News – Astronomy Now

5 October 2023

The Great Square of Pegasus: heralding autumn

11 September 2023 Mark Armstrong

Longer autumnal nights are taking over from more balmy late-summer evening. Behold the grand appearance in September’s late-evening southern sky of the Great Square of Pegasus

New comet predicted to brighten rapidly as it sprints Sunwards

18 August 2023 Mark Armstrong

Comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) is a brand new comet discovered by on August 11 by Hideo Nishimura of Japan. In its one and only visit to the Solar System, it may reach magnitude +2 when at perihelion in September.

NASA picks up faint carrier signal from Voyager 2

2 August 2023 Astronomy Now

NASA picks up faint carrier signal from Voyager 2, indicating the spacecraft is still functioning after antenna misalignment.

Razor-sharp test images show Euclid’s instruments performing as expected

31 July 2023 Astronomy Now

The Euclid space telescope has reached its operational orbit and initial test images show the probe’s two instruments are operating in fine fashion as they’re fine tuned for science observations.

NASA loses touch with Voyager 2; waits for craft to ‘phone home’

31 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Flight controllers mistakenly commanded Voyager 2 to point slightly away from Earth, interrupting communications, but the spacecraft is expected to reset itself in October.

Asymmetric magnetic fields may explain two-faced white dwarf

20 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found what amounts to a two-faced white dwarf with one side dominated by hydrogen and the other by helium in what could be a transition from one phase to another.

ALMA spots exoplanet and possible sibling sharing same orbit

19 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Trojan planets – two worlds sharing the same orbit around their star – are possible in theory, but none have been found. Now, the ALMA radio telescope array may have done just that.

Telling the difference between earthly radio ‘noise’ and signals from ET

17 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Researchers develop a technique for making sure signals from ET are legitimate and not the result of earthly radio interference.

NASA celebrates Webb science anniversary with mesmerising new image

12 July 2023 William Harwood

NASA marks the first anniversary of Webb science observations with a spectacular look into a nearby stellar nursery where 50 young sun-like stars are lighting up their surroundings.

ESO reports good progress building the Extremely Large Telescope

11 July 2023 Astronomy Now

ESO’s aptly named Extremely Large Telescope is now roughly halfway complete, with its dome quickly rising in Chile and the telescope coming together in Europe.