Archive – Page 307 – Astronomy Now

Red dwarf seen stripping atmosphere from Neptune-sized exoplanet

25 June 2015 Astronomy Now

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have discovered an immense cloud of hydrogen dispersing from a warm, Neptune-sized planet orbiting a nearby star. It may offer clues as to how hot super-Earths — massive, hot versions of Earth — are born around other stars.

Celestron boosts UK presence

24 June 2015 Astronomy Now

American telescope manufacturer Celestron has unveiled a new distribution centre to better serve astronomers in the UK.

New Horizons sees Pluto’s close approach hemisphere and Charon’s ‘dark pole’

24 June 2015 Astronomy Now

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft doesn’t pass Pluto until July 14th — zipping by about 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometres) above the surface of the dwarf planet after a journey of almost 3 billion miles — but the mission team is making tantalising new discoveries as the piano-sized probe bears down on the Pluto system.

Orion edge-on planetary eyepieces

23 June 2015 Steve Ringwood

Steve Ringwood takes a look through a range of 1.25-inch seven-element eyepieces of a design optimised for high contrast, flat-field performance on the planets and likes what he sees.

Nonphotosynthetic pigments could be biosignatures of life on other worlds

23 June 2015 Astronomy Now

Researchers have found that if organisms with nonphotosynthetic pigments — those that process light for tasks other than energy production — cover enough of a distant exoplanet’s surface, their spectral signal could be strong enough to be detected by powerful future telescopes now being designed.

Triple crescents

22 June 2015 Astronomy Now

A single crescent moon is a familiar sight in Earth’s sky, but with Saturn’s many moons, you can see three or even more. Rhea (top), Titan and Mimas (bottom) align for this image from NASA’s ongoing Cassini mission.

Saturn moon’s ice canyons viewed by Cassini

21 June 2015 Stephen Clark

Saturn’s moon Dione received a fleeting visitor on 16 June, when NASA’s Cassini spacecraft whizzed by to image bizarre streaks thought to be canyons with ice walls up to 100 stories tall.

The mysterious ‘lakes’ on Saturn’s moon Titan

21 June 2015 Astronomy Now

Titan is home to seas and lakes filled with liquid hydrocarbons, but what forms the depressions on the surface? A new study using data from the joint NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) Cassini mission suggests the moon’s surface dissolves in a process that’s similar to the creation of sinkholes on Earth.

Stories in the Stars

20 June 2015 Owen Brazell

A retelling of the main constellation stories from the Graeco-Roman tradition with a light-hearted approach that also introduces some stories of the stars from other cultures. A nicely produced book with excellent drawings that can be recommended if you want a modern retelling of the constellation stories, writes reviewer Owen Brazell.

The Astronomy Bible

20 June 2015 Astronomy Now

Small, chunky and handy enough to be stuffed in a rucksack for quick facts and tips on the go, six of the book’s eight chapters cover the Solar System, the remainder being devoted to all that lies beyond. An easy-reading book that won’t swamp the reader with complicated terminology and a waffling narrative, writes reviewer Kerry Hebden.