News – Page 31 – Astronomy Now

Scientists plan for BepiColombo fly-by despite coronavirus limitations

30 March 2020 Keith Cooper

Scientists are still preparing for the crucial fly-by of Earth by the joint European–Japanese BepiColombo mission to Mercury on 10 April, despite the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc.

Using Earth templates to hunt for life-supporting exoplanets

29 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have put together spectral templates of Earth at key points in its evolution to help next-generation telescopes identify similar exoplanets.

Hubble anniversary events impacted by COVID-19 pandemic

29 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Events marking the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s launch on 24 April 1990 are being rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evidence of Uranus’ leaking atmosphere found hidden in Voyager 2 observations

27 March 2020 Keith Cooper

By going over old data collected by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986, two scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have made the startling discovery that Uranus’ atmosphere is gradually escaping into space.

High-stakes search in a galaxy cluster for an elusive particle

25 March 2020 Keith Cooper

A search within a distant galaxy cluster for ghost-like particles that could provide evidence for String Theory and be a candidate for mysterious dark matter has turned up nothing – so far.

How to ‘seed’ supermassive black holes in the early universe

24 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Researchers in Italy have come up with a testable explanation for how supermassive black holes were able to grow so fast in the early universe.

Curiosity climbs its steepest slope so far

23 March 2020 Keith Cooper

The intrepid Curiosity rover has scaled its greatest challenge so far, a steep slope inclined at 31 degrees to the horizontal, leading to a cliff-top region known as Greenheugh Pediment.

NASA assesses impact of coronavirus on space science missions

21 March 2020 Astronomy Now

NASA assesses impact of COVID-19 on space science missions; work on James Webb telescope suspended, but Mars 2020 work continues for now.

Analysis shows black hole images feature data-rich substructure

20 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Theoretical analysis suggests higher-resolution images of nested photon rings will provide a direct measure of a black hole’s size and spin.

New research pins down the size of ultra-dense neutron stars

17 March 2020 Astronomy Now

A new analysis shows a typical neutron star crams 1.4 times the mass of the Sun into a sphere just 22 kilometres (14 miles) across.