2015 – Page 73 – Astronomy Now

4 February 2026

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A new VISTA through the Milky Way

4 February 2015 Astronomy Now

While mapping the central regions of the Milky Way in infrared light searching for new and hidden objects, the 4.1-metre VISTA telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile looked through a familiar object to wonders beyond.

Ageing Mars rover could be shut down

4 February 2015 Stephen Clark

NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, working well past their expected lifetimes, could be shut down in fiscal year 2016 as the agency tries to balance funding for older missions and development of modernised new space probes, officials said Monday.

20mm Lightwave Hyper-wide 100-degree eyepiece

3 February 2015 Steve Ringwood

Altair Astro’s Lightwave range now includes a multi-coated, 9-element 20mm eyepiece with an incredible 100° apparent field for truly immersive wide-angle views.

‘Live fast, die young’ galaxies run out of gas

3 February 2015 Astronomy Now

Most galaxies age slowly as they run out of raw materials needed for growth over billions of years, but a pilot study has found some might shoot out this gas early on, causing them to redden and die prematurely.

Jupiter keeps observers’ busy during March

2 February 2015 Ade Ashford

The Solar System’s largest planet reached opposition on February 6th, but it’s still big and bright in the March sky. Here’s our quick guide to Jupiter at its best for 2015.

4 billion-year-old meteorite reveals Mars’ darker side

1 February 2015 Astronomy Now

A new spectroscopic analysis of “Black Beauty,” a 4.4 billion-year-old meteorite found in the Moroccan desert, has given scientists a better picture of the crust beneath Mars’ red dust.

Primordial gravitational waves remain elusive

31 January 2015 Astronomy Now

Despite earlier reports of a possible detection, a joint analysis of data from ESA’s Planck satellite and the ground-based BICEP2 and Keck Array experiments has found no conclusive evidence of primordial gravitational waves.

1st Feb: see the Moon occult λ Geminorum

31 January 2015 Ade Ashford

The current monthly cycle featuring occultations of naked-eye star Lambda Geminorum continues with an early evening event for the British Isles on Sunday, 1st February.

New discoveries from Rosetta put comet 67P in focus

30 January 2015 Stephen Clark

Scientists have released new findings from the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission, adding fresh pages to a catalog of comet data that officials promise will swell with more discoveries over the rest of the year.

Cassini catches Titan naked in the solar wind

30 January 2015 Astronomy Now

Researchers analysing data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft were able to study the effect of a powerful solar outburst on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, when it was unprotected from a raging stream of energetic solar particles.

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