Astronomy Now – Page 34

Researchers find gas cloud pulsing in synch with distant microquasar

21 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Researchers find otherwise inconspicuous gas cloud pulsing in harmony with a distant black hole, suggesting a direct connection.

Debris in Kepler supernova remnant clocked at 23 million mph

19 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Debris in supernova remnant still moving at more than 20 million mph 400 years after Type 1a explosion.

Jupiter’s moon Ganymede shows hints of Solar System’s largest impact

17 August 2020 Astronomy Now

A 90-mile-wide asteroid may have smashed into Jupiter’s moon Ganymede in the remote past, leaving still-visible traces of a cataclysmic collision.

Hubble offers explanation for dramatic dimming of Betelgeuse

14 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Observations by the Hubble Space Telescope suggest a huge eruption and resulting dust cloud caused recent dimming of Betelgeuse.

ALMA spots unusually stable galaxy shining early in cosmic history

12 August 2020 Astronomy Now

A gravitationally lensed galaxy shining just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang surprises astronomers with unusually evolved features.

Arecibo radio telescope damaged by cable break

11 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Engineers assess damage to Arecibo Observatory’ after a support cable snapped, causing a 30-metre-long gash in its reflector dish.

Bright deposits in Ceres’ Occator Crater hint at ongoing cryovolcanism

10 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Detailed analysis indicates the dwarf planet Ceres may be geologically active with ongoing cryovolcanism.

Hubble tests techniques for finding biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres

7 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Hubble uses sunlight reflected from the moon during an eclipse to detect ozone in Earth’s atmosphere, testing methods needed to assess exoplanet atmospheres.

“Space Butterfly” in Vela offers remarkable view of twin-lobed planetary nebula

7 August 2020 Astronomy Now

ESO’s Very Large Telescope captures a colourful view of an unusual bipolar planetary nebula resembling a vast butterfly stretching up to four light years across in the southern constellation Vela.

Radio astronomers measure star’s wobble, find Saturn-size exoplanet

4 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Radio telescope finds Saturn-class exoplanet orbiting nearby dwarf star after measuring slight changes in the star’s position.