Astronomy Now – Page 118

ALMA investigates ‘DeeDee,’ a distant, dim member of our Solar System

17 April 2017 Astronomy Now

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, astronomers have revealed extraordinary details about a recently discovered far-flung member of our Solar System, the planetary body 2014 UZ224, more informally known as DeeDee.

The skies above ESO’s Paranal Observatory resemble oil on water

Within reach

16 April 2017 Astronomy Now

The skies above the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory resemble oil on water, as greens, yellows, and blues blend to create an iridescent skyscape.

Keck Observatory achieves first light with new instrument

14 April 2017 Astronomy Now

W. M. Keck Observatory has captured the very first successful science data from its newest, cutting-edge instrument, the Keck Cosmic Web Imager.

A Martian mesa in a sea of sand dunes

14 April 2017 Astronomy Now

This image from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a small (0.4 kilometre) mesa, one of several surrounded by sand dunes in Noctis Labyrinthyus, an extensively fractured region on the western end of Valles Marineris.

NASA news conference on oceans beyond Earth

13 April 2017 Astronomy Now

Watch NASA’s news conference to discuss new findings on the ocean-bearing moons of Jupiter and Saturn and the prospects for life there.

Fireworks left over from stellar explosion in Orion Nebula

12 April 2017 Astronomy Now

Stellar explosions are most often associated with supernovae, the spectacular deaths of stars. But new ALMA observations provide insights into explosions at the other end of the stellar life cycle, star birth. Astronomers captured these dramatic images as they explored the firework-like debris from the birth of a group of massive stars, demonstrating that star formation can be a violent and explosive process too.

Possible Venus twin discovered around dim star

11 April 2017 Astronomy Now

Astronomers using NASA’s Kepler space telescope have found a planet 219 light-years away that seems to be a close relative to Venus. This newly discovered world is only slightly larger than Earth and orbits a low-temperature star called Kepler-1649 that’s one-fifth the diameter of our Sun.

Ceres’ temporary atmosphere linked to solar activity

7 April 2017 Astronomy Now

Scientists have long thought that Ceres may have a very weak, transient atmosphere, but mysteries lingered about its origin and why it’s not always present. Now, researchers suggest that this temporary atmosphere appears to be related to the behaviour of the Sun, rather than Ceres’ proximity to the Sun.

Hubble takes up-close portrait of Jupiter

7 April 2017 Astronomy Now

On April 3, 2017, as Jupiter made its nearest approach to Earth in a year, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope viewed the solar system’s largest planet in all of its up-close glory.

Mysterious cosmic explosion puzzles astronomers

3 April 2017 Astronomy Now

A mysterious flash of X-rays has been discovered by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in the deepest X-ray image ever obtained. This source likely comes from some sort of destructive event, but may be of a variety that scientists have never seen before.