Tag: Astronomy

Moon Rock Made of Wood!

Basque Country: Scientists Baffled – Human Ballpoints on Mars? (18.4.2026)

This alteration creates a crust that complicates the determination of the original mineralogical composition of the meteorite. Removing this outer layer is essential, but as this study highlights, it is not always a straightforward process. The team used Raman spectroscopy, a technique commonly employed to study the chemical composition of objects, to identify various contaminants. Among these were copper compounds, synthetic organic molecules used in inks for ballpoint pens and gel pens, and blue polyester, likely from textiles. These contaminants raise a crucial question: how much of the Martian rock’s natural composition is truly represented in these samples? The presence of such human-made materials suggests that, despite rigorous efforts to prevent contamination, these meteorites are far from untouched by Earthly influence.

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Cover of the journal that published the study. (Photo courtesy of the Einstein Probe Science Center of the National Astronomical Observatories)

China: Chinese Scientists Report First Likely Sighting of Black-Hole Devouring White Dwarf! (12.2.2026)

Chinese astronomers said they have likely captured the first direct evidence of a mid-sized black hole ripping apart and consuming a white dwarf star, shedding new light on a long-theorized but rarely observed cosmic process.

The discovery is based on observations of a powerful high-energy space explosion known as EP250702a, detected by China’s Einstein Probe satellite, according to the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The findings were published this month in the journal Science Bulletin.

Mid-sized black holes, thought to bridge the gap between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes, are difficult to detect because they produce few observable signals unless actively feeding on nearby matter.

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Sutton (South London) - Full Monn - January 5th 2026!

Sutton: Full Moon – January! (5.1.2026)

Not quite the Arctic Tundra – but nevertheless -3 – and abit parky (brass monkeys) as we say in England. There has been a slight scattering of snow in the South – but up North it has been quite bad. There is talk of more snow in London – but talk is cheap! I went running with a 56 lbs pack today – wearing my old sturdy boots – and had tp tread carefully between the fluffy and charming snow and the nasty (hidden) black-ice. I do not fancy taking a tumble at 58-years old. Mind you – I find the cold air bracing and invigorating. Also, I wanted to set an example for Mei-An – my oldest daughter – who had to walk through the ice to school today, the first day back at school in our area.

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A figure illustrating the rotation of neutral hydrogen (right) in galaxies residing in an extended filament (middle), where the galaxies exhibit a coherent bulk rotational motion tracing the large-scale cosmic web (left). Credit: Lyla Jung

Oxford: Astronomers Spot One of the Largest Spinning Structures Ever Found in the Universe! (6.12.2025)

Professor Jarvis said: ‘This really demonstrates the power of combining data from different observatories to obtain greater insights into how large structures and galaxies form in the Universe. Such studies can only be achieved by large groups with diverse skillsets, and in this case, it was really made possible by winning an ERC Advanced Grant/UKIR Frontiers Research Grant, which funded the co-lead authors.’

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Space Boulder "Not Gold" - According to Experts!

Australia: Penal Colony Descendent “Digs Himself in Deep Hole” – Korean War Gold Rock Revealed as Worthless Space Debris! (29.11.2025)

A rock the size of a stout Jack Russell (a breed of dog in the UK – small, fierce, brave, loyal, and strong) – but weighing more or less the same as a Great Dane (another – but huge – breed of dog) – was mistaken by an Aussie as a “gold nugget”. Perhaps it’s not the rock that needs testing! Still, all he has been left with is a piece of worthless space debris that landed on Earth during 1951 (in June – the time of the Aussie Winter) – which turns-out to be the same age as the Earth is old – namely “4.6 million” years old!. I am reliably told by a medical colleague that Aussies are only “technically sober” during the first three months of their lives – when the motor-skills have not yet developed to lift the hand to the mouth. Gold is a lightweight and malleable mettle, which is rare, soft, and highly pliable. This meteorite, by way of comparison, is heavy, hard, and requires a Ford Cortina just to move it any significant distance.

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Socialist China Plans New Space Adventure!

China: Plans for Satellite Launch to Search for “New Earth”! (26.11.2025)

The Hongmeng Programme, designed to detect the universe’s “infant cries,” consists of 10 satellites forming a low-frequency radio telescope array. The satellites will travel to the far side of the Moon, a naturally quiet “radio sanctuary” shielded from Earth and solar interference, allowing the system to capture extremely faint signals from deep space. The project aims to shed light on the turbulent epoch hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang, before the first stars formed.

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