News – Page 2 – Astronomy Now

Potentially habitable planet TRAPPIST-1e displays tentative evidence for an atmosphere

8 September 2025 Stuart Clark

Astronomers have seen tentative evidence for an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e, a rocky planet 40 light years away.

Ten-Year Lease Extension Confirmed at Herstmonceux Observatory

18 August 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

The announcement, on 18 August, follows a year of uncertainty after Queen’s University Canada declared that the lease to the current operators of the science centre, Science Projects, would not be renewed after December 2026.

Graphic showing the close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus with other stars and contellations marked on a dark sky, above a horizon with trees in silhouette.

Venus and Jupiter’s bright morning conjunction

10 August 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

Get ready for a clash of the titans when Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in our Solar System, come together for a dazzling event visible across the length and breadth of the UK in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A stunning night sky composite photograph shows dozens of bright Perseid meteors streaking across the sky above a rural landscape, with the Milky Way arching overhead. The foreground features trees, a house, and softly lit structures, creating a serene countryside scene.

It’s time again for Perseid meteors!

8 August 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

August means the Perseids: the annual shooting star spectacular reaches its peak to wow meteor enthusiasts with abundant bright events, writes Astronomy Now’s Night Sky manager Mark Armstrong.

Lonely giant planets may form their own planetary systems

30 July 2025 Stuart Clark

Planets without stars may not be so lonely after all. New research led by astronomers at the University of St Andrews suggests that free-floating giant planets—those adrift in interstellar space—can host their own miniature planetary systems.

Congratulations Professor Michele Dougherty – our new Astronomer Royal

30 July 2025 Stuart Clark

His Majesty The King has approved Professor Michele Dougherty as the new Astronomer Royal. Professor Dougherty will be the sixteenth person and the first woman to hold this role since its creation 350 years ago.

Stuart Clark and Steven Young shake hands after signing the Astronomy Now contract.

Astronomy Now under new ownership

18 July 2025 Stuart Clark

We have some exciting company news we’d like to share with you… Today we’re starting a new chapter in the Astronomy Now story, as we relaunch under new management (plot twist ahead!).

Is the Hubble Tension Resolved?

9 June 2025 Astronomy Now

New measurements from Hubble and Webb suggest the Hubble tension may be resolved, with expansion rates aligning and the standard model of cosmology remaining intact—for now.

Universe’s end – sooner rather than later

16 May 2025 Astronomy Now

The universe may end far sooner than expected—within 10⁷⁸ years, not 10¹⁰⁰—according to Dutch researchers who reinterpreted Hawking radiation, suggesting all massive objects gradually decay over time.

A faint star will reveal itself as it throws a hissy-fit

26 March 2025 Astronomy Now

A rare nova explosion, bright enough to see with the naked eye, may be imminent. Astronomers predict the binary star system could erupt as soon as Thursday, March 27.