11/15
Astronomy
Where do comets originate?
A new technique developed by team of Penn astronomers may allow the scientists to measure radiation from celestial bodies that are only theorized to exist.
Physicist theorizes that dark matter is a superfluid
Physicist theorizes that dark matter is a superfluid
A hypothesis by Justin Khoury of the Department of Physics and Astronomy stands to shake up how scientists consider dark matter.
Looking to the stars
Looking to the stars
This year's Simons Observatory Collaboration conference included a community star party that consisted of a panel, a mixer with astronomers, and stargazing.
Detecting distant stars: Q&A with Jose Maria Diego and Jesus Vega
Detecting distant stars: Q&A with Jose Maria Diego and Jesus Vega
While observing an exploding star in a galaxy cluster billions of light-years away, two visiting scholars noticed a curious speck of light in their images. The light was from an ancient star more than 9 billion years ago, the most distant star ever detected.
Astronomical find
Astronomical find
Penn Libraries has acquired a rare astronomical treatise dated 1481, with unique diagrams in the margins, and original discs of parchment that turn to demonstrate the movement of the sun, moon, and planets.
A long time ago, from an explosion far, far away
An international team of astronomers, including Penn researchers, has confirmed the discovery of the most distant supernova ever detected, a huge cosmic explosion that took place 10.5 billion years ago.
Astronomers reveal secrets of most distant supernova ever detected
An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, has confirmed the discovery of the most distant supernova ever detected, a huge cosmic explosion that took place 10.5 billion years ago.
In the News
The Wall Street Journal
Russia aims to restore prestige in race to moon’s south pole
Benjamin L. Schmitt of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Weitzman School of Design says that sentiment in the scientific and astronaut communities has begun to shift toward a future in which NASA and Roscosmos are no longer close partners.
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Scientific American
Audio astronomy unlocks a universe of sound
College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Sarah Kane discusses her use of data analysis and machine learning to circumvent her blindness in studying astronomy.
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The Guardian
UK joins international effort to uncover first moments of the universe
In a statement for the Simons Observatory, Mark Devlin of the School of Arts & Sciences says that new telescopes and researchers from the UK will make a significant addition to their efforts to examine the origins of the universe.
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Space
The ‘megacomet’ Bernardinelli-Bernstein is the find of a decade. Here’s the discovery explained
Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences comment on being an unlikely pair to have discovered the largest icy-bodied comet which is named in their honor.
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USA Today
Fact check: 62-mile-wide mega comet unlikely to hit Earth, will just pass by it in 2031
Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the giant comet they recently discovered. “There is no possibility of this thing getting any closer to Earth than Saturn gets,” said Bernstein.
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USA Today
The largest comet ever discovered in modern times is zooming toward the sun
Gary Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the giant comet he and Ph.D. candidate Pedro Bernardinelli discovered. "We have the privilege of having discovered perhaps the largest comet ever seen—or at least larger than any well-studied one—and caught it early enough for people to watch it evolve as it approaches and warms up," Bernstein said.
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