Heisenberg’s Astrophysics Prediction Finally Confirmed After 80 Years

“Heisenberg and Euler made this prediction all the way back in 1936, and it’s gone completely untested until now. Thanks to this pulsar, we have confirmation that light polarized in the same direction as the magnetic field has its propagation affected by quantum physics, in exact agreement with the predictions from quantum electrodynamics. A theoretical prediction from 80 years ago adds another feather in the cap of Heisenberg, who can now posthumously add “astrophysicist” to his resume.”

Empty space, according to quantum mechanics, isn’t exactly empty. Take away all the matter, radiation and anything else you can have populating your space, and you’ll still have some amount of energy in there: the zero-point energy of the Universe. One consequence of quantum electrodynamics is that this sea of virtual particles is always present, and a strong magnetic field can lead to some really bizarre behavior. Known as vacuum birefringence, it was theorized by Werner Heisenberg and Hans Euler more than 80 years ago, as these electron/positron pairs get yanked along the magnetic field lines. In theory, this should polarize the light from photons passing through fields that are strong enough, but we’ve never been able to observe it. Until now. Thanks to the VLT and light from a neutron star, the prediction is confirmed for the very first time.

Come learn the incredible science 80 years in the making, and how we’re poised to learn even more about this fascinating property of light and empty space moving forward!

Hubble Spots Possible Water Plumes Erupting on Jupiter’s Moon Europa

From NASA’s press release:

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have imaged what may be water vapor plumes erupting off the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa.

The plumes are estimated to rise about 125 miles (200 kilometers) before, presumably, raining back down onto Europa’s surface. Europa has a huge global ocean containing twice as much water as Earth’s oceans, but it is protected by a layer of extremely cold and hard ice of unknown thickness. The plumes provide a tantalizing opportunity to gather samples originating from under the surface without having to land or drill through through miles of ice.

The team, led by William Sparks of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore observed these finger-like projections while viewing Europa’s limb as the moon passed in front of Jupiter.

The original goal of the team’s observing proposal was to determine whether Europa has a thin, extended atmosphere, or exosphere.

“The atmosphere of an extrasolar planet blocks some of the starlight that is behind it,” Sparks explained. “If there is a thin atmosphere around Europa, it has the potential to block some of the light of Jupiter, and we could see it as a silhouette. And so we were looking for absorption features around the limb of Europa as it transited the smooth face of Jupiter.”

In 10 separate occurrences spanning 15 months, the team observed Europa passing in front of Jupiter. They saw what could be plumes erupting on three of these occasions.

Scientists may use the infrared vision of the James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in 2018, to confirm venting or plume activity on Europa. NASA also is formulating a mission to Europa with a payload that could confirm the presence of plumes and study them from close range during multiple flybys.    

So what to take note of this is that if those plumes really exist, then we have a better way to sample one of the most promising places for extraterrestrial life in the Solar System.

The gif is an artist impression from this NASA Goddard video, and the image shows the water vapor plumes erupting at the 7 o’clock position of Europa.

Credits: Goddard/Katrina Jackson, NASA/ESA/W. Sparks (STScI)/USGS Astrogeology Science Center

NASA to Hold Media Call on Evidence of Surprising Activity on Europa

it’s definitely aliens.

NASA will host a teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 26, to present new findings from images captured by the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa.

dontcha think?

2010: Odyssey Two (1984)

Jupiter, as seen by Voyager I.

NASA just released a brand new equirectangular projection of Jupiter, so I thought it would be fun to revisit the surface of some planetary bodies … IN CONTINUOUSLY LOOPING GIF FORM.

So here’s

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Earth’s moon
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Ganymede (one of Jupiter’s moons)
• Pluto

Credit: NASA/JPL, USGS

Idk if this counts as a peeve more of an art-astronomy pet peeve

but when people draw the cresent moon and where the dark, shaddowed part of the moon is they put in stars

like studdenly that part of the moon is invisible instead of just being in the shadow

like wtf

wait no peOPLE ACTUALLY DO THIS???

 really stupid question though but like, aren’t there stars in front of the moon??? like??? space isn’t two dimensional so someone putting a couple stars in front of the shadow wouldn’t necessarily be wrong?? because aren’t there stars all around in space and?????? im just going to be confused forever frick uvu; 

hun if there was a star infront of the moon we’d be fucking dead

i’m fucking crying

The Not-planets of Our Solar System

by Emily Lakdawalla

Now that I have a reasonable-resolution global color view of Pluto, I can drop it into one of my trademark scale image montages, to show you how it fits in with the rest of the similar-sized worlds in the solar system: the major moons and the biggest asteroids…

(read more: The Planetary Society)

images: Montage by Emily Lakdawalla. The Moon: Gari Arrillaga. Other data: NASA/JPL/JHUAPL/SwRI/UCLA/MPS/IDA. Processing by Ted Stryk, Gordan Ugarkovic, Emily Lakdawalla, and Jason Perry

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE NIGH RES VERSION)

David Bowie now has a lightning-bolt-shaped constellation named after him

A new constellation has been named in honor of Earth’s favorite star man.

The Belgian radio station Studio Brussel and the public astronomy observatory MIRA have teamed up to register seven stars—appropriately located near Mars—as a unique celestial constellation in memory of singer David Bowie, who passed away on Jan. 10.

Playing connect-the-dots with the seven stars yields the shape of a lightning bolt—an homage to the one that streaks across Bowie’s face on the iconic cover of his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. 

Read more.