By Mariam Malik ‘22 A planet is a celestial body that rotates around a star in an elliptical orbit. Separate from fixed stars, each planet has its own unique motion. New and combined research from multiple universities around the world shows the discovery of a new planet, NGTS-4b, which is smaller than Neptune but found in an area where most Neptune-like planets are not found, … Continue reading Researchers Discover Sub-Neptune Sized Planet
Neomi Lewis ‘21 Analysis of observations taken by the Atacama Large Millemeter/sub millimeter Array, a radio telescope, shows that last March, Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, experienced significant stellar flares. This alarming behavior casts further doubt into the habitability of the Solar System’s nearest exoplanetary neighbor, Proxima b, which orbits Proxima Centauri. Stellar flares occur when electrons accelerate at very high speeds, … Continue reading Star Neighbor’s Unusual Day
Neomi Lewis ‘21 The glaring image of the Milky Way is the rotating galaxy that usually comes to mind when individuals think about outer space. However, this typical image is no longer useful in studying bodies within the galaxy. Images of the Milky Way captured in visible light are obscured by dust and clouds. To remedy the situation, astronomers have used a 45 m radio … Continue reading The Largest Map of the Milky Way Yet
Neomi Lewis ‘21 Astronomers and cosmologists continue the elusive search to understand the nature and existence of dark matter, a substance that is believed to be pervasive throughout the universe, including near our own planet. An international group of astrophysicists have published work in the journal Physical Review Letters this January that suggests that we may be able to better decipher the speed of dark … Continue reading Using Stars to Find Dark Matter
By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Since the discovery of perchlorates in soil acquired from Mars using the Pheonix Lander, researchers have been wondering how a liquid such as this can exist in the extreme cold temperatures found on the planet. A solution of perchlorate at 44% by weight can cause the freezing temperature of water to drop well below that of pure water. Researchers led by … Continue reading Investigating Water on Mars
By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Whether the world ends in asteroids or radiation, the big question is what, if anything, will survive. Researchers lead by Dr. David Sloan from the University of Oxford assessed the resilience of species when against three astrophysical catastrophes (asteroids, supernovas, and gamma-ray bursts) that could sterilize the planet. These events threaten the survival of species with radiation and by deterioration of … Continue reading Tardigrade and Its Impact on Survivability
By Shannon Bohman ’19 Planetary scientists, Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown, of the California Institute of Technology, claim to have solid evidence of a new, ninth planet in our solar system. This planet, like other objects in space, is too far to be observed directly. Instead, its existence has been inferred. Six predetermined bodies on the outskirts of our solar system that are roughly the … Continue reading Possible Ninth Planet in the Outer Solar System
By Shannon Bohman Image acquired from: commons.wikipedia.org Figure 1 This picture shows an artist’s rendition of space from a spacecraft. Researchers in Stony Brook’s Department of Psychiatry received two grants from NASA and are currently investigating the effect of long-term space travel on astronauts. The first grant is a three-year project investigating new ways to provide proper psychotherapy to astronauts. Extended voyages into space can cause … Continue reading SBU Research into the Effect of Prolonged Space Travel
