Archive

Don’t miss the Quadrantid meteor shower peak at UK dawn on 4 January 2020

23 December 2019 Ade Ashford

For an early astronomical treat to usher in the New Year, seek out the natural pyrotechnics of the rich Quadrantid meteor shower. Peak shooting star activity occurs within a four-hour window centred on a prediction of 8am GMT on 4 January 2020 – a time that favours UK skywatchers at astronomical dawn, or North American observers around local midnight.

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover passes first driving test on road to red planet

21 December 2019 Astronomy Now

In another major milestone on the road to launch next year, NASA’s Mars 2020 rover passed its first weight-on-wheels driving test with flying colours.

A titanic burst of star formation in Milky Way’s recent past

17 December 2019 Astronomy Now

Peering into the heart of the Milky Way with a powerful infrared camera, astronomers see evidence for a titanic burst of star formation in the relatively recent past.

OSIRIS-REx sample collection site selected on asteroid Bennu

16 December 2019 Astronomy Now

Mission planners with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft have selected a challenging but scientifically rich sample collection site on the asteroid Bennu.

Seeing beyond the horizon of a space-warping pulsar

15 December 2019 Astronomy Now

The NICER telescope array aboard the International Space Station has made the most accurate measurements yet of a pulsar’s mass and size.

Hunting for colourful double and triple stars in the constellation of Cassiopeia

13 December 2019 Ade Ashford

The instantly recognisable five-star M-shaped pattern of stars representing the constellation Cassiopeia (pronounced kas-ee-uh-pee-uh) lies almost overhead in the early evening as seen from the British Isles over the festive period. Cassiopeia is rich in wonderful double and multiple stars, so here’s our guide to some of the best for typical backyard telescopes.

Don’t miss the Quadrantid meteor shower peak at UK dawn on 4 January 2020

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover passes first driving test on road to red planet

A titanic burst of star formation in Milky Way’s recent past

OSIRIS-REx sample collection site selected on asteroid Bennu

Seeing beyond the horizon of a space-warping pulsar

Hunting for colourful double and triple stars in the constellation of Cassiopeia

A captivating view of the Heron Galaxy as a gravitational tug of war plays out

Water vapor common among exoplanets, but less than expected

Quantum “vacuum squeezers” improve sensitivity of gravity wave detectors

In a first, astronomers find traces of a planet orbiting a white dwarf