News – Page 8 – Astronomy Now

NASA gearing up for OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample recovery

27 March 2023 Astronomy Now

Procedures are being refined to ensure the safe recovery of samples from asteroid Bennu when they are returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on 24 September.

A simpler, more mundane explanation for ‘Oumuamua’s strange behaviour

23 March 2023 Astronomy Now

The unusual acceleration of the interstellar body ‘Oumuamua most likely was caused by the outgassing of trapped hydrogen gas, researchers say.

Japanese Hakuto-R moon lander slips into lunar orbit

22 March 2023 Astronomy Now

The first privately-developed lunar lander – Hakuto-R – successfully braked into orbit around the moon after a three-month voyage; landing on tap in April.

Analysis of Magellan data shows apparent volcanic activity on Venus

21 March 2023 Astronomy Now

Data captured by NASA’s Magellan Venus probe in 1991 shows what appears to be lava flows from an active vent on the side of a huge volcano known as Maat Mons.

Webb images M92, one of the Milky Way’s oldest globular clusters

23 February 2023 Astronomy Now

The James Webb Space Telescope provides a powerful new tool – the ability to image cool, low-mass stars in globular clusters like the familiar M92.

The Eskimo: observe one of winter’s best planetary nebulae

20 February 2023 Steve Kelly

The Eskimo Nebula or Clown Face Nebula in Gemini is a bright and popular planetary nebula found through a small telescope.

See all the planets in January

16 January 2023 Mark Armstrong

The new year gets off to a great start with all the planets visible in the night sky at some point during January.

Frank Drake, SETI pioneer, 1930–2022

3 September 2022 Keith Cooper

Frank Drake, the radio astronomer who pioneered the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), died yesterday (2 September) at the age of 92.

Webb images of Jupiter show auroras, rings, moons

24 August 2022 Stephen Clark

A few weeks after officially starting science operations, the James Webb Space Telescope turned its mirrors toward Jupiter and captured stunning new infrared views of the gas giant planet, its auroras, moons, and faint rings.

Webb: Stellar nursery in Carina

12 July 2022 Astronomy Now

The seemingly three-dimensional “Cosmic Cliffs” of the Carina Nebula showcases Webb’s capabilities to peer through obscuring dust and shed new light on how stars form.