January 2019 – Page 3 – Astronomy Now

Astronomers debate an unprecedented “holy cow” outburst

13 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers are debating what triggered an explosion of light in a galaxy 200 million like years away that was 10 to 100 times brighter than a typical supernova.

The Moon invades the Hyades, close to bright star Aldebaran on 17 January

13 January 2019 Ade Ashford

As dusk fades to dark on Thursday, 17 January, observers in the British Isles and Western Europe can see the rising 10-day-old Moon less than 1 degree away from first-magnitude star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus. Grab your binoculars to enjoy the sight of the gibbous Moon amid the Hyades open star cluster too.

A dazzling swirl of suns in the northern sky

13 January 2019 Astronomy Now

NGC 6946, nicknamed the “Fireworks Galaxy,” presents a dazzling spectacle in the northern sky between the constellations Cygnus and Cepheus as viewed by the Hubble Space Telescope and Japan’s Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.

Hubble spies brightest known quasar in the early universe

11 January 2019 Astronomy Now

The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted the brightest quasar ever seen in the early universe, an active galactic nucleus shining 11 trillion times brighter than the Sun.

Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 expected back on line soon

10 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Engineers are optimistic they can safely return the Wide Field Camera 3 aboard the Hubble Space Telescope to normal operation after a fault 8 January.

Direct evidence of white dwarf crystallisation found

10 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Using data collected by ESA’s Gaia spacecraft, researchers have found direct evidence that white dwarfs eventually crystallise as they slowly cool after running out of fuel.

Habitable worlds orbiting dwarf stars may not be commonplace after all

9 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Observations by the Hubble Space Telescope and ESO’s Very Large Telescope indicate processes that may limit the habitability of planets orbiting dwarf stars.

Hardware problem knocks Hubble camera off line

9 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Engineers are troubleshooting a hardware problem with the Wide Field Camera 3, one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s premier science instruments.

TESS on track to revolutionise exoplanet astronomy

8 January 2019 Astronomy Now

In just three months, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, discovered three confirmed worlds, 280 candidates and six supernovae.

Most detailed view yet of M33 captured in Hubble mosaic

7 January 2019 Astronomy Now

A stunning mosaic made up of 54 Hubble Space Telescope images resolves nearly 25 million stars in the most detailed view yet of M33.