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Eclipse Event at Green Bank Observatory
Image above is similar to what West Virginians will see if they observe the eclipse this August! (Image source: RedOrbit.com) Have you heard?! This summer, you have the chance to experience a spectacular stellar event! On August 21, the star that brings us spring flowers, warm days by the pool, and the northern lights, a.k.a.…
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GBT Captures Orion Blazing Bright in Radio Light
A team of astronomers has unveiled a striking new image of the Orion Molecular Cloud (OMC) – a bustling stellar nursery teeming with bright, young stars and dazzling regions of hot, glowing gas. The researchers used the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia to study a 50 light-year long filament…
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‘Ageless’ Silicon throughout Milky Way May Indicate a Well-Mixed Galaxy
As galaxies age, some of their basic chemical elements can also show signs of aging. This aging process can be seen as certain atoms “put on a little weight,” meaning they change into heavier isotopes — atoms with additional neutrons in their nuclei. Surprisingly, new surveys of the Milky Way with the National Science Foundation’s…
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Young Astronomer Shines at Astronomy Meeting
Cannan Huey-You, just 11 years old, impressed professional astronomers in January with his research on a massive intergalactic gas cloud. When astronomers and astrophysicists descended on Grapevine, Texas, this past January for the semiannual conference that many call the “Super Bowl of Astronomy,” they were joined by the meeting’s youngest participant ever. On Friday, 11-year-old…
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“…comet swarm, cloud of debris, or alien construction site”- Tabby’s Star Scrutinized by Green Bank Telescope
A fascinating article recently published by Astronomy Magazine, describes observations made using the Green Bank Telescope of a very quirky star known as Tabby’s Star (named after Tabetha Boyajian, the post-doc who studied its behavior). Tabby’s star dims substantially, at irregular intervals, setting it apart from other stars that harbor exoplanets. What could account for…