2020 – Page 6 – Astronomy Now

Shotgun-like meteoroid impacts and thermal stress trigger asteroid ejections

9 September 2020 Astronomy Now

Small rocks seen spewing into space from the asteroid Bennu likely were ejected due to thermal stress and shotgun-like meteoroid impacts.

Survey finds no detectable alien radio signals across 10 million stars

8 September 2020 Astronomy Now

Australian researchers find no detectable alien radio emissions across at least 10 million stars

Chandra shows off multiwavelength “treasure chest of cosmic delights”

7 September 2020 Astronomy Now

Multiwavelength astronomy offers a fresh look at familiar and unfamiliar targets alike.

A familiar face-on spiral hosts stars galore and a supermassive black hole

7 September 2020 Astronomy Now

The spiral galaxy M61, mistaken for a comet by Charles Messier in 1779, is an anchor tenant of the Virgo galaxy cluster, a beehive of rapid star birth.

Triple star system features mis-aligned planet-forming dust rings

4 September 2020 Astronomy Now

A star system in Orion features a warped protoplanetary disc that could indicate the presence of an unseen planet – a first for a triple star system.

Gravitational wave observatories detect biggest black hole merger yet

2 September 2020 Astronomy Now

Gravity waves indicate the birth of an elusive intermediate-mass black hole, raising fresh questions about the gap between stellar and supermassive black holes.

Of supernova remnants and stellar nurseries in the Large Magellanic Cloud

2 September 2020 Astronomy Now

One of the Large Magellanic Cloud’s lesser known regions, NGC 2035, shows off a stellar nursery in vast clouds of gas and dust along side a colourful supernova remnant in this close-up view from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope.

Astronomers find dual quasars are exceedingly rare

1 September 2020 Astronomy Now

While galaxy collisions and mergers are not rare, merging supermassive black holes at the hearts of active galaxies are far less common.

Spitzer spies a hot spot of star formation

30 August 2020 Astronomy Now

The star-forming nebula W51 is one of the largest “star factories” in the Milky Way galaxy. Interstellar dust blocks the visible light emitted by the region, but it is revealed by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, which captures infrared light that can penetrate dust clouds.

Gemini North captures mesmerising view of Comet NEOWISE’s rotation

25 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Researchers using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii observe a spiralling outflow of gas from Comet NEOWISE, revealing its rotation.