Astronomy Now – Page 17

Study shows nukes a viable last resort for asteroid defence

6 October 2021 Astronomy Now

Study indicates nuclear ‘disruption’ of a threatening asteroid could provide a viable last-minute defence if too late for more-effective deflection.

Star birth and death in the Large Magellanic Cloud

28 September 2021 Astronomy Now

ESO’s Very Large Telescope captures NGC 2035 in the Large Magellanic Cloud where hot young stars are forming in a stellar nursery shaped like a dragon’s head. At the other extreme: the remnants of a supernova blast.

Winds in Great Red Spot’s outer regions speeding up

28 September 2021 Astronomy Now

In yet another Great Red Spot surprise, researchers find winds in the huge storm’s outer reaches have sped up over the past decade.

InSight lander detects most powerful marsquake yet

25 September 2021 Astronomy Now

The InSight Mars lander detects three powerful marsquakes in one month, shedding new light on the planet’s interior.

X (rays) mark the spot where a black hole ate a star

23 September 2021 Astronomy Now

An elusive intermediate-mass black hole blamed for star’s destruction in tidal disruption event.

Study suggests Mars too small for long-term habitability

22 September 2021 Astronomy Now

Researchers find a correlation between a rocky planet’s size and its ability to retain enough water for habitability.

VIPER rover targets Nobile Crater at Moon’s south pole

21 September 2021 Astronomy Now

NASA targets Nobile Crater near the Moon’s south pole for the ice-hunting VIPER rover.

Hubble images showcase two faces of a luminous blue variable

19 September 2021 Astronomy Now

Vast clouds of gas and dust shrouding the luminous blue variable star AG Carinae are revealed in all their subtle glory in new views from the Hubble Space Telescope that reprise the observatory’s 21st anniversary image.

NASA, ESA target 18 December for long-awaited James Webb launch

8 September 2021 Astronomy Now

NASA and ESA are targeting 18 December for the long-awaited launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Hubble images a colourful globular cluster in Sagittarius

6 September 2021 Astronomy Now

M22, M13, Omega Centauri and other densely-populated globular clusters get most of the attention, but even sparsely-populated globulars provide rich fodder for the Hubble Space Telescope.