Archive – Page 124 – Astronomy Now

Seeing matter sucked into a black hole at 30 percent lightspeed

20 September 2018 Astronomy Now

For the first time, astronomers have observed dust being sucked directly into a supermassive black hole, evidence of “chaotic accretion” that may have helped supermassive holes rapidly gain mass in the early universe.

NASA troubleshooting data transmission glitch with Curiosity Mars rover

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Engineers are troubleshooting a data transmission glitch aboard the Curiosity Mars rover that has interrupted science operations. They are studying real-time telemetry, which is not affected, to diagnose the problem.

Hubble sees unusual features around ‘magnificent seven’ neutron star

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Beams from rotating neutron stars – pulsars – are normally seen in X-rays, gamma rays and radio waves. The Hubble Space Telescope has now seen unusual infrared emissions, possibly from “pulsar winds” or surrounding dust.

Phoenix dwarf galaxy, rocked by supernova blasts

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

The Phoenix dwarf galaxy defies easy classification, without enough mass to form new stars but. But gas ejected from supernova blasts indicates star formation in the recent past with the possibility of more int the future.

Exoplanet found orbiting Mr. Spock’s home star

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

An automated telescope has found a super-Earth orbiting the star 40 Eridani A, famous to Star Trek fans as Science Officer Spock’s home star. It is twice the size of Earth and completes an orbit every 42 days.

Large Magellanic Cloud may be result of past galactic merger

18 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Computer simulations indicated the Large Cloud of Magellan may have merged with another luminous galaxy three to five billion years ago, a scenario that explains unusual stellar motions and ages.

Exoplanet-hunter TESS captures razor-sharp ‘first light’ images

18 September 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite’s four cameras have captured a razor-sharp “first light” image of the southern sky, demonstrating the photographic prowess needed to hunt down planets around nearby stars.

Jupiter probe captures intriguing look at a ‘brown barge’

16 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Extended oval storms known as “brown barges” are occasionally seen in Jupiter’s North and South Equatorial Belts, but they tend to blend into the surrounding area and are difficult to spot. NASA’s Juno spacecraft recently captured a clear view of a brown barge in the southern belt.

Tracking a star’s movement by measuring its age and chemistry

16 September 2018 Astronomy Now

By measuring a star’s age and chemical makeup, astronomers can determine where a sun originated in the galactic disk before migrating outward. The Sun, it turns out, likely formed about 2,000 light years closer to the Milky Way’s core.

See the Moon and Saturn get close at dusk on 17 September

16 September 2018 Ade Ashford

Skywatchers in the UK looking to the south-southwest at dusk on Monday, 17 September can see the waxing gibbous Moon just 1¾ degrees to the upper left of Saturn, the pair fitting comfortably in the same field of view of binoculars and small telescopes magnifying 25× or less. This is also a good night for spotting Titan, Saturn’s largest and brightest moon.