Spacetime With Stuart Gary

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * Magnetic bridge linking galaxies Astronomers have detected a magnetic field associated with the Magellanic Bridge, the filament of gas stretching 75,000 light-years between the Milky Way Galaxy’s nearest galactic neighbours -- the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The findings provide the first ever detection of a magnetic field in the bridge and may provide clues to how it’s formed. *New clues about the origins of brown dwarfs Astronomers have discovered a spectacular extended jet blasting almost a lightyear out from a young brown dwarf. The discovery provides new insights into the origins of brown dwarfs, supporting the emerging picture that these sub stellar objects form in the same way stars do. *Astronomers produce the largest map of the Universe ever made Astronomers with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey have created the first map of the large-scale structure of the universe based entirely on the posit

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * The Sun’s violent eruptions may all have the same trigger A new study claims violent stellar eruptions on the Sun may all be triggered by the same process regardless of their size. The findings contradict previous idea’s that different sized eruptions were caused by different processes. *Exploring the climate of Proxima B Scientists are taking their first tentative steps to study the climate of Proxima B -- the nearest Earth like planet beyond our solar system. Proxima B orbits Proxima Centauri – the closest neighbouring star to the Sun – and the third star in the Alpha Centauri triple star system. *NASA’s cosmic ray balloon mission terminated early A NASA mission involving a giant football-stadium-sized, heavy-lift super pressure balloon -- has been terminated early -- splashing down in the South Pacific Ocean 320 kilometres south of Easter Island. The mission -- which was designed to study mysterious co

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * Millions of monsters hiding in plain sight Astronomers have found evidence of a black hole hiding in a cloud of gas in a dark corner of the Milky Way. The study is thought to be just the tip of the iceberg with millions of these monstrous gravity wells expected to be floating around unseen throughout the galaxy. *Earth’s mantle is far hotter than previously thought A new study claims the Earth’s mantle may be hotter than previously thought. The findings could change the way researchers think about many geological processes within the plant -- including how ocean basins form. *Australian astronomy joins the Very Large Telescope consortium The Australian Federal budget handed down last week in Canberra included some good news for astronomers with the announcement of a new strategic partnership providing access to one of the world’s best astronomical facilities -- the European Southern Observatory’s Very Lar

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * Brown Dwarf reclassified as planet An object originally thought to be one of the nearest brown Dwarfs to Earth has now been reclassified as a planet. The study demonstrates the fine line which separates brown dwarfs from the smallest stars and the largest planets. *Ancient impact events linked to long-lived volcanic eruptions on Earth Major asteroid, comet, and meteorite impact events on Earth have been linked to significant long term volcanic eruptions. The new findings show that cosmic impact events can trigger intense, long-lived, and explosive volcanic eruptions which change a planet’s surface and climate by bringing up material from deep below. *Moon Landing conspiracy theories In July 1969 humans landed and walked on the surface of Moon for the first time. Yet even now almost half a century later some 20 percent of people still believe it was all a big hoax. We try to find out why – and set the reco

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *The closest ever stellar orbit seen around a black hole Astronomers have discovered what appears to be the tightest ever stellar orbit around a black hole. The findings could help astronomers better understand the strange gravitational dynamics around stellar mass black holes. *A new study of Gamma-ray flashes emanating from tropical storms Scientists have discovered that a storm’s size and intensity doesn’t affect its production of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes – some of the highest energy event generated on Earth. NASA scientists analysed dozens of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes launched by the largest and strongest weather systems on the planet: tropical cyclones, storms, hurricanes, and typhoons. *Scientists create negative mass Physicists have created a fluid with negative mass – which they claim is exactly as mind-bending as it sounds. It means that unlike just about everything else in the universe --

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *The Milky Way’s mysterious gamma ray glow solved A mysterious gamma-ray glow coming from the centre of the Milky Way is most likely caused by a sea of pulsars. The findings cast doubt on previous ideas that the glow might be evidence of dark matter -- a mysterious invisible substance that accounts for 85 percent of all matter in the universe -- but which has so far evaded detection. *Gravitationally lensed supernova Astronomers have discovered their first gravitationally lensed thermonuclear supernova. The new observations provide new ways of studying the accelerating expansion of the Universe due to a mysterious force called dark energy – as well as gravity and distribution of a mysterious substance called dark matter across the cosmos. *Cassini finds big empty close to Saturn NASA’s Cassini scientists say the region between Saturn and its rings is relatively dust free. However, the discovery made during

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * Cassini’s first dive inside Saturn’s rings NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has survived one of its riskiest manoeuvres -- after successfully undertaking its first ever dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings. As well as provide unrivalled close-ups of the rings – the flight through this previously unexplored region could finally help astronomers answer the nagging question of the true age of Saturn’s spectacular rings. *Hints of possible new physics beyond the Standard Model Researchers may have just discovered the first possible hints of new physics -- which could forge the first significant cracks in the Standard model of particle physics -- that forms the foundations of sciences understanding of the universe. The new findings could be an early indicator of an inconsistency which could take science beyond the Standard Model. *Ripples in the Cosmic web Astronomers have made the firs

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * New evidence for antimatter in space Scientists may have detected particles of antimatter helium in low Earth orbit. The early hints were spotted in data on cosmic ray observations undertaken by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station. If confirmed the antimatter helium could point to islands of antimatter spread across the universe. *New details on how the late heavy bombardment changed the solar system forever A new study of ancient Martian impact craters has provided strong evidence that the late heavy bombardment occurred between 4.1 and 3.8 billion years ago. The findings show a 400 million year lull in asteroid impacts striking the surface of the red planet. *A jet stream discovered in Earth’s core. Scientists have discovered a jet stream churning deep in Earth’s molten outer core. Unlike the more conventional atmospheric jet streams associated with weather pattern generat

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * More monster black holes discovered The number of monster black holes thought to exist across the universe has just doubled. The findings are based on the discovery of two supermassive black holes in the ultra-compact dwarf remnants of a pair of shredded galaxies. *Astronomers get closer to solving the mystery of pulsars Astronomers are a step closer to uncovering the mystery of how rapidly spinning neutron stars called pulsars generate their powerful energy beams. The findings indicate the beams are far more complex than previously through. *First results from the Breakthrough Listen Initiative looking for intelligent life beyond Earth. The Breakthrough Listen Initiative which is searching the skies for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence has found 11 events which they regard as being significant and worth further investigation. The findings were part of the petabytes of data collected during the firs

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * Discovery of a potential new dwarf planet A distant member of our solar system could be the latest in a growing group of celestial bodies known as dwarf planets. Measurements of 2014 UZ224 – and more informally known as DeeDee – indicates it’s roughly 635 kilometers wide -- large enough have sufficient mass to be self-gravitating – in other words round – one of the criteria necessary for astronomers to consider it a dwarf planet. *Record breaking pulsar neutron star system discovered Citizen scientists have helped astronomers discover an unusual record breaking double neutron star system. The findings will help scientists better understand and test Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity which explains the interaction of mass and the fabric of spacetime. *Three Australian Satellites launched on Cygnus cargo ship bound for Space Station Orbital’s seventh Cygnus Cargo ship has successfully blasted of

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * New clues for life on Saturnian moon Molecular hydrogen gas has been discovered in plumes erupting from Saturn's ice moon Enceladus. Scientists say the hydrogen was part of a soup of water and minerals analogous to hydrothermal vents at the mid ocean ridges on Earth, which are known to support life on the seafloor. *Four new objects being investigated in the search for Planet 9 A search hunting for a possible ninth planet in the dark outer reaches of the solar system has discovered a new system of four exoplanets orbiting a nearby star. The discovery was part of the BBC’s Stargazing Live broadcast from the Siding Spring Observatory in outback New South Wales. *New study of the strange Casimir Effect on quantum particles Physicists have discovered a new property exhibited by the Casimir Effect -- a strange force that effects matter on the smallest of scales. The new research expands on what science underst

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) * New warning signs for supernovae discovered Astronomers have detected a potential new warning sign displayed shortly before a star is destroyed in a supernova explosion. A report claims the progenitor stars of core collapse or Type II supernovae – display significant instability in the final Earth year leading up to their cataclysmic destruction. *More tantalizing hints of possible past life on Mars Scientists re-examining minerals originally studied years ago by NASA’s Mars rover Spirit, now believe they could represent a tantalizing possible biological marker for past life on the red planet. The minerals – known as opaline silica deposits – were examined by the six wheeled golf cart sized robotic rover in 2007 -- near a circular geological feature called Home Plate in the Inner Basin of the Columbia Hills region in the red planet’s Gusev Crater. *Giant cold spot discovered on Jupiter Astronomers have di

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *Three new Fast Radio Bursts discovered Astronomers have used one of Australia’s almost forgotten radio telescopes to discover three new Fast Radio Bursts -- mysterious nanosecond long flashes of energy which have so far defied any explanation. The team made the discovery using the old Molonglo radio telescope 40 kilometres from Canberra. *Astronomers identify purest, most massive brown dwarf Astronomers have discovered the most massive brown dwarf ever seen. The record breaking object, known as SDSS J0104+1535 has the purest composition of any brown dwarf ever observed. *Event Horizon telescope deployed to study black holes Astronomers have deployed a powerful array of telescopes to undertake the first ever detailed image of the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. The Event Horizon Telescope is an international joint effort to link some of the world’s most powerful radio telescopes to examine Sagittari

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *How the Martian atmosphere was lost to space New results from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft have confirmed theories that Solar wind and radiation are responsible for stripping the Martian atmosphere -- transforming the red planet from a warm wet world that could have supported life billions of years ago, into a freeze dried desert. The findings used measurements of today's atmosphere to give the first estimate of how much gas has been removed from Mars over time. *Why isn't the rotation of Earth slowing down as fast as it should be? The Earth’s rotation is slowing down – but a new study claims it’s not slowing down as quickly as it should. The findings are based on a study of hundreds of ancient eclipse records and lunar occultations *April Skywatch On this month’s skywatch we check out the stars of the Southern Cross the Alpha Centauri star system and the Lyrids meteor shower generated by the comet C-1 Thatcher

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *A new explanation for the accelerating expansion of the universe without dark energy Scientists have come up with a new way of explaining the apparent accelerating expansion of the universe without needing to include a mysterious force called dark energy. They claim it’s all down to the large scale structure of the cosmos. *Searching for planet 9 Astronomers are inviting the general public to help them search for the mysterious Planet 9 which is believed to exist in the dark outer reaches of the solar system. The new citizen science project was launched at a BBC Stargazing live broadcast from the Siding Spring Observatory in outback New South Wales. *Mysterious new type of cosmic blast discovered NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has discovered a new type of mysterious cosmic blast. The never before seen flash of X-rays was detected through the deepest X-ray image ever obtained. For Enhanced Show Notes, inc

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *Discovery of a new type of star formation Astronomers have discovered a new way to produce stars. Researchers have found that can form in the powerful outflows generated by supermassive black holes meaning that black holes don’t just destroy stars –they can also create new ones. *Pillars of destruction in the carina nebulae Spectacular new observations of vast pillar-like structures within the Carina Nebula providing new insights into how ephemeral these giant structures really are. *Electric sands discovered on Titan Sands on the Saturnian moon Titan are highly electrically charged. The findings help explain unusual features seen in Titan’s landscape. *NASA's Juno spacecraft completes its fifth Jupiter flyby NASA's Juno spacecraft has successfully completed its fifth close flyby of the Jovian atmosphere. Mission managers say all of the probes camera’s and its eight science instruments were operational dur

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *The Peter Pan galaxies that seem to never grow old A new survey has doubled the number of Peter Pan galaxies known to exist. The so called Peter Pan galaxies are young, compact radio galaxies which produce powerful jets of radio energy shooting out from their galactic cores like lighthouse beacons. *New portal to unveil the dark sector of the universe Scientists are developing a new portal to unveil a mysterious dark sector of the universe. However, they’re still struggling to detect the hidden particles beyond the standard model – particles that constitute a dark sector of the Universe. *Martian volcanoes were still active when Earth’s dinosaurs went extinct. There’s growing evidence that far from being a cold dead world Mars was still geologically alive until very recently. The new findings indicate volcanoes were still erupting on the red planet‘s surface as recently as 50 million years ago. *China laun

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *Cassini’s grand finale going out in a blaze of glory NASA’s Cassini spacecraft which has been orbiting the Saturnian system since 2004 will officially end its mission with a suicidal death plunge into the ringed world on September 15, this year. As part of its end game mission managers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena California have begun sending the probe on riskier more adventurous missions. *Could Fast Radio bursts be powering alien ships The search for extraterrestrial intelligence has looked for many different signs of alien life, from radio broadcasts to laser flashes, without success. However, a new study that the mysterious phenomena known as fast radio bursts could be evidence of advanced alien technology. *Scientists make the case to restore Pluto's planet status A group of scientists are proposing a new definition for a planet. The current definition was formulated after observat

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *Early Galaxies dominated by ordinary rather than dark matter A new study has found that early galaxies were dominated by ordinary matter rather than the dark matter which dominates galaxies today. The findings mean dark matter – which makes up around 80 percent of all the matter in the universe today – was far less influential in massive, star-forming galaxies during the peak epoch of galaxy formation, 10 billion years ago. *How ghostly neutrino particles could improve sciences understanding of the universe A new study claims one type of neutrino may comprise exactly equal amounts of two other types of neutrinos. The findings by scientists working with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole could help physicists better understand the universe. *Earth probably began with a solid shell A new study claims Earth probably began as a single solid shell which broke apart later to form the planet’s cha

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *New clues about the very first stars Astronomers studying a distant galaxy have discovered some new evidence about the very first stars to shine in the universe. The team made the remarkable find while observing a young remote galaxy located some 13.3 billion light years away. *NASA’s mission to Jupiter’s ice moon Europa NASA has formally named its next mission to the Jovian ice moon Europa “The Europa Clipper”. The mission which is slated for launch around 2022 will explore the frozen world which possesses all three of the ingredients necessary for life: liquid water, chemical nutrients, and energy sources sufficient to enable biology. *A perfect storm of fire and ice may have led to snowball Earth Scientists have a new hypothesis to explain what caused the largest glaciation event in Earth's history, known as 'snowball Earth' – a runaway glaciation that covered the planet in ice from pole-to-pole. *The S