Astronomy Now – Page 41

Astronomers use Hubble to learn more about the birth of massive suns

23 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers are using the Hubble Space Telescope to study massive stars in a stellar nursery near the Tarantula Nebula to learn why most form in clusters but some appear to form in isolation.

NASA assesses impact of coronavirus on space science missions

21 March 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA assesses impact of COVID-19 on space science missions; work on James Webb telescope suspended, but Mars 2020 work continues for now.

Analysis shows black hole images feature data-rich substructure

20 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Theoretical analysis suggests higher-resolution images of nested photon rings will provide a direct measure of a black hole’s size and spin.

New research pins down the size of ultra-dense neutron stars

17 March 2020 Astronomy Now

A new analysis shows a typical neutron star crams 1.4 times the mass of the Sun into a sphere just 22 kilometres (14 miles) across.

A massive middle-age star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud

16 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Massive middle age star clusters like NGC 339 resemble more common globulars, but they are much younger and it’s not yet known how they might be related. This remarkably detailed view comes from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Forecast for extreme exoplanet: windy and hot, with a chance of iron

16 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Iron vapour in the atmosphere of a particularly hellish exoplanet condenses on the somewhat cooler night side and falls as a rain of iron droplets.

ESA, Roscosmos delay launch of ExoMars 2020 lander to late 2022

12 March 2020 Astronomy Now

ESA and Roscosmos have delayed launch of the ExoMars 2020 lander and rover from July to late 2022 to resolve technical issues.

Fossil shows days were a half hour shorter during age of dinosaurs

12 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Studying growth rings in a fossilised clam shell, scientists found the length of a day 70 million years ago was a half hour shorter than today.

Cosmic dust up may best explain dimming of Betelgeuse

8 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Taking the temperature of Betelgeuse, astronomers say the supergiant’s recent dimming likely caused by thrown-off gas obscuring the view.

ESO studies impact of mega-satellite constellations on astronomy

5 March 2020 Astronomy Now

A new study by the European Southern Observatory provides a preliminary look at the potential astronomical impact of mega-satellite constellations.