Pulsars are the remnants of the explosion of massive stars at the end of their lives. The event is known as a supernova and as they rapidly spin they sweep a high energy beam across the cosmos much like a lighthouse. The alignment of some pulsar beams mean they sweep across Earth predictably and with precise regularity. They can be, and often are used as timing gauges but a team of astronomers have found subtle timing changes in some pulsars hinting at unseen mass between pulsars and telescopes—possibly dark matter entities. The discovery in 1967 of pulsars has revolutionised our understanding of stellar evolution. The are formed during the collapse of supermassive stars at the end of their life. As the fusion in the core ceases, the inrushing stellar material crashing down onto the core compresses it to incredible density. The material that once made up the star is, through this process compressed into a sphere just a few tens of kilometres across. Pulsars are closely related to neutron stars which are formed though the same process and it is believed, the only difference is that one has a highly energetic beam that flashes across the Earth and one doesn’t.  Visualization of a fast-rotating pulsar. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab A team studying pulsars has recently detected hints of potential dark matter objects through changes in pulsar timing events as they rotate. Professor John LoSecco from the University of Notre Dame, presented at the National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Hull and emphasised the precision of pulsar-based timekeeping. “Science has advanced with precise time measurement methods,” he noted, comparing Earth’s atomic clocks with pulsars in space. While gravitational effects on light have been understood for over a century, their applications in uncovering hidden masses remain largely unexplored until now. Professor LoSecco and the team noted tiny deviations in the pulsar timing, suggesting that radio waves may be getting redirected around an unseen mass located somewhere between the pulsar and the telescope. LoSecco theorised that the masses could potentially be dark matter!  By examining the delays and analysing the radio pulse arrivals (which were typically accurate to within a nanosecond) they explored the pathway of radio signals within the latest Parkes Pulsar Timing Array survey. Other telescopes involved in this initiative were the Effelsberg, Nançay, Westerbork, Green Bank, Arecibo, Parkes, and the Lovell telescope in Cheshire. Using this and Parkes data, the pulse arrival times were analysed. The Arecibo Radio Telescope Credit: UCF The results showed that the pulses occur regularly every three weeks across three observational bands. However, when dark matter causes delays in arrival times, these delays display distinct shapes proportional to the mass of the dark matter. Regions with dark matter slow down the passage of light and effect the pulsar timings. The Sun for example, could produce a delay of about 10 microseconds however the timing differences 10,000 times smaller.  A detailed examination of precise data from 65 ‘millisecond pulsars’ has identified approximately twelve instances suggestive of interactions with dark matter. Source : How astronomers are using pulsars to observe evidence of dark matter The post Pulsars are the Ideal Probes for Dark Matter appeared first on Universe Today.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has accomplished some spectacular feats since it began operations in 2021. Thanks to its sensitivity in the near- and mid-infrared wavelengths, it can take detailed images of cooler objects and reveal things that would otherwise go unnoticed. This includes the iconic image Webb took of Jupiter in August 2022, which showed the planet’s atmospheric features (including its polar aurorae and Great Red Spot) in a new light. Using Webb, a team of European astronomers recently observed the region above the Great Red Spot and discovered previously unseen features. The team was led by Dr. Henrik Melin, an STFC JWST Fellow and Planetary Scientist from the University of Leicester. He was joined by researchers from the University of Reading, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the Center for Space Physics at Boston University, the Observatoire de Paris, the SETI Institute, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and multiple universities. The paper that describes their observations recently appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy. The team conducted integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot using Webb’s Near-InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec) in July 2022. This process involves dissecting an astronomical image into multiple spatial components and dispersing them with a spectrograph to provide spatially resolved information. Their observations were made as part of an Early Release Science program titled “ERS Observations of the Jovian System as a Demonstration of JWST’s Capabilities for Solar System Science.” Interestingly, the discovery was completely unexpected, as the team attempted to study Jupiter’s upper atmosphere in more detail. Compared to Jupiter’s bright aurorae, the glow from the planet’s ionosphere is weak, making it difficult for ground-based telescopes to conduct detailed observations of this region. Scientists have been especially interested in studying Jupiter’s ionosphere since it is where Jupiter’s atmosphere and magnetic field begin to interact. It is within this layer that Jupiter’s polar aurorae can be seen, which are fueled by material ejected by Io’s many active volcanoes. Closer to the equator, the structure of the planet’s upper atmosphere is influenced by incoming sunlight. Because Jupiter receives only 4% as much sunlight as Earth, astronomers expected this region of the atmosphere to be homogenous. However, the team was surprised that this region contained intricate wave patterns, including dark arcs, bright spots, and other structures. As Dr. Melin explained in an ESA press release: “We thought this region, perhaps naively, would be really boring. It is in fact just as interesting as the northern lights, if not more so. Jupiter never ceases to surprise. One way in which you can change this structure is by gravity waves – similar to waves crashing on a beach, creating ripples in the sand. These waves are generated deep in the turbulent lower atmosphere, all around the Great Red Spot, and they can travel up in altitude, changing the structure and emissions of the upper atmosphere.” Since sunlight drives the light emitted from the planet’s ionosphere, the team suspects that another mechanism is responsible for altering the shape and structure of this region. In the future, the team hopes to conduct follow-up observations of these wave patterns to investigate how they move within Jupiter’s upper atmosphere and how they change over time. These findings could also inform the ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), which will reach Jupiter and begin conducting detailed observations in 2031. Further Reading: ESA The post New Images From Webb Reveal Jupiter's Complex Atmosphere appeared first on Universe Today.

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The following article, 7 Things We Know About The Man Who Opened Fire At Trump Rally, was first published on Conservative Firing Line. I am still in shock.  When I first learned that Donald Trump had been shot, I literally had difficulty processing the information.  I watched footage of the shooting over and over, and honestly I am still trying to put the pieces together.  The Secret Service is supposed to be far better at protecting our leaders … Continue reading 7 Things We Know About The Man Who Opened Fire At Trump Rally ...

In his first two years in the Senate, J.D. Vance, former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, has established himself as a populist voice, at times clashing with Republican leadership. But on issues like abortion, immigration and election integrity, he's closely aligned with Trump. Here's a look at where Vance stands on key issues: Vance on abortion Vance describes himself as “pro-life,” but during his 2022 Senate campaign said he would like the issue to be...

Former President Trump's selection of Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, as his running mate and vice presidential nominee, has brought Vance's policy views into the spotlight, given his relatively recent entry into electoral politics. Vance has served in the U.S. Senate for about a year and a half, having defeated Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan in 2022 and being sworn in as Ohio's junior senator in January 2023. Vance's platform in the Senate race mirrored many of those touted by Trump during...

Former President Donald Trump named Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance his running mate for the 2024 Republican presidential ticket as the GOP is poised to officially make Trump the party’s nominee at the Republican National Convention. Vance’s nomination as Trump’s vice president pits him against current Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to appear on the Democratic ticket with President Joe Biden. At 39, Vance will represent a younger generation in an election...