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- 2017 - Here are some of the new discoveries in 2017 astronomy. Saturn, Mercury, and even Earth. Mysterious fast radio burst may have an identified source. Exoplanets are orbiting a star at just the right distance for liquid water to cover the surface. A new sub-ocean continent was discovered on the planet Earth.
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------------------------------------- ASTRONOMY - news in 2017
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- Titan is Saturn’s largest moon. It has a thick atmosphere, has lakes and rivers of methane. Could life live in those hydrocarbons? The scientists are continuing to look for biologically important chemistry. Still searching for life elsewhere.
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- September 19, 2016, astronomers were able to measure a Type1a Supernova. These supernova are identified by their light curve that are the same light intensity versus time for each event. Measuring brightness allows astronomers to calculate distance.
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- A unique aspect with this explosion was that it was directly behind a large galaxy. The supernova’s light was bent around this large gravity mass. The light took four separate paths around the galaxy. Each image traveled a separate distance. Measuring the arrival times of the different images allows the calculation for the expansion rate of the Universe.
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- These calculations using gravitational lensing will also allow astronomers to map the distribution of matter through the entire cosmos. This particular supernova was 4.3 billion light years away.
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- When the Universe popped into existence 13.8 billion years ago there were equal amounts of Matter and anti-Matter. Why did Matter survive? There is not much anti-Matter left behind? Why is that?
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- So far no explanation has been found. When electrons transition between energy levels in an atom specific wavelengths of light are absorbed or released. Measurements for the hydrogen and anti-hydrogen atoms have found identical wavelengths. Everything appears the same except for their polarity
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- Cassini has spent 13 years orbiting Saturn, 2004 to 2017 , descending into the atmosphere to burn up on September 15, 2017. By flying within 1000 miles of the surface Cassini was able to make detailed measurements of the planet’s magnetic field. It took 7 years to reach Saturn so the total mission lasted 20 years.
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- A new astronomy mystery arrived with a blast of radio waves lasting only milliseconds.
The FRB’s, ‘fast radio bursts” were first discovered 10 years ago. Today there are a total of 20 records of FRB’s.
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- The first task for astronomers is to find where these signals are originating. This last signal was pinpointed to be 130 light years away. The source was a dwarf galaxy 1,000 times less massive than the Milky Way and 10 times smaller. It is 2.4 billion light years away. Now we know where they come from maybe we can figure out what causes these radio bursts.
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- In February, 2017, astronomers announced finding seven earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable-zone of a nearby star. Their distance from the star is just right for temperatures that allow liquid water on their surface. The star is called TRAPPIST-1. The planets crossed our telescopes line of sight allowing the diameters of the planets to be calculated based on their blocking of the star light. Multiple orbits allowed their masses to be calculated. Then the density can be calculated. Calculations tell us these exoplanets are rocky and earth-size.
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- The TRAPPIST-1 star is only 8 % of our Suns mass and 12% of its diameter. It shines with a cooler red glow unlike our Suns yellow -white light. The inner most planet orbits in1.5 days. The outer most in 18.8 days. This unusual solar system is only 40 light years away.
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- Astronomers found two neutron stars that collided producing huge amounts of gold, silver, platinum , and other heavy elements. The stars crashed at speeds one third the speed of light.
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- In 2017 scientists discovered another continent on planet earth. It is called Zealandia on the ocean floor in the South Pacific. Fossils tell us animals once lived there. Discoveries still happening in our planet.
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- 2018 more explorations are planned. Astronomers will launch a mission to explore the planet Mercury. The TESS satellite will search for more exoplanets. The InSight mission to Mars will begin seismic and heat measurements. The SRG satellite will scan the entire sky to discover more Blackholes throughout the cosmos.
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