February 4, 2023 | Issue 23-2 | |
Radio Signal Received From Galaxy Nine Billion Light Years Away | |
Researchers from Canada and India were able to capture a faint signal from a galaxy called 'SDSSJ0826+5630' from a giant radio telescope in Pune, India.
At 8.8 billion light years away, this is the most distant-ever radio signal from a galaxy ever captured. This galaxy is closer to the Big Bang than any other galaxy previously detected using radio astronomy — the study of the sky in radio frequencies. The signal was emitted when the universe was 4.9 billion years old. Because the universe is expanding, it took 8.8 billion years to reach the telescope.
The technique used is called "gravitational lensing" or “nature’s magnifying glass". This occurs when the gravitational pull from a closer, but aligned galaxy distorts and bends the light from a distant star or galaxy, causing it to appear misshapen and be magnified—in this case by a factor of 30.
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This breakthrough proves it is possible to observe faraway galaxies using low-frequency radio frequencies and help us understand the composition of galaxies at a much greater distance from Earth.
Read more about this out-of-this-world signal here!
Source: “Astronomers Use Ripple In Space-Time To Capture Most Distant Signal Ever From A Galaxy,” Forbes, 01/17/23
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12 Million Year Old Whale Skull Discovered In Maryland |
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A family discovered a 12 million year old whale skull in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland while looking for shark teeth. The skull weighed 650 pounds and measured more than five feet long! The skull was discovered in October but due to its size it took the researchers at the Calvert Marine Museum two months to pull out. According to the museum, it is the most complete fossil whale skull ever recovered in the Calvert Cliffs area.
The team used wooden planks to remove the skull from the sand. From there, they will use tools similar to mini jackhammers to remove the hardened sediments that have encased most of the skull. They firmly believe it was a baleen whale, however, the species is still unknown. The skull has been named "Cody" after its finder, Cody Goddard.
This isn't the first time a fossil as been found in this area. In fact, it is a haven for fossil hunters. A 9 year old girl found a 2.6 million year old megalodon shark on Christmas day, measuring 50 feet long. She has also found over 400 shark teeth, the largest was 5 inches!
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Read more about this whale of a tale here.
Source: “'Family discovers 12-million-year-old whale skull at the Chesapeake Bay - and it took researchers months to remove the 650-pound fossil,” Daily Mail, 1/19/2023
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