Astronomy Now – Page 45

Astronomers find more bizarre objects orbiting Milky Way’s black hole

16 January 2020 Astronomy Now

Strange objects orbiting the Milky Way’s central black hole appear to be binary stars that were forced to merge under the influence of the hole’s gravity.

Hubble finds evidence for widely held ‘cold dark matter’ theory

12 January 2020 Astronomy Now

Using the Hubble Space Telescope an eight gravitationally lensed quasars, researchers have found strong evidence for cold dark matter.

Lucy mission gets another asteroid target – a tiny moon

10 January 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Lucy probe will visit a record seven asteroids during its 12-year mission, including one recently found to feature a small moon.

Trail-blazing astronomer Vera Rubin honoured

8 January 2020 Astronomy Now

The observatory that will operate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope has been renamed in honour of the late astronomer Vera Rubin.

A fresh look at the Omega Nebula, courtesy of the SOFIA flying observatory

7 January 2020 Astronomy Now

The Omega Nebula, a favourite target for amateur astronomers, is one of the most massive star-forming regions in the Milky Way. The SOFIA airborne observatory provides a fresh look in a composite image.

TESS finds its first Earth-size planet in host sun’s habitable zone

7 January 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA exoplanet-hunting TESS satellite has found its first habitable-zone Earth-size planet and another orbiting an eclipsing binary system.

SOFIA captures Milky Way’s core in stunning infrared glory

6 January 2020 Astronomy Now

An extremely sharp infrared view of the Milky Way’s central regions may shed light on how massive stars form and what feeds the galaxy’s central black hole.

‘Godzilla’ galaxy, one of largest observed, hosts a trillion suns

6 January 2020 Astronomy Now

The Hubble Space Telescope is helping astronomers study one of the largest spiral galaxies yet found, a “Godzilla” galaxy hosting a trillion stars.

Laboratory experiments suggest Venus may still be volcanically active

5 January 2020 Astronomy Now

It’s no secret that hellish Venus has been resurfaced by extensive lava flows, but new research indicates it may be volcanically active to this today.

ESA kicks off Hubble’s 30th year with 2020 highlights calendar

4 January 2020 Astronomy Now

The Hubble Space Telescope marks its 30th trail-blazing year in space this April and ESA is marking the occasion with a downloadable calendar highlighting HST’s “Hidden Gems.”