ALMA – Astronomy Now

In a first, ALMA spies huge moon-forming disc around exoplanet

24 July 2021 Astronomy Now

ALMA confirms the presence of a possible moon-forming disc of dusty debris around a Jupiter-size exoplanet 400 light years from Earth.

Monster flare from Proxima Centauri dwarfs any ever seen from the Sun

21 April 2021 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have spotted the most powerful flare ever seen erupting from Proxima Centauri, an outburst 100 times more powerful than any from the Sun.

Growing up fast in the very early universe

27 October 2020 Astronomy Now

A survey of 118 young galaxies found many at a more mature stage in their evolution than astronomers were expecting

Hubble captures a barred spiral galaxy aglow with blazing stellar nurseries

9 October 2020 Astronomy Now

The Hubble Space Telescope, working with the ALMA radio observatory to characterize galactic environments conducive to star formation, captures a prime example in splendid detail.

Triple star system features mis-aligned planet-forming dust rings

4 September 2020 Astronomy Now

A star system in Orion features a warped protoplanetary disc that could indicate the presence of an unseen planet – a first for a triple star system.

ALMA spots unusually stable galaxy shining early in cosmic history

12 August 2020 Astronomy Now

A gravitationally lensed galaxy shining just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang surprises astronomers with unusually evolved features.

Radio telescopes team up to unveil hundreds of protostars in Orion

21 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Two of the world’s most powerful radio telescopes team up to study hundreds of protostars and infant solar systems in the Orion Molecular Clouds.

Transition from red giant to white dwarf interrupted in unusual binary system

5 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found a binary star system in which a swelling red giant swallowed a smaller companion that then spiralled inward, triggering unusual outbursts.

Thick, persistent dust disc challenges planet formation theory

29 December 2019 Astronomy Now

Protoplanetary discs are expected to dissipate as planets form and solar winds push debris away, but some stars defy current theory.

Huge galaxy found lurking in early Universe may be ‘missing link’

23 October 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers find evidence for a large galaxy lurking behind obscuring dust clouds that may be a “missing link” in galactic evolution.