As part of a celebration of Victorian cinema, the British Film Institute and the Royal Astronomical Society have released the oldest known moving picture of a solar eclipse. Recently restored to 4K quality, it was made by pioneering filmmaker Nevil Maskelyne in North Carolina on 28 May, 1900.

Still frame from Nevil Maskelyne's footage of a solar eclipse, filmed in North Carolina on May ...

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Close encounter with alien star could explain ’Oumuamua, debunk Planet Nine

Michael Irving May 29, 2019

New research suggests some asteroids could actually be alien, captured during close flybys with other star systems. These close encounters could also explain objects like Oumuamua and might even provide an alternative to the “Planet Nine” hypothesis.

An artist's impression of 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar asteroid

Space

Earth-buzzing comet found carrying "ocean-like" water

Michael Irving May 27, 2019

Earth is a famously wet planet, but where all that water came from in the first place remains a mystery. New observations of a comet that whizzed by Earth a few months ago show that it contains “ocean-like” water – and this may apply to other previously-dismissed comets too.

Comet Wirtanen, which buzzed Earth in December 2018, has been found to harbor "ocean-like" water

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Watery ancient Venus could have been rendered uninhabitable by its own oceans

Michael Irving May 22, 2019

Studies have shown that billions of years ago Venus might have been just as habitable as Earth. So what happened? New research has found that if ancient Venus was home to vast oceans, tidal drags may have slowed down the rotation of the planet and let it bake into the lifeless world we know today.

Simulations suggest that if ancient Venus had an ocean, tidal forces may have slowed the planet's ...

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Bizarre celestial object spotted is one of the rarest in the galaxy

Michael Irving May 21, 2019

The cosmos is full of strange things, like planets made of diamond, mysterious radio bursts and quasars that shine like 600 trillion Suns. Now astronomers have spotted a bizarre star that may prove to be one of the rarest objects ever, with maybe as few as five or six of them in the galaxy.

A white dwarf star, which is at the heart of the strange new object

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How a huge impact may have given the Moon two faces

Michael Irving May 21, 2019

Observations have shown that the “back” of the Moon has a thicker crust and an extra layer of material compared to the side that faces Earth. Now, simulations have revealed one possible, explosive explanation – an impact with a huge object early on in the Moon’s life.

An illustration of a collision between two huge celestial bodies, similar to that now theorized to ...