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These free-range planets rove around in a pairIt’s basically a solar system without a sun. The strange, free-floating 2MASS J11193254–1137466 is actually 2MASS J11193254–1137466AB, a binary system of rogue planets ejected from a star in the TW Hydrae association.Gemini Observatory/Jon Lomberg IllustrationA rogue planet long escaped from its home stellar system may not be so alone on its trip.2MASS J11193254–1137466 was announced last year as an untethered planetary-mass system in the TW Hydrae association, a grouping of stars with a center point about 95 light-years away. 1137466 is around 160 light-years away, but its motion indicates an 80 percent possibility…

The beak is, arguably, the most important and distinctive aspect of a bird. It’s necessary for eating, preening, defense, and even mating displays, and plays a large role in how the bird interacts with their environment. Beaks come in all shapes and sizes. Some birds have short beaks, some have long. Other birds have tiny beaks, while some like you’ll soon see, have quite large beaks. In this article we’re going to look at some examples of birds with big beaks. Birds with big bills have evolved throughout the world for a long time, carving out niche roles in their…

Falcons may look like little hawks, but they are in a category of their own. There are about 40 species worldwide that belong to the genus Falco.  Known for their keen eyesight, hunting prowess, and fast speeds, they make up a small portion of the “birds of prey” category. In this article, we are going to look at the 7 types of falcons you can find in the United States. TYPES OF FALCONS IN THE UNITED STATES There are 7 species of falcon that currently make the U.S. their home, at least for part of the year. This is excluding the…

The Katskhi Pillar – the Most Incredible Cliff Church in the World It is not unusual to listen to tales of people who have lived a solemn life away from the world, whenever these stories are reported, people are fascinated and awestruck. This idea is far from our normal life to most of us. This was the case when the news broke out of a monk alone living on a giant rock in Georgia. Katskhi, the small town of the Katshkipillar – an enormous natural limestone column that rises 130 feet into the air – is located in the west-georgian area…

What would Earth look like to alien astronomers?A new paper asks which exoplanets could find Earth. Such worlds could be targets for SETI searches. Ever since 1992, when astronomers first discovered two rocky planets orbiting a pulsar in the constellation Virgo, humans have known that other worlds exist beyond our solar system. Today, thanks to the efforts of astronomers and ambitious missions like the now-retired Kepler, we know of more than 4,000 confirmed exoplanets. But if we can see exoplanets orbiting distant stars, that means extraterrestrial observers should be able to see Earth orbiting the Sun. Our tiny blue marble even could be…

Astronomers believe that planets, asteroids, and other solar system bodies form from the disk of dust and debris around a young star. But what happens before that?NASA/JPL-CaltechAstronomers know that our solar system formed about 5 billion years ago from material left over from previous generations of stars. However, beyond that, it gets a little murky.The prevailing theory is that a nearby supernova explosion compressed a dense cloud of gas and dust until it collapsed in on itself due to its own gravity. As the cloud condensed, it grew hotter and spun faster. Eventually, the center of the cloud grew so…

In this article I compiled a list of some of the most colorful birds in north America. There are so many different colorful birds in the United States alone, that I found this article getting bigger and bigger until finally I realized I had to stop somewhere. So while I may not have every colorful bird listed here, I have quite an extensive list. Feel free to suggest any you think belong on this list in the comments. Some of the birds are common and recognizable, others aren’t. Not all will eat at feeders and not all are birds that you will…

Underwater archaeologists searching just off the western Mediterranean coast of the city of Pozzuoli in central Italy discovered the remains of a submerged 2,000-year-old Nabatean temple dedicated to their god Dushara. What they found specifically were two Roman marble altars, which linked the temple to the period when Nabataeans were living freely on the Phlegrean Peninsula 125 miles (200 km) south of Italy’s capital city, in territory fully controlled by the Roman Empire. The Nabataeans were an Arab tribal group who lived as wandering nomads in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula in the first few centuries of the first millennium. But…

A new Focus Issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters released yesterday showcases results related to the gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A: the brightest of all time. Today’s post briefly introduces the Focus Issue articles that have already been published or are in press — be sure to check out the full articles linked below, and keep an eye out for future articles in this issue! A SUPERLATIVE BURST Gamma-ray bursts are brief flashes of high-energy emission, lasting anywhere from a fraction of a second to several hours. The shortest gamma-ray bursts likely mark the collision of two compact stellar remnants called neutron stars, and…

Everybody has a different memory of what they did during the long days of pandemic lockdown. While some of us struggled to stay afloat among work and childcare, others — like graduate student Rebecca Hahn (Washington University in St. Louis) found the quiet time they needed for time-consuming endeavors. Hahn took the highest-resolution imagery available of the Venusian surface — that gathered by NASA’s Magellan spacecraft 30 years ago — loaded it into mapping software like that used by engineers and urban planners on Earth. Then she set out to map every single volcano visible in the grainy, black-and-white images…

BIRDS THAT START WITH J Below is a list of 16 interesting and varied bird species whose name starts with J. Let’s take a look! 1. JACKY WINTER Scientific name: Microeca fascinansLives in: Australia, Papua New Guinea You will hear these birds from early in the morning up to midday singing their “peter-peter” song.  Jacky winter’s are small grey-brown flycatchers. There are three subspecies with slight color variations, being generally darker in the south and paler in the north. The Jacky winter is an insectivore, which means that it mainly feeds on insects. It is known as a sit-and-search predator, flying out from…

The Ancient Underwater 5,000- Year-Old Sunken City in Greece is considered to be the Oldest Submerged Lost City in the World. Pavlopetri is about 5 000 years old and one of the oldest populated city (oldest in Mediterranean sea). It is situated on the southern shore of Laconia, in Peloponnese, Greece. The name Pavlopetri (“Paul’s and Peter’s”, or “Paul’s stone”) is the modern name for the islet and beach, apparently named for the two Christian saints that are celebrated together; the ancient name or names are unknown. Discovered in 1967 by Nicholas Flemming and mapped in 1968 by a team…

25 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT AMERICAN ROBINS With it’s red-breast and frequent, chipper call, the American Robin is one of the most easily identifiable birds in North America. They’re numerous and widespread across the United States and Canada —where they’re often spotted foraging in backyard lawns, parks, and other common areas. Though you’ve probably seen countless robins in your life, do you really know that much about them? Take a look these fun and interesting American Robin facts that we’ve compiled for you, enjoy! 1. AMERICAN ROBINS BELONG TO THE THRUSH FAMILY Thrushes include any species of the family, Turdidae, which belongs to…

Scientists may have found one of the oldest Christian churches in the world Scientists may have found one of the most ancient Christian churches in the world by using muon x-rays to scan a mystical subterranean building on the coast of the Caspian Sea in the ancient Russian city of Derbent. Now, thanks to the clever use of scanning technology, we might finally know what the building is. The fortress of Naryn-Kala in Derbent, Russia, dates back to around A.D. 300 The technology known as the muon X-ray is used by researchers to track the charged subatomic particles muons, generated when…

Did the solar system form in a bubble?Researchers have laid out a new, comprehensive theory for how the solar system formed — inside the bubble of a long-dead, giant star. Astronomers believe that planets, asteroids, and other solar system bodies form from the disk of dust and debris around a young star. But what happens before that?NASA/JPL-CaltechAstronomers know that our solar system formed about 5 billion years ago from material left over from previous generations of stars. However, beyond that, it gets a little murky.The prevailing theory is that a nearby supernova explosion compressed a dense cloud of gas and…

Found: The first exoplanet outside of our Milky WayIn a galaxy far, far away lies an exoplanet circling a binary system that contains a neutron star or black hole. The Whirlpool Galaxy (left) in X-ray and optical light. On the right is an artist’s concept of the M51-ULS-1 system with the neutron star or black hole syphoning material from its companion star. The planet is eclipsing the X-rays generated by the superheated material around the compact object. X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/R. DiStefano, et al.; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/Grendler; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss Astronomers believe they’ve spotted the first extragalactic exoplanet beyond our own galaxy. Residing some 28…

Mysterious Secret Tunnel Discovered Under Ancient Pyramid in Mexico As we use advanced archeological techniques, we appear to create incredible findings at various ancient locations, like Teotihuacan in Mexico. Recently, in Teotihuacán’s ancient town northeast of Mexico City, archeologists have discovered a secret tunnel under the famous Moon Pyramid. Hidden for ages, the underground tunnel, as archeologists claim, could represent the underworld as a component of the ancient system of belief in the Pre-Colombian civilization that once thrived here. The Moon Pyramid is the second largest structure seen in Teotihuacán. The site was most certainly built 2,000 years ago, by a…

Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to reveal a host of high-mass galaxies in the early universe — but according to a new study they shouldn’t really exist. Either astronomers have misunderstood something about the galaxies themselves, or our leading model of cosmology is called into question. Despite being in space less than 18 months, JWST is already providing unprecedented views of the universe in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang. A big surprise has been how quickly large, star-filled galaxies appeared. Now, Michael Boylan-Kolchin (The University of Texas, Austin) has looked at…

Many birds eat insects, but few make bees the foundational part of their diet. A handful of songbirds in North America regularly consumes bees. Others incorporate bees as a part of their insect diet. These birds use various methods of catching the bees to avoid being stung. Some of them rub the bee along a branch to remove the stinger. In this article we will look at 10 species of birds which regularly eat bees. Let’s look at these interesting birds behavior, eating habits, and preferred habitats. 10 BIRDS THAT EAT BEES 1. SCARLET TANAGER Scientific name: Piranga olivacea  The Scarlet Tanager…

Mysterious 4,000-year-old grave reveals boy and girl buried face to face The bodies of a young man and woman inside the grave. The cemetery dates back approximately 4,000 years to the Bronze Age. In a cemetery dating back about 4000 years, in Kazakhstan, the bodies of a young man and women were discovered buried face to face, probably in their twenties. You might be in a romantic connection they were a couple. The bodies of a man and woman who died 4,000 years ago have been found buried face-to-face in a grave in Kazakhstan. Archaeologists discovered the burial in an…

Salto del Agrio is one of the most beautiful and spectacular waterfalls in Argentine Patagonia , a precious jewel located in the province of Neuquén , about 20 kilometers from the Caviahue ski resort . Generated by the Agrio river , from which it takes its name, the waterfall is the result of the ancient volcanic activities that took place in the area over millions of years. The water from the waterfall, carrying with it a quantity of minerals such as iron and sulfur, flows about 40 meters into a basalt canyon, forming a splendid lagoon with dazzling colours. The shades of ochre, red and yellow are enhanced by the sun’s rays…

15 FACTS ABOUT PAINTED BUNTINGS (WITH PHOTOS) Nothing is more exciting to the average birder than spring and fall migration season. During these months, we get the opportunity to see bird species that may not spend all year in the United States. For birdwatchers in the southeastern U.S., a coveted species is the Painted Bunting. In this article we look at some interesting facts about Painted Buntings to help you learn a little more about their behaviors and habits. FACTS ABOUT PAINTED BUNTINGS 1. MALES AND FEMALES ARE DIFFERENTLY COLORED Painted Buntings are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females have…

Weixelman used SkySafari to create this simulated view looking south from southern Texas during totality on Aug. 8. 2024. The image also shows the predicted orientation of Comet Pons-Brooks’ tail, at an angle of 68° from celestial north.Dave Weixelman (highsierraimaging.com) On April 8, 2024, all eyes will be on the eclipsed Sun during totality. After all, it’s the main attraction. But as the Sun is blotted out, darkness will fall during the day, rendering more than just the solar corona visible in the sky. Stars and planets will appear, lighting up amid the false twilight that occurs during a total…