March 2020 – Astronomy Now

9 December 2022

Latest News

Scientists plan for BepiColombo fly-by despite coronavirus limitations

30 March 2020 Keith Cooper

Scientists are still preparing for the crucial fly-by of Earth by the joint European–Japanese BepiColombo mission to Mercury on 10 April, despite the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc.

Planet Venus photobombs the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) 1–5 April

29 March 2020 Ade Ashford

As April 2020 opens, dazzling Venus at dusk is drawing ever closer to the magnificent Pleiades (Seven Sisters) in the constellation of Taurus. The brightest planet makes its closest approach to this famous open star cluster on the UK night of 3 April, when typical 10×50 binoculars and small telescopes will deliver memorable views around 9pm BST.

Using Earth templates to hunt for life-supporting exoplanets

29 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have put together spectral templates of Earth at key points in its evolution to help next-generation telescopes identify similar exoplanets.

Hubble anniversary events impacted by COVID-19 pandemic

29 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Events marking the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s launch on 24 April 1990 are being rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evidence of Uranus’ leaking atmosphere found hidden in Voyager 2 observations

27 March 2020 Keith Cooper

By going over old data collected by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986, two scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have made the startling discovery that Uranus’ atmosphere is gradually escaping into space.

High-stakes search in a galaxy cluster for an elusive particle

25 March 2020 Keith Cooper

A search within a distant galaxy cluster for ghost-like particles that could provide evidence for String Theory and be a candidate for mysterious dark matter has turned up nothing – so far.

How to ‘seed’ supermassive black holes in the early universe

24 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Researchers in Italy have come up with a testable explanation for how supermassive black holes were able to grow so fast in the early universe.

Curiosity climbs its steepest slope so far

23 March 2020 Keith Cooper

The intrepid Curiosity rover has scaled its greatest challenge so far, a steep slope inclined at 31 degrees to the horizontal, leading to a cliff-top region known as Greenheugh Pediment.

Astronomers use Hubble to learn more about the birth of massive suns

23 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers are using the Hubble Space Telescope to study massive stars in a stellar nursery near the Tarantula Nebula to learn why most form in clusters but some appear to form in isolation.

NASA assesses impact of coronavirus on space science missions

21 March 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA assesses impact of COVID-19 on space science missions; work on James Webb telescope suspended, but Mars 2020 work continues for now.

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