/newsroom/taxonomy/term/7327/all en /newsroom/channels/news/astronomers-detect-radio-heartbeat-billions-light-years-earth-340332 <p>Astronomers at ���ϲ����� University, MIT and elsewhere have detected a strange and persistent radio signal from a far-off galaxy, that appears to be flashing with surprising regularity. Classified as a fast radio burst, or FRB, this new signal persists for up to three seconds, about 1,000 times longer than the average FRB. Within this window, the team detected bursts of radio waves that repeat every 0.2 seconds in a clear periodic pattern.</p> Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:40:19 +0000 katherine.gombay@mcgill.ca 288242 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/telescopes-unite-unprecedented-observations-famous-black-hole-330409 <p>In April 2019, scientists released the first image of a black hole in the galaxy M87 using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). However, that remarkable achievement was just the beginning of the science story to be told. ���ϲ����� University astronomers<i> </i>were part of this global effort.</p> <p>Data from 19 observatories are now being released that promise to give unparalleled insight into this black hole and the system it powers, and to improve tests of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.</p> Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:24:06 +0000 katherine.gombay@mcgill.ca 259819 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/experts-mars-2020s-perseverance-landing-jezero-crater-328690 <p>NASA’s science rover <em>Perseverance</em>, the most advanced astrobiology laboratory ever sent to another world, streaked through the Martian atmosphere on Thursday, February 18 and landed safely on the floor of a vast crater, its first stop on a search for traces of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet. (<a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/world/space-how-to-watch-nasa-mars-rover-perseverance-landing" target="_blank">National Post</a>)<br /> <br /> Here are some experts from ���ϲ����� University that can provide comment on this issue:<br /> <br /></p> Thu, 18 Feb 2021 18:52:23 +0000 frederique.mazerolle@mcgill.ca 256628 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/discovery-fast-radio-burst-pulses-regular-intervals-322835 <p>A Canadian-led team of astronomers, including researchers from ���ϲ����� University, has discovered that a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) originating from a nearby galaxy pulses at regular intervals.</p> <p>Researchers within the <a href="https://chime-experiment.ca/">Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment</a> (CHIME) Fast Radio Burst Collaboration used the CHIME telescope in British Columbia to show that the repeating radio source known as FRB 180916.J0158+65 – first discovered in 2018 by the same group - pulsates apparently every 16.35 days.</p> Wed, 17 Jun 2020 20:03:22 +0000 justin.dupuis@mcgill.ca 217081 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/canadian-astronomers-determine-earths-fingerprint-hopes-finding-habitable-planets-beyond-solar-299976 <p>Two ���ϲ����� University astronomers have assembled a “fingerprint” for Earth, which could be used to identify a planet beyond our Solar System capable of supporting life.</p> Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:32:43 +0000 krysta.veneruz@mail.mcgill.ca 187513 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/ifls-astronomers-have-found-incredible-8-more-repeating-fast-radio-bursts-299637 <p>"There is definitely a difference between the sources, with some being more prolific than others," physicist Ziggy Pleunis of ���ϲ����� University told Science Alert. "We already knew from FRB 121102 that the bursts can be very clustered: sometimes the source doesn't burst for hours and hours and then suddenly you get multiple bursts in a short amount of time. We have observed the same thing for FRB 180916.J0158+65, for which we report 10 bursts in this paper."</p> Fri, 16 Aug 2019 12:31:20 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 186646 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/what-will-be-next-big-things-astronomy-297507 <p>It’s been an exciting time for astronomy lovers in the past few years: the first black hole picture amazed, many exoplanets have been discovered, gravitational waves were observed for the first time.</p> <p>Now, what will be the next big things in astronomy?</p> <p>Astronomers from across Canada will gather in Montreal June 17-20 to discuss emerging topics that could lead to big new advances in the field in the coming decade.</p> Thu, 30 May 2019 17:40:09 +0000 vincent.allaire@mcgill.ca 165972 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/matt-dobbs-awarded-2019-killam-research-fellowship-natural-sciences-296432 <p>���ϲ����� University astrophysicist <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/mcgillcosmology.ca/mcgillcosmology/matt-dobbs"><strong>Matt Dobbs</strong></a> is the recipient of the 2019 Killam Research Fellowship in Natural Sciences.</p> <p>The announcement was made today by the Canada Council for the Arts, which revealed this year's winners of the prestigious Killam Program, composed of the Killam Prizes and the Killam Research Fellowships. </p> Wed, 24 Apr 2019 15:44:19 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 159435 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/astronomers-capture-first-image-black-hole-296142 <p>The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) — a planet-scale array of eight ground-based radio telescopes forged through international collaboration — was designed to capture images of a black hole. Today, in coordinated press conferences across the globe, EHT researchers reveal that they have succeeded, unveiling the first direct visual evidence of a supermassive black hole and its shadow.</p> Wed, 10 Apr 2019 10:14:13 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 157147 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/mcgill-researchers-honoured-quebec-science-list-top-discoveries-292807 <p> Fri, 21 Dec 2018 15:25:50 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 121874 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/jonathan-sievers-and-jennifer-welsh-named-canada-150-research-chairs-286260 <p><span>Cosmologist Jonathan Sievers and international-relations scholar Jennifer Welsh will become Canada 150 Research Chairs at ���ϲ����� University. The appointments were among the <a href="http://canada150.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/index-eng.aspx">24 Chairs announced t</a>oday at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, by Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan.  </span></p> Wed, 28 Mar 2018 15:18:53 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 35629 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/expert-super-blueblood-moon-coming-jan-31-284066 <blockquote> <p>NASA says that the next full moon will be a ‘super blue blood moon’. What does it mean? Kelly Lepo, coordinator of the ���ϲ����� Space Institute, is available to answer your questions. (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/super-blue-blood-moon-coming-jan-31">NASA</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://msi.mcgill.ca/index.php?page=contact">Kelly Lepo</a>, Coordinator, ���ϲ����� Space Institute</strong></p> <p>(514) 398-4471, <span class="spamspan"><span class="u">Kelly.Lepo</span> [at] <span class="d">mcgill.ca</span></span></p> Mon, 22 Jan 2018 19:55:17 +0000 mona.noonoo@mail.mcgill.ca 32881 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/neutron-star-merger-yields-new-puzzle-astrophysicists-283948 <p>The afterglow from the distant neutron-star merger <a href="/newsroom/channels/news/latest-gravitational-wave-detection-opens-new-era-astronomy-278031">detected last August</a> has continued to brighten – much to the surprise of astrophysicists studying the aftermath of the massive collision that took place about 138 million light years away and sent gravitational waves rippling through the universe.</p> Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:56:53 +0000 christopher.chipello@mcgill.ca 32839 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/expert-geminids-meteor-shower-283271 <p>The Geminids meteor showers will peak on the evening of Dec. 13 and continue until early morning Dec. 14. The meteors will be bright and you can see up to 120 meteors an hour stream across the sky. Observers need to go to areas with little light pollution. </p> <p><strong><a href="http://msi.mcgill.ca/index.php?page=people">Dr. Kelly Lepo</a>, ���ϲ����� Space Institute</strong></p> Thu, 07 Dec 2017 15:39:49 +0000 mona.noonoo@mail.mcgill.ca 32753 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/latest-gravitational-wave-detection-opens-new-era-astronomy-278031 <p><span>The discovery of a gravitational wave caused by the merger of two neutron stars, reported today by a collaboration of scientists from around the world, opens a new era in astronomy. It marks the first time that scientists have been able to observe a cosmic event with both light waves -- the basis of traditional astronomy -- and gravitational waves, the ripples in space-time predicted a century ago by Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.</span></p> Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:26:19 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 32387 at /newsroom