Archive – Page 88 – Astronomy Now

Evidence found for volcanic ‘extreme Io’ exomoon

3 September 2019 Astronomy Now

Sodium gas detected near a giant exoplant 550 light years away may indicated the presence of a volcanically active exomoon.

See prime-time Neptune’s close encounter with star φ Aquarii during September

1 September 2019 Ade Ashford

Neptune reaches opposition on 10 September 2019 having returned to Aquarius, the constellation in which it was discovered in 1846. We show you how to locate the outermost planet using binoculars, a task made easier this month due to Neptune’s close passage to naked-eye star phi (φ) Aquarii on 6 September.

WFIRST telescope passes preliminary design review

30 August 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope optical system passes a preliminary design review, a major milestone in the Hubble-class wide-field observatory.

Earth’s chemical fingerprint could help identify habitable exoplanets

29 August 2019 Astronomy Now

Canadian astronomers have determined Earth’s spectral “fingerprint,” the characteristics that would indicate whether an exoplanet might have a viable biosphere.

NASA helicopter attached to agency’s Mars 2020 rover

29 August 2019 Astronomy Now

An experimental helicopter has been attached to NASA’s Mars 2020 rover, a pathfinder that could pave the way for more advanced aircraft on future missions.

James Webb Space Telescope mirror, instruments mated with spacecraft

28 August 2019 Astronomy Now

James Webb Space Telescope’s mirrors and science instruments have been mechanically attached to the observatory’s sunshield and subsystems, a major milestone for engineers building the infrared telescope. Launch from French Guiana remains targeted for 2021.

Exoplanet found in unusually long, elliptical orbit

28 August 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers find an exoplanet three times more massive than Jupiter in an extreme elliptical orbit, another milestone for the radial velocity detection technique.

IAU approves names for newly discovered moons

26 August 2019 Astronomy Now

The IAU approves names for five newly discovered moons of Jupiter

Watch the crescent Moon graze a double star at dawn on 27 August

26 August 2019 Ade Ashford

Depending on where you live in the British Isles, you may be fortunate to view a lunar occultation of naked-eye double star delta (δ) Geminorum at dawn on Tuesday, 27 August 2019. Observers fortunate enough to lie on the so-called graze line will see the star appear to flicker on and off as the mountains and valleys of the northern lunar polar regions drift by.

30 years later, Voyager 2’s flyby of Neptune still thrills

22 August 2019 Astronomy Now

Three decades ago, on 25 August 1989, the Voyager 2 spacecraft raced past Neptune and its icy moon Triton, thrilling scientists and the public at large with spectacular images that remain unrivaled today.