Astronomers have potentially discovered first "exomoon"July 28, 2017 - 14:00 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A team of astronomers has potentially discovered the first known moon beyond the Solar System, BBC News reports. If confirmed, the "exomoon" is likely to be about the size and mass of Neptune, and circles a planet the size of Jupiter but with 10 times the mass. The signal was detected by Nasa's Kepler Space Telescope; astronomers now plan to carry out follow-up observations with Hubble in October. A paper about the candidate moon is published on the Arxiv pre-print site. To date, astronomers have discovered more than 3,000 exoplanets - worlds orbiting stars other than the Sun. A hunt for exomoons - objects in orbit around those distant planets - has proceeded in parallel. But so far, these extrasolar satellites have lingered at the limits of detection with current techniques. Dr David Kipping, assistant professor of astronomy at Columbia University in New York, says he has spent "most of his adult life" looking for exomoons. For the time being, however, he urged caution, saying: "We would merely describe it at this point as something consistent with a moon, but, who knows, it could be something else." The Kepler telescope hunts for planets by looking for tiny dips in the brightness of a star when a planet crosses in front - known as a transit. To search for exomoons, researchers are looking for a dimming of starlight before and after the planet causes its dip in light. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |