NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. & QUINCY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 18, 2023--

Astronomers have discovered a key ingredient for life at the edge of our Milky Way galaxy. A team from the University of Arizona detected the presence of phosphorus while studying molecular clouds on the outskirts of the galaxy using giant radio telescopes in the US and Spain. Phosphorus is one of the so-called NCHOPS elements that make up the critical ingredients for life on Earth – nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulphur. All of the others have already been found on the edge of the galaxy, so the discovery of phosphorus has direct implications for the search for Earth-like planets around distant stars. Their observations of the chemical 74,000 light-years from the centre of the Milky Way calls into question our fundamental understanding of the universe, the researchers said. “The phosphorus we detected is at the edge of the galaxy, where it shouldn’t be,” said Lilia Koelemay, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona who led the research. Theories that could explain its presence include supernova stars, which are typically not found on the edge of galaxies, and low mass stars generating excess neutrons that are then added onto silicon atoms to create phosphorus. “To make phosphorus, you need some kind of violent event,” said Lucy Ziurys, Regents Professor of chemistry and biochemistry and astronomy at Steward Observatory. “It is thought that phosphorus is created in supernova explosions, and for that, you need a star that has at least 20 times the mass of the Sun. In other words, if you’re going to have life, you better be near a supernova, if that’s indeed the only source where phosphorus is created.” The detection of phosphorus at the edge of the galaxy could motivate studies of distant exoplanets, the researchers hope, which have not been properly considered until now due to the assumed lack of the chemical. The research team now plans to examine other molecular clouds in the far reaches of the Milky Way to see if they contain phosphorus. Their discovery was described in a paper, titled ‘Phosphorus-bearing molecules PO and PN at the edge of the galaxy’, in the scientific journal Nature. Read More Astronomers find unprecedented ‘disc’ around distant planet Astronomers discover new six-planet system China unveils ‘foldable’ Mars helicopter in mission to return samples to Earth China unveils ‘foldable’ Mars helicopter in mission to return samples to Earth New images of Mars released by Nasa’s Odyssey orbiter Scientists find planets moving around in strange ‘rhythm’

CHESTERBROOK, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2023--

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Apple has revealed a host of new updates coming to the iPhone. The company launched iOS 17, its new iPhone operating system, this week. It was detailed at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which also saw the long-awaited unveiling of its Vision Pro headset. During that event, Apple showed off new features for the iPhone that included new messaging features and the option to twist the iPhone to the side and have it show a special “ambient” mode. But many features appear to have been left without discussion during that same introduction. Now Apple has published a new list of updates that were presumably left out of the update for reasons of time. They include a host of Apple Music features: the ability to make collaborative playlists, control music in the car, sing along to songs in a karaoke mode while seeing video of yourself, and more. Apple also announced offline downloads in Maps, for times when connections may be difficult, and Apple Fitness tools that let users generate a workout routine. Apple News, Podcasts, Apple Books and payments all get other updates. Apple has also added a new ID tool within wallet, that means users can show businesses proof of their age through their phone. That will let people quickly pay for alcohol purchases, for instance, or prove their identity for car rentals, Apple suggested. The full list of updates can be seen on Apple’s website. Unusually, Apple is allowing any users to get hold of the developer version of the new update for free, meaning that it is available right after the launch. But most users are still advised not to install it, given that it might come with potentially disastrous bugs. The public beta version of the software is expected in July. And Apple will fully launch iOS 17 in autumn, usually in September around the same time the new iPhone is launched. Read More ‘I saw the future. It left me in tears’ This could be the end of ‘ducking’ Apple lets people get brand new iPhone update early – but there’s a very big warning

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It’s the brightest explosion ever seen in the universe, but until now it’s been a mystery that couldn't be explained. Telescopes observed an enormous blast in October which was regarded as the biggest of all time. It was identified as a gamma-ray burst, named GRB 221009A, which came as a result of a massive star collapsing into a black hole. At the time it was a mystery as to why the explosion shone so brightly. Now, further research published in the journal Science Advances has uncovered the reason it was so bright is due to the fact it was facing directly at us and also pulled stellar material along with it. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Hendrik Van Earthen from the University of Bath said: “The slow fade of the afterglow is not characteristic of a narrow jet of gas, and knowing this made us suspect there was an additional reason for the intensity of the explosion, and our mathematical models have borne this out. “Our work clearly shows that the GRB had a unique structure, with observations gradually revealing a narrow jet embedded within a wider gas outflow where an isolated jet would normally be expected.” The research into GRB 221009A has the potential to further the study of huge gamma-ray bursts, which can produce as much energy as the Sun will in its entire lifetime in the space of just a few seconds. “GRB 221009A represents a massive step forward in our understanding of gamma-ray bursts, and demonstrates that the most extreme explosions do not obey the standard physics assumed for garden variety gamma-ray bursts,” Brendan O’Connor, GW graduate student and lead study author, said. “GRB 221009A might be the equivalent Rosetta stone of long GRBs, forcing us to revise our standard theories of how relativistic outflows are formed in collapsing massive stars.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Weeks after it was launched, the Pokémon Company has said sorry for the lack of stock of the special Pokémon and Van Gogh Museum collection.

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