News – Page 54 – Astronomy Now

Gravity measurements surprise Mars researchers

1 February 2019 Astronomy Now

Analysing gravity data from the Curiosity Mars rover, researchers have found Gale Crater might not have been completely filled in the distant past.

Hubble stumbles on previously unseen dwarf galaxy

31 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope to determine the age of a globular cluster stumbled on a previously unknown, relatively nearby dwarf galaxy.

X-ray observations suggest dark energy may be growing stronger

30 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Using quasars as “standard candles,” astronomers say they’ve been able to measure the effects of dark energy back to within a billion years of the Big Bang.

A whopping 1.6 petabytes of Pan-STARRS data now available

28 January 2019 Astronomy Now

The second edition of the Pan-STARRS digital sky survey includes 1.6 petabytes of data, the richest astronomical volume ever released.

Oldest Earth rock found on Moon? Maybe

28 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Researchers have identified a rock sample brought back from the Moon by the Apollo 14 crew in 1971 that may be the oldest Earth rock ever found

New Horizons sends back best picture yet of Ultima Thule

25 January 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA’s New Horizons probe has beamed back the highest resolution view yet of Ultima Thule, the twin-lobe Kuiper Belt body it flew by on 1 January.

Opportunity rover logs 15 years on Mars

24 January 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover landed on the red planet 15 years ago 24 January; engineers are still attempting contact in the wake of a global dust storm last year.

Jet from Milky Way’s central black hole may be facing Earth

24 January 2019 Astronomy Now

High-resolution virtual views of the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole indicate one if its powerful jets could be aimed roughly in the direction of Earth.

A recent uptick in impact events on the Moon and on Earth

20 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate the number of impact events on the Moon nearly tripled over the past 290 million years.

Cassini data shows Saturn’s rings likely a recent phenomenon

18 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Analysis of data collected near the end of the Cassini spacecraft’s mission to Saturn indicate the planet’s spectacular rings are a relatively recent phenomenon.