News – Page 12 – Astronomy Now

The largest comet ever seen has been measured – and it’s a whopper

14 April 2022 Keith Cooper

The nucleus of the largest known comet in the Solar System, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli–Bernstein), has been measured by the Hubble Space Telescope to be 129 kilometres across.

Webb optics alignment achieves near perfect focus

21 March 2022 Astronomy Now

In another milestone, the 18 segments of the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror have been aligned with near-flawless precision.

Webb primary mirror alignment proceeding smoothly

7 March 2022 Astronomy Now

Engineers continue making good progress aligning the 18 segments making up the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror.

NASA opening a 50-year-old vacuum-sealed moon sample

6 March 2022 Astronomy Now

NASA is in the process of carefully opening a vacuum-sealed rock-and-soil sample collected during the Apollo 17 mission 50 years ago.

Webb mirror segments repositioned as alignment proceeds

24 February 2022 Astronomy Now

Engineers are making steady progress aligning the 18 segments making up the Webb space telescope’s 6.5-metre primary mirror.

M77 sheds light on differences between active galactic nuclei

22 February 2022 Astronomy Now

New observations support the idea that active galactic nuclei, despite their different appearances, share the same basic structure.

NASA pleased with initial Webb images as mirror alignment begins

13 February 2022 Astronomy Now

In another major milestone, the James Webb Space Telescope has captured first-light images of a star to help engineers align the 18 segments making up its primary mirror.

A third planet found orbiting nearest star to Sun

11 February 2022 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found the gravitational signature of a third planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the Sun.

IAU “deeply concerned” about satellite mega-constellations

8 February 2022 Astronomy Now

Amid increasing concern about the impact of satellite mega-constellations, the IAU selects hosts to coordinate public and government awareness.

MeerKAT paints a mesmerising portrait of the Milky Way

26 January 2022 Astronomy Now

The MeerKAT radio telescope has produced a stunning mosaic of the Milky Way’s central regions, providing a new view of known and newly-discovered phenomena.