News – Page 4 – Astronomy Now

Commercial lunar lander returns America to the Moon

22 February 2024 Astronomy Now

A lander built by the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines touched down near the Moon’s South Pole on Thursday. It was the first lunar landing by a US spacecraft in more than 50 years and the first commercially-operated vehicle to successfully reach the surface.

First colour images from Euclid space telescope get rave reviews

7 November 2023 Astronomy Now

The initial colour images from ESA’s Euclid space telescope demonstrate its ability to capture wide-angle views that will shed light on the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

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.