Even before the show officially commences‚ the Grammys are always a sight to behold‚ seeing who wears what‚ and which guests are in attendance together. This year‚ singer and television host Kelly Clarkson both showed off a sleek‚ classy look‚ she also had the most adorable plus-one‚ her young son Remy. Clarkson was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album thanks to her album chemistry‚ which was released after a tumultuous split from her ex-husband‚ Brandon Blackstock. She shares seven-year-old Remington‚ nicknamed Remy‚ with Blackstock‚ as well as nine-year-old daughter River Rose. Check out the cute mother-son duo on the red carpet! Kelly Clarkson and her son Remy were a lovely pair on the 2024 Grammys red carpet Kelly Clarkson was accompanied by her son‚ Remy‚ for the 2024 Grammys 41-year-old Clarkson sported a custom Jason Wu Collection floor-length white gown that hugged her figure and coordinated perfectly with her octagonal clutch. She wore subtle yet sparkling silver jewelry‚ had her face made up for the evening‚ and wore her dark gold hair in loose waves down her shoulders. RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Performs Festive ‘Kellyoke’ Cover Of Cher’s ‘DJ Play A Christmas Song’ Beside Clarkson was young Remy‚ wearing a deep red velvet suit accented by a colorful bouquet of flowers made out of Legos. Remy sported a soft smile as he held his mother’s hand through the red carpet event on Sunday. Her troubled relationship road Is Kelly Clarkson's son wearing a Lego flower boutonniere??? LOVE. #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/z0jNwqk1A3 — Olivia Truffaut-Wong (@iWatchiAm) February 5‚ 2024 Released in June 2023‚ chemistry chronicles the story of Clarkson and Blackstock‚ particularly their public and dramatic split. Though it came after an emotional time‚ the album provides a full picture‚ sometimes full of loveliness as well as grief‚ and Clarkson revealed that she’d had a text conversation with Blackstock ahead of time. “I don’t even remember why or how it happened‚” she said‚ “but I was like‚ ‘Hey‚ I didn’t just diminish us down to one (thing).’ You know what I’m saying? It’s all in there‚ the ride. The beauty is in there‚ as well. Now‚ there’s a lot of pain‚ but that’s what happens‚ for all of us.” Chemistry‚ the nominated album by Kelly Clarkson / Amazon “I didn’t see it other than: This is my outlet‚” Clarkson also said of chemistry. “’m a let-go person; I don’t hold grudges. So it was really delving into what happened in my life and why—and what am I going to do about it?” She continued‚ “I cannot express how appreciative I feel for having that kind of healthy outlet. Because the level of depression and things that come with divorce or grieving is extraordinarily hard. You feel alone‚ and it’s just a blessing to be able to have that outlet for those emotions that are overwhelming.” Clarkson used chemistry as an outlet through her whirlwind split from her ex-husband / Birdie Thompson/AdMedia RELATED: ‘The View’ Loses To ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ At Daytime Emmy Awards Click for next Article The post Kelly Clarkson And Son Remy Are An Adorable Pair On The Grammys Red Carpet appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author‚ Dana Daly

Astronomers working with the JWST found a dwarf galaxy they weren’t looking for. It’s about 98 million years away‚ has no neighbours‚ and was in the background of an image of other galaxies. This isolated galaxy shows a lack of star-formation activity‚ which is very unusual for an isolated dwarf. Most isolated dwarf galaxies form stars‚ according to a wealth of observations. What’s different about this one? The JWST’s PEARLS (Prime Extragalactic Areas for Reionization and Lensing Science) observing program is aimed at understanding the epoch of galaxy assembly‚ active galactic nucleus (AGN) growth‚ and First Light. As part of its work‚ it observed a galaxy cluster called CLG1212. The isolated dwarf galaxy‚ named PEARLSDG‚ was found serendipitously. The discovery is in new research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Its title is “PEARLS: A Potentially Isolated Quiescent Dwarf Galaxy with a Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distance of 30 Mpc.” The lead author is Tim Carleton‚ an Assistant Research Scientist at the Arizona State University. Dwarf galaxies contain far fewer stars than galaxies like our Milky Way. Nobody’s certain how many stars are in the Milky Way exactly. But well-reasoned estimates point to an upper number of about 400 billion. In contrast‚ dwarf galaxies like PEARLSDG contain up to about 100 million stars. Besides its lack of star formation‚ PEARLSDG is unusual for another reason. The JWST is able to discern individual red giant branch (RGB) stars in the dwarf galaxy because the stars are bright in JWST’s observed wavelengths. It’s almost too far away for the JWST to see the stars‚ so PEARLSDG is one of the most distant galaxies in which we can see individual stars. The JWST was able to discern individual stars in the dwarf galaxy‚ as shown in this image from the research. Image Credit: Carleton et al. 2024 Being able to see individual red giant branch (RGB) stars makes studying the dwarf galaxy much easier. RGB stars have a specific intrinsic brightness‚ and that means that the astronomers behind the discovery can measure the galaxy’s distance: about 98 million light-years away. They can also measure the stars’ ages‚ showing that the PEARLSDG stellar population is older. If it were still forming stars‚ some of the stars would be much younger. The researchers write that the dwarf galaxy hasn’t formed a star in at least one billion years. Part of the evidence is in the lack of UV energy from the galaxy. Young stars emit powerful UV‚ yet PEARLSDG displays only low levels of UV radiation. “Consistent with its low level of UV emission and the lack of emission lines in its spectrum‚ we find a very low sSFR‚ suggesting that its star formation shut off over 1 Gyr ago‚” the researchers explain. When a galaxy ceases to form stars‚ it’s called a quiescent galaxy. In a quiescent galaxy‚ the supply of gas used in star formation has been quenched. It’s usually caused by another neighbouring galaxy that has interacted with the quiescent galaxy to halt star formation. Somehow‚ the interaction has stripped gas from the quiescent galaxy or disrupted the flow of gas. But PEARLSDG has no close neighbours. The JWST’s NIRCam instrument was imaging the regions in the green boxes when it also spotted PEARLSDG‚ the dwarf galaxy in the cyan box. Image Credit: Carleton et al. 2024 “These types of isolated quiescent dwarf galaxies haven’t really been seen before except for relatively few cases. They are not really expected to exist given our current understanding of galaxy evolution‚ so the fact that we see this object helps us improve our theories for galaxy formation‚” said lead author Carleton. “Generally‚ dwarf galaxies that are out there by themselves are continuing to form new stars.” Interactions with other galaxies can cause quenching through tidal stripping. So can other environmental effects like ram pressure stripping and strangulation. But there are other causes‚ too‚ though astronomers are still working to understand them. “However‚ recent observations of large numbers of ultra-diffuse galaxies have prompted the development of internal quenching mechanisms‚ such as strong feedback‚” the researchers state. In strong feedback‚ powerful energy from the biggest and brightest stars can blow away gas needed for new stars to form. Despite the fact that PEARLSDG has no close neighbours‚ the authors are cautious in their conclusions. “Regardless‚ we cannot completely rule out past interactions with other galaxies that may have affected its formation history‚” they write. “However‚ the recessional velocity and luminosity distance of PEARLSDG are consistent with it being in the Hubble Flow‚ and there are no visible signatures of tidal interactions.” The Hubble Flow is what makes galaxies recede from one another as the Universe expands. Some galaxies interact and even merge despite the expansion because other forces have acted on them. But there’s no indication that anything has interacted with the dwarf galaxy that could’ve quenched its star formation. When galaxies interact with one another‚ the tidal forces distort their shapes and can create tails and streams of stretched-out gas‚ dust‚ and stars. But PEARLSDG shows none of these symptoms. It’s a fairly non-descript‚ normal-shaped dwarf galaxy. A pair of interacting galaxies called Arp 273. The larger of the spiral galaxies‚ known as UGC 1810‚ has a disk that is distorted into a rose-like shape by the gravitational tidal pull of the companion galaxy below it‚ known as UGC 1813. Image Credit: NASA‚ ESA‚ and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Discoveries like this make astronomers pause and reconsider their models of galaxy evolution. But it’s likely that the JWST will find more isolated and quiescent dwarf galaxies. As more are observed‚ things will become clearer‚ and eventually‚ there’ll be an explanation. “More detailed analysis of the star formation history of PEARLSDG and the dynamics of PEARLSDG with respect to its surroundings are needed to further understand its formation history‚ but this discovery suggests the possibility that many isolated quiescent galaxies are waiting to be identified and that JWST has the tools to do so‚” the researchers write. But for now‚ it’s just one more mystery in the cosmos. “This was absolutely against people’s expectations for a dwarf galaxy like this‚” Carleton said. The post The JWST Discovers a Galaxy That Shouldn’t Exist appeared first on Universe Today.

What’s the most important thing you need to live and work on the Moon? Power. For NASA’s upcoming Artemis program‚ getting power to lunar bases is a top priority. That’s why the agency created its Fission Surface Power Project. The idea is to develop concepts for a small nuclear fission reactor to generate electricity on the lunar surface. The project just finished its initial phase (which began in 2022)‚ which consisted of three $5 million contracts to commercial partners to develop fission reactor designs. NASA selected Lockheed Martin in Bethesda‚ MD‚ Westinghouse of Cranberry‚ PA‚ and IX of Houston‚ TX each for a 12-month Phase 1 award to further develop preliminary designs. Each partner was tasked to offer a design of the reactor and systems for power conversion‚ heat rejection‚ and power management and distribution. Of course‚ the partners needed to provide estimated costs for their systems and development plans. The ultimate goal was to create a system that could support lunar bases for a decade. The designs would also serve as pathways to plan and build similar systems on Mars. Power systems spell the difference between success and failure in any mission. For the Moon and Mars‚ it’s the difference between life and death. Nuclear power is the most likely route to service long-term power needs. “A demonstration of a nuclear power source on the Moon is required to show that it is a safe‚ clean‚ reliable option‚” said Trudy Kortes‚ program director‚ Technology Demonstration Missions within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The lunar night is challenging from a technical perspective‚ so having a source of power such as this nuclear reactor‚ which operates independent of the Sun‚ is an enabling option for long-term exploration and science efforts on the Moon.” Why Fission Reactors? Let’s face it—living and working on the Moon presents a lot of challenges. Safe‚ clean power helps overcome many of the dangers that lunar explorers will face. Solar power provides a dependable source of power to keep things going. But‚ at least half of the time‚ solar power grids will be in darkness during the lunar night. That’s not to say solar power won’t be used. But‚ another power source is important to have. That’s where fission reactors come in handy. Nuclear fission power plants like these could enable long-term exploration of the Moon for both humans and robotic probes. Credit: NASA NASA and other agencies could put nuclear reactors in places that spend their time in partial or full shadow. In many cases‚ in situ reservoirs of ice exist in the same regions. The advantage of nuclear reactors is that they can operate full-time‚ regardless of whether there’s sunlight or not. That’s a big plus for power needs during the 14-night-long lunar night. Note that NASA isn’t saying that ONLY nuclear fission generators will be used on the Moon. A combination of solar and nuclear installations will likely supply the electricity needs of habitats and science labs. Reactor Specs for the Moon and Beyond In its solicitation for further work on the designs‚ NASA wanted to see plans for reactors that would last at least a decade without human intervention. This reduces any threats from accidental radiation exposure and allows lunar explorers to focus on their primary science and exploration tasks. The specs for the reactor design specify that it be under six metric tons and produce 40 kilowatts of power. That is enough to demonstrate the capability of the system and provide power for habitats‚ grids‚ and science experiments. If you put the same reactor on Earth in a typical neighborhood‚ it would be enough to power 33 homes. The agency designed the requirements to be open and flexible so that each company could feel free to explore new directions when it came to the designs they submitted. “There was a healthy variety of approaches; they were all very unique from each other‚” said Lindsay Kaldon‚ Fission Surface Power project manager at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “We didn’t give them a lot of requirements on purpose because we wanted them to think outside the box.” Now with feedback from the commercial partners‚ NASA begins working on a Phase 2 solicitation for 2025. After that‚ the agency expects delivery of a system for use on the Moon in the early 2030s. In the distant future‚ after the systems have gone through their “baptism by fire” on the Moon‚ NASA will likely redesign a nuclear fission reactor specifically for use on Mars. For More Information NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project Energizes Lunar ExplorationNASA Fission Surface Power Project The post NASA is One Step Closer to Deploying Fission Reactors on the Moon appeared first on Universe Today.

The wait is nearly over.

This could be serious.

Former president named Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) as potential running mates.

Houthi rebels vowed "escalation" in reaction to U.S. and U.K. strikes launched in Yemen on Sunday. A spokesman for the Iran-backed group vowed to continue its campaign of disrupting regional trade "no matter the sacrifices it costs us." The U.S. and U.K. launched a series of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen this weekend in reaction to a lethal drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan last week. "The US-British coalition’s bombing of a number of Yemeni provinces will not change...

The US carried out further strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen early on Sunday‚ the US military said. Centcom said the US struck a land-attack cruise missile and four anti-ship missiles that "were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea". The additional strikes came a day after joint US-UK strikes on Houthi targets. The US has also warned that it intends to take further action against Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. On Friday‚ the US said it struck...

After the United States and United Kingdom's new wave of strikes in Yemen‚ the Houthis vowed a response. The US-UK airstrikes "will not deter us"‚ said Houthis after the strikes hit dozens of Iran-backed rebels' targets over the Red Sea attacks. The Yemen airstrike comes after the US retaliatory strikes targeting Iran-backed stations in Iraq in Syria. The retaliatory strikes on Friday was a response to the drone attack in Jordan by militias in Iran‚ that killed 3 US soldiers. The strikes...