News – Page 65 – Astronomy Now

Astronomers use novel technique to probe stellar rotation

21 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have measured differential rotation in 13 Sun-like stars where equatorial zones rotate faster than higher latitudes, a phenomenon thought to play a major role in the generation of sunspots and magnetic fields.

Seeing matter sucked into a black hole at 30 percent lightspeed

20 September 2018 Astronomy Now

For the first time, astronomers have observed dust being sucked directly into a supermassive black hole, evidence of “chaotic accretion” that may have helped supermassive holes rapidly gain mass in the early universe.

NASA troubleshooting data transmission glitch with Curiosity Mars rover

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Engineers are troubleshooting a data transmission glitch aboard the Curiosity Mars rover that has interrupted science operations. They are studying real-time telemetry, which is not affected, to diagnose the problem.

Hubble sees unusual features around ‘magnificent seven’ neutron star

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Beams from rotating neutron stars – pulsars – are normally seen in X-rays, gamma rays and radio waves. The Hubble Space Telescope has now seen unusual infrared emissions, possibly from “pulsar winds” or surrounding dust.

Exoplanet found orbiting Mr. Spock’s home star

19 September 2018 Astronomy Now

An automated telescope has found a super-Earth orbiting the star 40 Eridani A, famous to Star Trek fans as Science Officer Spock’s home star. It is twice the size of Earth and completes an orbit every 42 days.

Large Magellanic Cloud may be result of past galactic merger

18 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Computer simulations indicated the Large Cloud of Magellan may have merged with another luminous galaxy three to five billion years ago, a scenario that explains unusual stellar motions and ages.

Exoplanet-hunter TESS captures razor-sharp ‘first light’ images

18 September 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite’s four cameras have captured a razor-sharp “first light” image of the southern sky, demonstrating the photographic prowess needed to hunt down planets around nearby stars.

Tracking a star’s movement by measuring its age and chemistry

16 September 2018 Astronomy Now

By measuring a star’s age and chemical makeup, astronomers can determine where a sun originated in the galactic disk before migrating outward. The Sun, it turns out, likely formed about 2,000 light years closer to the Milky Way’s core.

Hubble’s BUFFALO project looks back at the big picture

13 September 2018 Astronomy Now

The Hubble Space Telescope is re-visiting six huge galaxy clusters, taking wide-angle views to help astronomers understand more about how galaxies were distributed across the early universe and what governed their evolution.

Artificial intelligence used to find undetected fast radio bursts

12 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Artificial intelligence algorithms found 72 previously undetected fast radio bursts in a source 3 billion light years from Earth, demonstrating a powerful new tool for radio astronomers faced sifting through enormous amounts of data.