Astronomy Now – Page 43

Tell-tale signatures of aurorae new tool in hunt for exoplanets

20 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers detect auroral interactions between a red dwarf and an unseen exoplanet, providing a new tool for studying exoplanet habitability.

Supernova remnant dazzles in Large Magellanic Cloud

20 February 2020 Astronomy Now

A supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud displays a beautiful tapestry of wispy gas that will provide the raw material for another generation of stars.

ESO’s Very Large Telescope shows dramatic dimming of Betelgeuse

14 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers capture dramatic before-and-after views of the red supergiant Betelgeuse, showing major changes in brightness and shape.

Mars 2020 rover moved to Cape Canaveral for July launch preparations

14 February 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover, designed to collect soil samples for eventual return to Earth, is now in Cape Canaveral for final launch preparations.

NASA evaluates four ‘concept studies’ for possible planetary missions

13 February 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA has selected four possible planetary science missions for further evaluation, two focused on Venus, one on volcanic Io and one on icy Triton.

Voyager 1’s famous look back at Earth – a ‘pale blue dot’ – 30 years later

13 February 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA releases a reprocessed version of the iconic “pale blue dot” portrait of Earth as imaged by the Voyager 1 probe in 1990.

Hubble captures captivating view of spiral galaxy’s picturesque ‘open arms’

12 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Spiral galaxies make up nearly three quarters of all known galaxies, some with tightly wound arms and other, like NGC 2008, with more wide-open arms wrapped around a compact central bulge.

IAU offers provisional details of threat due to satellite constellations

12 February 2020 Astronomy Now

The International Astronomical Union raises more red flags about the possible impact of large satellite constellations on Earth-based astronomy.

Solar Orbiter launched, promises first looks at sun’s hidden poles

11 February 2020 Astronomy Now

ESA’s Solar Orbiter begins its mission to study the Sun from a unique vantage point: an eventually tilted orbit that allows a look at the star’s poles.

Revisiting a tortured moon where cliffs tower miles above a bizarre surface

5 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Uranus’ small moon Miranda, as revealed by NASA’s Voyager 2 probe in 1986, is one of the strangest bodies in the solar system, with a unique patchwork appearance and cliffs towering 20 kilometres (12 miles) high.