October 2017 – Astronomy Now

Hubble observes exoplanet that snows sunscreen

29 October 2017 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has found a blistering hot planet outside our solar system where it “snows” sunscreen.

Small asteroid or comet ‘visits’ from beyond the Solar System

29 October 2017 Astronomy Now

A small, recently discovered asteroid — or perhaps a comet — appears to have originated from outside the Solar System, coming from somewhere else in our galaxy. If so, it would be the first “interstellar object” to be observed and confirmed by astronomers.

Jovian moon shadow

27 October 2017 Astronomy Now

Jupiter’s moon Amalthea casts a shadow on the gas giant planet in this image captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The elongated shape of the shadow is a result of both the location of the moon with relation to Jupiter in this image as well as the irregular shape of the moon itself.

Hubble discovers ‘wobbling galaxies’

26 October 2017 Astronomy Now

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered that the brightest galaxies within galaxy clusters “wobble” relative to the cluster’s centre of mass.

Revealing galactic secrets

26 October 2017 Astronomy Now

Countless galaxies vie for attention in this monster image of the Fornax Galaxy Cluster, some appearing only as pinpricks of light while others dominate the foreground.

Engineers hopeful Mars rover’s drill can return to service

25 October 2017 Stephen Clark

Engineers have started testing a new way to use the Curiosity rover’s drill to bore into Martian rocks after a motor in the device stalled late last year, but ground teams are still months away from the first chance to resume drilling operations.

Detector trouble expected to delay ESA’s Euclid dark energy mission

23 October 2017 Stephen Clark

Technical problems discovered during ground testing of U.S.-built detectors for the European Space Agency’s Euclid astronomy mission will delay the completion of the telescope’s scientific payload, jeopardising the observatory’s 2020 launch target, the head of NASA’s astrophysics division said last week.

MAVEN mission finds Mars has a twisted tail

23 October 2017 Astronomy Now

Mars has an invisible magnetic “tail” that is twisted by interaction with the solar wind, according to new research using data from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft.

See fragments of Comet Halley light up the night sky this weekend

21 October 2017 Ade Ashford

If skies are clear between midnight and the first glimmer of dawn this weekend, you may get to see up to 20 celestial fireworks per hour from the Orionid meteor shower. While far from the richest of the annual shooting star displays, the Orionids are particularly swift and have their genesis in particles strewn along the orbit of Comet Halley.

NASA’s Dawn mission gears up for close look at Ceres

20 October 2017 Stephen Clark

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft will remain at Ceres for the rest of its mission, heading closer to the asteroid belt’s largest resident than ever before to obtain new measurements of ice, salts and a tenuous intermittent atmosphere detected around the dwarf planet, the space agency announced Thursday.