Tucked away in a star-forming region in the Taurus constellation, a pair of circling stars are displaying some unexpected differences in the circumstellar disks of dust and gas that surround them. A new study led by researchers at Lowell Observatory, combining data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Keck Observatory, has unveiled intriguing findings about planet formation in this binary star system, known as DF Tau, along with other systems in this region.
Recent News
Young Stars in the Milky Way’s Backyard Challenge Our Understanding of How They Form
Astronomers have made groundbreaking discoveries about young star formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), along with observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, gives new insight into the early stages of massive star formation outside our galaxy.
Astronomers Catch Unprecedented Features at Brink of Active Black Hole
International teams of astronomers monitoring a supermassive black hole in the heart of a distant galaxy have detected features never seen before using data from NASA missions and other facilities including the National Science Foundation (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). The features include the launch of a plasma jet moving at nearly one-third the speed of light and unusual, rapid X-ray fluctuations likely arising from near the very edge of the black hole.
OCEAN Kids vs. The Nurdles
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New Interactive Audio-Course on Nurdles in Development
Nurdles are small pellets used to make almost all plastic products and they are the second largest source of microplastic pollution globally.
You may have never heard of them, but they have surrounded you and your community. Nurdles are small pellets used to make almost all plastic products and they are the second largest source of microplastic pollution globally. OCEAN Kids brings together the expertise of Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), Tumble Science Podcast for Kids and the citizen science project Nurdle Patrol to create a new interactive citizen-science educational audio course on nurdles for students in grades 3-5.
“Each year an estimated 445,970 tons of nurdles wash up on beaches and riverbanks and can also be found near storm drains and freight train lines,” said Jace Tunell, founder of the Nurdle Patrol and director of community engagement at Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “We’ve been working with communities, scientists and policy makers over the last six years to locate nurdles, remove them from the environment and raise awareness of the issue. We are excited to increase awareness through OCEAN Kids!”
Through funding provided by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), OCEAN Kids is creating an interactive audio-course about microplastics in their communities and around the world. Microplastics are a critical issue students can explore where they live, coastal or not.
“AUI and Tumble Media continue to develop new and creative ways to engage young learners,” said Sara Robberson Lentz, a STEM education officer at AUI and co-creator at Tumble Media. “We reach broad and diverse communities through accessible audio content and conduct research to understand the impact this relatively new media creates.”
This project seeks to raise awareness about microplastic pollution by immersing children in a journey of discovery, empathy and action. OCEAN Kids will be a standards-aligned audio course designed to increase students’ science literacy and interaction with their communities. This learner-centered audio course will be freely available online. It launches young listeners on a mission to solve problems through tinkering, investigating, argumentation and communication of core concepts. Students will be empowered to explore their own environments and come up with collaborative solutions to plastic pollution problems facing their communities.
About AUI
AUI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1946 that specializes in designing, building and managing cutting-edge research facilities and the development and implementation of innovative approaches to education, outreach and workforce development. Currently, AUI manages two U.S.-funded research and development centers: The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the Green Bank Observatory (GBO). NRAO is the North American partner in the management of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. In addition, NRAO includes the Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and GBO is home to the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope.
Recent News
Double the Disks, Double the Discovery: New Insights into Planet Formation in DF Tau
Tucked away in a star-forming region in the Taurus constellation, a pair of circling stars are displaying some unexpected differences in the circumstellar disks of dust and gas that surround them. A new study led by researchers at Lowell Observatory, combining data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Keck Observatory, has unveiled intriguing findings about planet formation in this binary star system, known as DF Tau, along with other systems in this region.
Young Stars in the Milky Way’s Backyard Challenge Our Understanding of How They Form
Astronomers have made groundbreaking discoveries about young star formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), along with observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, gives new insight into the early stages of massive star formation outside our galaxy.
Astronomers Catch Unprecedented Features at Brink of Active Black Hole
International teams of astronomers monitoring a supermassive black hole in the heart of a distant galaxy have detected features never seen before using data from NASA missions and other facilities including the National Science Foundation (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). The features include the launch of a plasma jet moving at nearly one-third the speed of light and unusual, rapid X-ray fluctuations likely arising from near the very edge of the black hole.