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--- transportation:space [2026/02/04 22:48] – [Binary (Star / Stars) (General)] timb
+++ transportation:space [2026/03/09 21:09] (current) – [Black Hole] timb
@@ Line 1482: / Line 1482: @@
 https://gizmodo.com/that-black-hole-merger-that-shouldnt-exist-scientists-propose-a-wild-explanation-2000684803
+== Scientists Just Doubled Our Catalog of Black Hole and Neutron Star Collisions ==
+Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday March 08, 2026 09:34PM
+Colliding black holes were detected through spacetime ripples for the first time in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), notes Space.com:
+<blockquote>
+Since then, LIGO and its partner gravitational wave detectors Virgo in Italy and KAGRA (Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector) in Japan have detected a multitude of gravitational waves from colliding black holes, merging neutron stars, and even the odd "mixed merger" between a black hole and a neutron star... During the first three observing runs of LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA, scientists had only "heard" 90 potential gravitational wave sources.
+</blockquote>
+But now they've published new data from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration that includes 128 more gravitatational wave sources — some incredibly distant:
+https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/03/09/0429200/scientists-just-doubled-our-catalog-of-black-hole-and-neutron-star-collisions
@@ Line 2906: / Line 2921: @@
 https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/03/22/0414254/surprisingly-some-dyson-spheres-and-ringworlds-can-be-stable
+== If Alien Dyson Spheres Are Real, These Are the Stars They’d Pick ==
+Assuming intelligent aliens know how to harvest energy from stars, would humanity be able to spot these high-level structures?
+Gayoung Lee - March 4, 2026
+Assuming aliens do physics like us but are actually much better at it, perhaps they would identify a way to directly harness a star’s energy output—instead of, say, attempting to replicate stellar dynamics and confining it in some pressurized power plant. As speculative new research suggests, aliens might want to build their star-powered energy farms around a certain kind of star.
+We’re talking about Dyson spheres. Physicist Freeman Dyson proposed this super-futuristic concept—a vast swarm of structures orbiting a star to harvest its energy. In the new work, accepted for publication in the journal Universe, astronomer Amirnezam Amiri of the University of Arkansas presented a theoretical calculation of Dyson spheres around low-mass stars. The paper, currently available as a preprint on arXiv, assessed the feasibility of a Dyson sphere around white or red dwarfs and, if so, what an outside observer would see.
+https://gizmodo.com/if-alien-dyson-spheres-are-real-these-are-the-stars-theyd-pick-2000729692
@@ Line 4298: / Line 4329: @@
-===== Alaska =====
-== A Meteorite From Alaska Challenges Theory of How Earth Got Its Water ==
-Scientists speculate that asteroids colliding with Earth delivered water—an essential building block of life—but new research suggests the planet didn't need the delivery.
-Margherita Bassi - April 19, 2025
-Water is essential to life as we know it, but scientists are still unsure about how it originated on Earth. One theory is that asteroids express-shipped us hydrogen, essential to the formation of water molecules, by colliding with our planet in its early history. New research, however, suggests Earth already had enough hydrogen of its own, thank you very much.
-Researchers in the UK discovered previously unknown quantities of hydrogen in a type of meteorite called an enstatite chondrite. I know what you’re thinking: What does hydrogen on a meteorite have to do with the origin of water on Earth? The composition of enstatite chondrite meteorites closely resembles that of Earth 4.55 billion years ago. So if the meteorite has its own source of hydrogen, then early Earth likely did, too—meaning it could have produced water without the help of foreign emissaries.
-“A fundamental question for planetary scientists is how Earth came to look like it does today. We now think that the material that built our planet–which we can study using these rare meteorites–was far richer in hydrogen than we thought previously,” James Bryson of the University of Oxford’s Department of Earth Sciences said in a university statement. “This finding supports the idea that the formation of water on Earth was a natural process, rather than a fluke of hydrated asteroids bombarding our planet after it formed.”
-https://gizmodo.com/a-meteorite-from-alaska-challenges-theory-of-how-earth-got-its-water-2000590233
-===== Antarctica =====
-== Meteorite Hunters Find 17-Pound Space Rock in Antarctica ==
-The team found five meteorites during their recent expedition. The rocks are now headed to a museum for study.
-Kevin Hurler - 18 January 2023
-Researchers combing the surface of Antarctica for space rocks hit the jackpot by finding five meteorites in the tundra, one of which weighs almost 17 pounds.
-The expedition team found the meteorites sitting on top of the snow in Antarctica, where the rocks’ black bodies stuck out against the white snow fields of the continent. Antarctica is an ideal place to find relatively undisturbed space rocks, since its dry climate prevents excess weathering over time. Maria Valdes, a research scientist with the Field Museum and the University of Chicago, and her team found a total of five meteorites during their hunt in December, one of which weighs 16.7 pounds (7.6 kilograms).
-https://gizmodo.com/17-pound-meteorite-found-antarctica-1850000562
-===== Australia =====
-== Huge Impact Crater in Australia Breaks Record for World’s Oldest by Over a Billion Years ==
-A rocky stretch in Western Australia's Pilbara, near Earth's earliest-confirmed lifeforms, was hit by a meteorite about 3.5 billion years ago.
-Isaac Schultz - March 6, 2025
-Scientists in Australia say they’ve found the world’s oldest impact crater, surpassing the previous record-holder’s age by more than 1.25 billion years.
-The meteorite impact—in Western Australia’s Pilbara region—dates back 3.5 billion years, while the former record-holding impact crater is just 2.2 billion years old. By far, the Pilbara crater is the oldest known on Earth, the researchers say, and they managed to find it thanks to a distinctive rock formation. The team’s findings are published today in Nature Communications.
-“This study provides a crucial piece of the puzzle of Earth’s impact history and suggests there may be many other ancient craters that could be discovered over time,” said Tim Johnson, a geologist at Curtin University in Australia and co-lead author of the study, in a university release.
-The distinctive rocks that helped researchers identify the crater are called shatter cones, and they only form in the extreme environment caused by a meteorite impact. The space rock hit an area now known as the North Pole Dome, in a part of the Pilbara about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Marble Bar in Western Australia. The now second-oldest-known crater is also in Western Australia, at Yarrabubba.
-https://gizmodo.com/huge-impact-crater-in-australia-breaks-record-for-worlds-oldest-by-over-a-billion-years-2000572516
@@ Line 4476: / Line 4450: @@
 https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/01/18/0044243/meteorite-crash-in-canada-is-caught-by-home-security-camera
+===== Alaska =====
+== A Meteorite From Alaska Challenges Theory of How Earth Got Its Water ==
+Scientists speculate that asteroids colliding with Earth delivered water—an essential building block of life—but new research suggests the planet didn't need the delivery.
+Margherita Bassi - April 19, 2025
+Water is essential to life as we know it, but scientists are still unsure about how it originated on Earth. One theory is that asteroids express-shipped us hydrogen, essential to the formation of water molecules, by colliding with our planet in its early history. New research, however, suggests Earth already had enough hydrogen of its own, thank you very much.
+Researchers in the UK discovered previously unknown quantities of hydrogen in a type of meteorite called an enstatite chondrite. I know what you’re thinking: What does hydrogen on a meteorite have to do with the origin of water on Earth? The composition of enstatite chondrite meteorites closely resembles that of Earth 4.55 billion years ago. So if the meteorite has its own source of hydrogen, then early Earth likely did, too—meaning it could have produced water without the help of foreign emissaries.
+“A fundamental question for planetary scientists is how Earth came to look like it does today. We now think that the material that built our planet–which we can study using these rare meteorites–was far richer in hydrogen than we thought previously,” James Bryson of the University of Oxford’s Department of Earth Sciences said in a university statement. “This finding supports the idea that the formation of water on Earth was a natural process, rather than a fluke of hydrated asteroids bombarding our planet after it formed.”
+https://gizmodo.com/a-meteorite-from-alaska-challenges-theory-of-how-earth-got-its-water-2000590233
+===== Antarctica =====
+== Meteorite Hunters Find 17-Pound Space Rock in Antarctica ==
+The team found five meteorites during their recent expedition. The rocks are now headed to a museum for study.
+Kevin Hurler - 18 January 2023
+Researchers combing the surface of Antarctica for space rocks hit the jackpot by finding five meteorites in the tundra, one of which weighs almost 17 pounds.
+The expedition team found the meteorites sitting on top of the snow in Antarctica, where the rocks’ black bodies stuck out against the white snow fields of the continent. Antarctica is an ideal place to find relatively undisturbed space rocks, since its dry climate prevents excess weathering over time. Maria Valdes, a research scientist with the Field Museum and the University of Chicago, and her team found a total of five meteorites during their hunt in December, one of which weighs 16.7 pounds (7.6 kilograms).
+https://gizmodo.com/17-pound-meteorite-found-antarctica-1850000562
+===== Australia =====
+== Huge Impact Crater in Australia Breaks Record for World’s Oldest by Over a Billion Years ==
+A rocky stretch in Western Australia's Pilbara, near Earth's earliest-confirmed lifeforms, was hit by a meteorite about 3.5 billion years ago.
+Isaac Schultz - March 6, 2025
+Scientists in Australia say they’ve found the world’s oldest impact crater, surpassing the previous record-holder’s age by more than 1.25 billion years.
+The meteorite impact—in Western Australia’s Pilbara region—dates back 3.5 billion years, while the former record-holding impact crater is just 2.2 billion years old. By far, the Pilbara crater is the oldest known on Earth, the researchers say, and they managed to find it thanks to a distinctive rock formation. The team’s findings are published today in Nature Communications.
+“This study provides a crucial piece of the puzzle of Earth’s impact history and suggests there may be many other ancient craters that could be discovered over time,” said Tim Johnson, a geologist at Curtin University in Australia and co-lead author of the study, in a university release.
+The distinctive rocks that helped researchers identify the crater are called shatter cones, and they only form in the extreme environment caused by a meteorite impact. The space rock hit an area now known as the North Pole Dome, in a part of the Pilbara about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Marble Bar in Western Australia. The now second-oldest-known crater is also in Western Australia, at Yarrabubba.
+https://gizmodo.com/huge-impact-crater-in-australia-breaks-record-for-worlds-oldest-by-over-a-billion-years-2000572516
+===== Brazil =====
+== 6-Million-Year-Old Meteorite Strike Created a Massive Field of Natural Glass in Brazil ==
+The crater left behind from the impact has yet to be found.
+Passant Rabie - March 4, 2026
+Scientists uncovered a vast field of tektites in Brazil—a rare type of natural glass forged in the aftermath of meteorite impacts.
+The field stretches across 560 miles (900 kilometers) and dates back to a massive impact that took place around 6.3 million years ago. An international team of researchers collected around 500 of the newly discovered specimens, which were named geraisites after the state of Minas Gerais, where they were first found. Prior to this discovery, there were only a handful of known tektite fields on Earth.
+The findings are detailed in a study published in Geology and help fill in the gaps of South America’s ancient impact history. The researchers, however, are still searching for the crater.
+https://gizmodo.com/6-million-year-old-meteorite-strike-created-a-massive-field-of-natural-glass-in-brazil-2000729464
 ===== Mining =====
@@ Line 6709: / Line 6768: @@
 https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.14740
+== Saturn’s Rings Came From a Two-Moon Collision About 100 Million Years Ago, Study Says ==
+The collision could also be responsible for Saturn’s iconic rings, researchers say.
+Gayoung Lee - February 12, 2026
+Of the solar system’s planets, Saturn piques the human imagination with its signature rings and impressive moon count of 274. But compelling new research reignites theories of an ancient collision shaping Saturn’s environment as we know it today—especially Titan, its biggest moon.
+The study, accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journal, addresses a well-known mystery surrounding the unusually young age of Saturn’s rings as well as the oddity of Titan’s orbit. Researchers led by the SETI Institute consider the possibility that Titan was born from a two-moon collision, the impact of which subsequently led to the creation of Saturn’s younger rings. The paper is currently available as a preprint on arXiv.
+https://gizmodo.com/saturns-rings-came-from-a-two-moon-collision-about-100-million-years-ago-study-says-2000721450
@@ Line 9570: / Line 9645: @@
 https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/02/18/1616239/nokia-is-putting-the-first-cellular-network-on-the-moon
+==== Collision ====
+== A Possible Lunar Impact in 2032 Could Spark Days of Meteor Showers on Earth ==
+The space rock has a 4.3% chance of striking the Moon in six years—and it could generate a flash nearly as bright as Venus.
+Passant Rabie - February 5, 2026
+A large rocky asteroid will make a close approach to Earth in 2032, with the tantalizing prospect of smashing directly into the Moon. If it does, the lunar impact is likely to produce a bright flash visible from Earth, generate meteor showers in Earth’s atmosphere, and create a long-lasting infrared glow, according to a new study.
+Astronomers deemed asteroid 2024 YR4 as potentially hazardous when it was first spotted two years ago, with the odds of it striking Earth reaching nearly 3%. Thankfully, those odds have since dwindled down to practically nothing, but the Moon is not safe from the menacing space rock. There’s a 4.3% chance the asteroid will hit the Moon in six years, releasing about 8 megatons of energy during impact.
+The astronomers simulated the path of asteroid 2024 YR4 to investigate the aftermath of the possible impact. The findings, available on the preprint server arXiv, suggest the asteroid collision would be the most energetic lunar impact recorded in human history. The paper, co-authored by astronomer Martin Connors from Western University and Athabasca University in Canada, has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
+https://gizmodo.com/a-possible-lunar-impact-in-2032-could-spark-days-of-meteor-showers-on-earth-2000718658
@@ Line 11075: / Line 11169: @@
 https://gizmodo.com/stars-like-our-sun-explode-with-superflares-every-100-years-study-suggests-2000537838
+== 4-Body Problem: Astronomers Spot the Most Tightly Packed Quadruple Star System Yet ==
+The four-star system features three stars in stable orbits, plus a fourth at a distance equal to Jupiter's orbit around our Sun.
+Passant Rabie - March 3, 2026
+Astronomers have identified a rare, tightly bound star system in which an eclipsing binary—two stars that pass in front of each other from our perspective—also eclipses a third star, while a fourth star orbits farther out.
+The international group of astronomers that made the discovery say it’s the most compact quadruple star system ever found, as the outermost star, orbiting the inner three, has the shortest period ever recorded. The study, published Tuesday in Nature, provides a closer look at the weird and chaotic world of hierarchical star systems.
+https://gizmodo.com/4-body-problem-astronomers-spot-the-most-tightly-packed-quadruple-star-system-yet-2000728811