There are more massive stars out there in the universe

Scientists knew massive stars existed, but they thought they were much fewer in numbers than smaller ones. This was given mostly by their lifespan, which is shorter than the one of smaller stars. However, researchers were surprised to find over a thousand such big stars, with the help of the Very Large Telescope in Chile.

More massive stars in the universe

These recently discovered massive stars are about 200 times the size of our Sun, which was previously regarded as impossible. They are located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, in the Tarantula Nebula. This area, also known as 30 Doradus, is well-known for its star forming properties. This made the researchers compare this intense activity with that of the universe at its start.

This discovery is meaningful from more points of view. First of all, it proved scientists wrong on the origin and properties of massive stars. More importantly, they seem to have played a role in the birth of the universe. When they die, they apparently influence the formation of black holes. In fact, the moment of their death coincides with such a bright and powerful explosion that an entire galaxy can be affected.

These big stars are a lot more common than we thought

Massive stars have a shorter lifespan because their mass is harder to support. Whenever it gets too heavy, their core collapses, resulting in this powerful explosion called supernova. Researchers thought these events occur quite rarely, namely one in several hundreds of years. However, they now doubt this hypothesis.

This higher number of massive stars discovered indicate that supernovas actually occur more often. Actually, researchers said they are probably 70 percent more common than they thought. Also, since more massive stars are present in the universe, they probably produce black holes bigger than the current average.

These conclusions have been based on the study of one single star-production region. However, the theory is easily applicable everywhere in the universe, suggesting that massive stars are more common and have a bigger influence on the cosmos.
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By studying the weird radio signals present in space, scientists created a simulation of a neutron star collision

At the beginning of this year, researchers detected some mysterious radio signals coming from outer space. After a close analysis, they managed to strike down from the list the dark energy hypothesis, but discovered how gold came into being on our planet. While continuing the debate, they used these emissions, as well as gamma- and x-rays, to reconstruct a neutron star collision which occurred 130 million light-years away.

What produced the strange radio emissions?

The discovery of the strange gravitational waves left researchers baffled, as they couldn’t tell where they came from. They quickly revealed they were the result of a neutron star collision, and it was the first time when they spotted the effects of such an event. Similar collisions could have occurred before as well, but this was the first time when scientists detected one.

Soon after noticing the radio emissions, they discovered how the two stars left out x-rays and gamma-rays. They kept analyzing all these traces, and were shortly able to use all the data they collected to reconstruct the event.

The neutron star collision created a cocoon of radio signals and x-rays

At first, they thought the signals were the result of matter being spewed out at the moment of the neutron star collision. This would have created a directionless and structureless jet which came right out of the merger. However, if this really happened, then the radio signals and the rays had to gradually get fainter.

This didn’t happen, so researchers knew the neutron star collision took a different form. As the event occurred, it shot a rapid jet which got choked and produced a cocoon of both the rays and the signals. All the material traveled close to the speed of light, and everything was illustrated in a video. The phenomenon was also explained in a study published in the journal Nature.

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There’s a higher risk of deadly motorcycle accidents on full moon nights

You might think a full moon makes the night sky look more beautiful, but even this fascination might prove fatal for you. If you ride a motorcycle, be extremely careful while going on such night rides, as you might suffer a fatal crash. Researchers have discovered the astronomical phenomenon is related to accidents, as riders can easily get distracted.

Many motorcycle accidents prove fatal

Motorcycle accidents are extremely dangerous, and are one of the most widespread causes of death all over the world. In the US, about 5,000 deaths occur every year from such causes, as one death in seven traffic accidents is a motorcycle crash.

Most of the times, traffic accidents take place as drivers get distracted. About 12 times a year, the full moon rises, appearing as a big shiny spot on the dark night sky, making it a lot brighter. Therefore, whenever this happens, all motorcycle riders should be more careful than usual when going on nocturnal trips.

The number of deadly crashes was higher on full moon nights

To make sure a full moon is a real distraction, researchers decided to study how motorcycle accidents were related to the phenomenon. They looked at a database of all motorcycle crashes which occurred between 1975 and 2014, and then looked which ones took place on a night with a full moon.

In 1,482 nights, where 494 had a full moon, there have been 4,494 deadly motorcycle accidents recorded. Also, the calculations showed that more crashes took place in such nights than in any other night. The average numbers of crashes per night on a full moon night was 9.10, while the one on a regular night was 8.64.

Needless to say, the risk got even higher when there was a supermoon. This means the astronomical event brings out plenty of distractions which result in fatal motorcycle accidents. However, the study was only observational, so other factors haven’t been thoroughly considered. The paper was published in BMJ.
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The dye lights up even the tiniest plastic pollutants

Our seas and oceans are full of plastic pollutants but, unfortunately, what we can see is only a small part of the harmful debris. Scientists assume that this visible waste represents only one percent of the entire mass of pollutants hiding in the waters. Since the other 99 percent remains hidden, it’s extremely difficult to remove it. However, a team of researchers discovered how to spot this lost plastic.

Microplastics are incredibly difficult to spot with the naked eye

Whenever environmentalists look at the plastic pollutants present in the ocean, they leave out a huge part of the waste. This consists of small portions which usually break from bigger pieces of plastic, and are also known as microplastics. They are smaller than 5 millimeters, meaning that, most of the time, researchers aren’t even aware of their presence.

However, a team of researchers from the University of Warwick found a solution to this environmental crisis. They created a special fluorescent dye which makes plastic material appear brighter. This way, they could spot even the tiniest pollutants, leading to a more accurate assessment of the waste present in oceans.

The fluorescent dye makes the tiny pollutants visible

This is a huge achievement, since it represents a huge progress from the previous method used to spot microplastics. Before coming up with the idea of using dye, environmentalists had to pick up each individual piece of tiny plastic, which was the most counterproductive method one could think of.

Now, once they add the dye, all the tiny pollutants get lit up. From then on, researchers can either spot them with the naked eye or, for the smallest pieces, detect them by using a microscope. This way, they could account for more harmful particles in the water than they could easily detect. The findings are important, since even the tiniest of pollutants could harm the environment.

The study was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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The Chicxulub impact occurred in the wrong location at the wrong time

A new research brings a shocking finding about the asteroid impact which led to the extinction of dinosaurs. It seems that the giant reptiles could have still been around if the asteroid had hit Earth in a different place. The statistic chances that the mass extinction should have happened were of only 13 percent, and yet the impact took place in the wrong spot.

The location of the impact was unlucky

Around 65 million years ago, an asteroid measuring 5.6 miles in diameter struck Earth. The impact took place in the Yucatan Peninsula, in a spot which gave the name of the impact – Chicxulub. Although the object had an impressive size, the chances that it should lead to a mass extinction were quite scarce.

However, the Yucatan Peninsula was an area rich in sulfates and hydrocarbon. When the impact occurred, all these materials reached huge temperatures. This caused them to be released in the atmosphere as aerosols and soot, which blocked the sunlight. Then, Earth started getting colder, plants started withering, and oceans dried out.

The timing was also bad

After the impact, the overall temperature on the planet dropped by 18 degrees Fahrenheit. This greatly disturbed the balance of the ecosystem, which ended in the extinction of 75 percent of the species living on Earth.

Researchers explored different possible outcomes, and decided that the location of the impact was extremely important. Only 13 percent of the entire surface of our planet contains sulfate and hydrocarbon deposits, and the impact happened to take place in such a location.

Also, not only the location was a bad choice. The impact also took place at a bad time. About one million years before the event, herbivorous dinosaurs suffered a sudden decrease in diversity. This made them more vulnerable and easier to wipe out. However, when life began thriving again, it evolve into beautifully diverse and complex species.

A study on the subject has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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