Tens of Thousands of Possible Civilizations are Out There to Giant Arcs May Dwarf Everything in the Cosmos
Today’ s news stories lead off with the quote: "We can’t fully constrain the parameters we need to estimate how many other lifeforms might be out there, as famously proposed by Frank Drake, but using our best estimates and simulations the current best answer to this is tens of thousands of possible civilizations out there." The stories include so-called “leaky” galaxies may have responsible for triggering the last great transformational epoch in our universe, one which ionized the neutral interstellar gas to The discovery of giant superclusters of galaxies are challenging our very understanding of the Universe.
Giant arcs that may dwarf everything in the cosmos, reports BBC Future. The discovery of giant superclusters of galaxies are challenging our very understanding of the Universe. It would take billions of years to create structures of this size. "The current idea for how structures formed in the Universe is through a process known as gravitational instability," says Subir Sarkar, a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Oxford.
Astronomers have determined that so-called “leaky” galaxies may have responsible for triggering the last great transformational epoch in our universe, one which ionized the neutral interstellar gas.
How NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Will Rewind the Universe, reports NASA. "A new simulation shows how NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will turn back the cosmic clock, unveiling the evolving universe in ways that have never been possible before when it launches by May 2027. With its ability to rapidly image enormous swaths of space, Roman will help us understand how the universe transformed from a primordial sea of charged particles to the intricate network of vast cosmic structures we see today."
The James Webb Is Getting Closer to Finding What Ionized the Universe, reports Universe Today. Astronomers have determined that so-called “leaky” galaxies may have responsible for triggering the last great transformational epoch in our universe, one which ionized the neutral interstellar gas.
Humans are still hunting for aliens. Here’s how astronomers are looking for life beyond Earth, reports The Conversation. "We can’t fully constrain the parameters we need to estimate how many other lifeforms might be out there, as famously proposed by Frank Drake, but using our best estimates and simulations the current best answer to this is tens of thousands of possible civilizations out there."
Hydrothermal vents on Earth are crawling with life even beyond reach of sunlight--Is this the best chance of finding aliens in our solar system? Minerals on the ocean floor of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus are jetted into space via hydrothermal vents that could harbor signs of life. Scientists solve mystery of how deep-sea silica on Enceladus is jetted into space. Tidal forces heat ocean and send minerals to the surface via hydrothermal vents.
Hubble Telescope Faces Threat From SpaceX and Other Companies’ Satellites--Scientists found that an increasing number of pictures made by the iconic orbital observatory are being disrupted by passing satellites, reports the New York Times. "We’re going to be living with this problem. And astronomy will be impacted,” said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who was not involved in the study. “There will be science that can’t be done. There will be things that we miss.”
There are trillions of planets where life could form. But what are the odds that intelligence could evolve on any of them? The Hard Steps Model identifies the unlikely accidents that led to intelligent life on Earth.
Key steps in evolution on Earth tell us how likely intelligent life is anywhere else, reports astrophysicist Adam Frank for Big Think. "There are trillions of planets where life could form. But what are the odds that intelligence could evolve on any of them? The Hard Steps Model identifies the unlikely accidents that led to intelligent life on Earth. It allows for the possibility of mathematically modeling the possibility of life emerging elsewhere. The model makes it seem like intelligence in the cosmos will be really, really rare."
What Happened to China’s Mars Rover? explores Kenneth Chang for the New York Times. In an impressive feat, China landed its Zhurong rover on Mars in May 2021, joining NASA in exploring the red planet’s surface. Then something went wrong.
Colliding Dwarf Galaxies Reveal a Glimpse of the Early Universe--Scientists may have spotted two pairs of merging dwarf galaxies, each pair with a duo of soon-to-collide black holes. reports Scientific American.