Monster magnets support space lace Aug 22, 2008
CHICAGO Giant magnetic tentacles are the force that keeps a lacy pattern of glowing gas filaments in the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1275 from evaporating in the surrounding hot gas or collapsing under the weight of their own gravity, British astronomers say ... A team of astronomers led by Andy Fabian from the University of Cambridge think they know how these delicate filaments stay intact. (Globe and Mail)
Sunlight's gentle nudge on asteroids detected Aug 22, 2008
Astronomers have detected the delicate force of sunlight on an asteroid's orbit for the first time ... This means astronomers can have more confidence in predictions of other asteroid orbits. (Yahoo News -- Meteors and Asteroids)
Playing a game of chase with a cosmic number Aug 21, 2008
That information is encoded in the value of an elusive number known as the Hubble constant that has led astronomers on a merry chase for three-quarters of a century ... Expressed in the quaint terms astronomers favor, the Hubble constant, Riess reported, is 74 kilometers per second per megaparsec ... Only 30 years ago, distinguished astronomers could not agree within a factor of two on the value of Hubble's constant, leaving every other parameter in cosmology uncertain by at least the same... (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Black holes 'dodge middle ground' Aug 21, 2008
For black holes, there appears to be very little room for mediocrity, astronomers have found ... A team of astronomers has examined one of the best hiding places for a middleweight black hole, and found that it cannot possibly host one ... Now, a team of astronomers led by Stephen Zepf of Michigan State University, East Lansing, has carried out a detailed examination of a globular cluster called RZ2109. (BBC News -- Science)
Hubble Sees Magnetic Monster In Erupting Galaxy Aug 21, 2008
A team of astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys have for the first time resolved individual threads of gas which make up the filaments ... It has been a challenge for astronomers to understand how the delicate structures withstood the hostile high-energy environment of the galaxy cluster for more than 100 million years. (Science Daily)
Black Holes: Mostly Only Small And Large? Aug 21, 2008
Astronomers have long suspected that the most likely place to find a medium-mass black hole would be at the core of a miniature galaxy-like object called a globular cluster ... Now, a team of astronomers has thoroughly examined a globular cluster called RZ2109 and determined that it cannot possess a medium black hole ... Until now, astronomers had suspected that globular clusters like the one pictured here were the most likely place to find medium-sized black holes -- elusive objects that have... (Science Daily)
A Loch Ness Productions show: HUBBLE Vision 2 Aug 21, 2008
A fascinating tour of the cosmos from Earth orbit continuing until Friday, Sept. 12, at the Dunn Planetarium, 64 Cabot St., Danvers, as part of the Friday Nights Under the Stars program, 7 p.m. Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail to astronomers, and made an astonishing array of discoveries from nearby objects in the solar system to the most distant galaxies at limits of the observable universe. LNP has taken the best and... (Danvers Herald, MA)
Astronomers Find Unusual New Denizen Of The Solar System Aug 20, 2008
30, 2000) Our solar system may have an outer "edge" just outside the orbit of Pluto, astronomers announced recently ... 8, 2003) Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered three of the faintest and smallest objects ever detected beyond Neptune ... (May 16, 2007) A team of European astronomers has measured the transit of a Neptune-sized planet around another star. (Science Daily)
The storied history of the word 'planet' Aug 20, 2008
As planetary scientists and astronomers probe the solar system and beyond, with loads of new discoveries, this idea of a planet has changed and along with it celestial bodies either get thrown onto or off the planet list ... The discovery brings context to Pluto, leading some astronomers to contend Pluto looked more like a Kuiper Belt Object than a planet ... Several problems with this definition immediately pop up for astronomers. (USA Today -- Tech)
Icy Pluto Is Part of Hot Debate Aug 19, 2008
The news media trumpeted the young American's find as the "ninth planet." But as astronomers gradually revealed how truly odd Pluto was, doubts began to creep in ... The more they learned, the more some astronomers concluded that Pluto looked less like the other planets and more like the icy objects they had begun to discover beyond Neptune ... That last proviso baffled some astronomers. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Icy rock offers clue to origin of comets Aug 19, 2008
The object, at least 30 miles wide, is on the return leg of a 22,500-year journey around the sun, astronomers announced today. Catalogued as 2006 SQ372, the interloper is just over two billion miles from Earth, though its elongated trek takes it to a distance of 150 billion miles, or nearly 1,600 times the distance from the Earth to the sun. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Huge comet-like object takes 22,500-year journey around the sun Aug 19, 2008
The object, at least 30 miles wide, is on the return leg of a 22,500-year journey around the sun, astronomers announced today. Catalogued as 2006 SQ372, the interloper is just over two billion miles (3. (USA Today -- Tech)
SDSS: See the odd orbit of the solar system object Aug 19, 2008
SEE YOU AGAIN IN 22,000 YEARS Astronomers Find an Unusual New Denizen of the Solar System August 18, 2008. The orbit of the newly discovered solar system object SQ372 (blue), in comparison to the orbits of Neptune, Pluto, and Sedna (white, green, red). (USA Today -- Tech)
New minor planet found in solar system Aug 19, 2008
The minor planet 2006 SQ372, which could be as wide as 96 km across, is slightly closer to the Earth than the planet Neptune and is orbiting the Sun in a 22,500-year, 241-billion-km trip, researchers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey announced at a gathering of astronomers in Chicago. Major planets, such as Earth and Mars, travel around the Sun in more circular orbits, but the object has a pronounced elliptical orbit similar to a comet, said Andrew Becker, the University of Washington astronomer... (Sify)
Around the Community Aug 18, 2008
Northwest Suburban Astronomers. 8 p.m. Aug. 30. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
The Great Planet Debate Aug 17, 2008
I'm an instructor at a planetarium and people ask me time and again what astronomers are doing, with the exception of having a row about Pluto. I'll end with a provocative thought. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Hubble Vision 2 Aug 16, 2008
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail to astronomers. Hubble Vision 2 weaves Hubble images with a story of cosmic exploration. (Ipswich Chronicle, MA)
NASA decides against earlier dates for 2 shuttle launches Aug 16, 2008
Astronomers hope the overhaul will enable them to study the some of the oldest galaxies in the universe. Endeavour's seven astronauts will aim for an 8:31 p.m. CST liftoff on Nov. 10. (Houston Chronicle)
MIT: MIT solves puzzle of meteorite-asteroid link Aug 15, 2008
For the last few years, astronomers have faced a puzzle: The vast majority of asteroids that come near the Earth are of a type that matches only a tiny fraction of the meteorites that most frequently hit our planet. Since meteorites are mostly pieces of asteroids, this discrepancy was hard to explain, but a team from MIT and other institutions has now found what it believes is the answer to the puzzle. (USA Today -- Tech)
The Astronomical League's Rising Stars Aug 14, 2008
So at , the League honored several budding astronomers whose astronomical talents and enthusiasm really stand out ... Lee has been an active member of Portland's Rose City Astronomers and also shows off the night sky with the Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Science NASA Celebrates Hubble Space Telescope's 100000th Orbit Aug 14, 2008
A lot of small boys and girls, our astronomers and astrophysicists of the future will have been transfixed by some of the beauty and majesty those images show. By on 8/14/08, Rating: 2 By on 8/14/2008 2:31:48 AM , Rating: 2 What we need next is a Hubblish telescope orbiting some OTHER planet, like Pluto. (DailyTech)
Starry night Aug 14, 2008
Monday's impenetrable morning fog barely receded during the daytime and the weather forecast for that night was not encouraging for amateur astronomers. I, along with about 30 other people: young families, retirees and a smattering of folks in between, had come to see the Perseid meteor shower, and there would be little chance of turning back before dawn. (Daily Triplicate)
Distant galaxies improve scanners Aug 13, 2008
Edinburgh University astronomers and clinicians found the method used to analyse studies of distant galaxies could be used to improve scans. The astronomy algorithm, a set of mathematical instructions, can be used to correct image distortions which often occur during scanning. (BBC News -- Health)
Hubble Completes 100,000 Orbits Aug 13, 2008
The Hubble space telescope's 100,000th orbit Monday was marked by U.S. astronomers who took a picture of a "dazzling" region of the universe. National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists aimed Hubble, now in its 18th year of exploration, at the Tarantula nebula, located about 170,000 light years from Earth. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Maximum Of Perseid Meteor Shower, August 12 -13, 2008 Aug 13, 2008
6, 2008) Astronomers have, for the first time, detected a storm of shooting stars on Mars. The detections were made using predictions of when meteor showers should occur as the orbit of Mars intersects with. (Science Daily)
Students Build And Launch A Sensor Into Space Aug 13, 2008
Cosmic radiation, which contains the terahertz frequencies that the sensors detect, offers astronomers important. (Aug. (Science Daily)
Police on meteor alert after huge balls of fire light up Spanish sky Aug 13, 2008
Gallery (6 pictures): May 22 2008: Astronomers have discovered the youngest known supernova in the Milky Way galaxy. Created by the death of a star, a new supernova appears in a spiral galaxy only about once a century. (Yahoo News -- Meteors and Asteroids)
Intense meteor shower could illuminate Bay Area skies early Jan. 4 Aug 13, 2008
According to Jenniskens, a Japanese astronomer and comet hunter named Ichiro Hasegawa first calculated that the Quadrantid meteors must have come from a comet that Chinese, Korean and Japanese astronomers had described brightening in what must have been a violent explosion that occurred between Dec. 31, 1490, and Feb. 12, 1491. Jenniskens calculated from his complex cometary tables that before the original full-scale comet exploded it must have been producing meteor showers for more than 5,000... (Yahoo News -- Meteors and Asteroids)
Invisibility Cloak One Step Closer: New Metamaterials Bend Light Backwards Aug 12, 2008
Astronomers removed light from closer and better known galaxies and stars from pictures taken with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The remaining images. (Science Daily)
Sky-high system to aid soldiers Aug 12, 2008
Astronomers had been attracted to such devices because they coped much better with harsh conditions when a spacecraft is launched and in space, said Dr Chris Slinger, Qinetiq's principal investigator on the system. "It's hard using lenses and mirrors up there," he said. (BBC News -- Technology)
How not to miss this weekend's meteor shower Aug 9, 2008
This weekend, eager astronomers will be scanning the night skies in expectation of a dazzling celestial light show. The Perseid meteor shower, so-called because meteors appear to be radiating from the constellation of Perseus, is an annual event that has been observed for more than 2,000 years. (guardian.co.uk)
Polite planetary system saved Earth from fiery end Aug 9, 2008
"We think in most of these systems it was a turbulent and chaotic process, with planets getting into each other's personal space and elbowing each other. "A nice peaceful and polite and well-behaved planetary system like our own only happens more rarely," Dr. Thommes said. He and two colleagues from Northwestern University in Illinois, Soko Matsumura and Frederic Rasio, are the first to model the formation of planetary systems from beginning to end, a process that in real life can take 10... (Globe and Mail)
Eta Carinae Prepares for X-ray Crash Aug 9, 2008
Astronomers have never managed to find it because the Homunculus Nebula surrounding Eta Car prevents good observations and Eta Car itself is so bright that it blinds instruments to anything nearby ... Specifically, the astronomers detected an increased intensity in a line they think occurs when a helium atom has first lost both of its two electrons and then regains one ... When they finally did spot a He II line in 2003, the line was strongest around the time of the X-ray drop, says team member... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Lensed Light Used to Weigh Dark Matter Aug 9, 2008
Dark matter, like is something that astronomers can't seem to escape ... A. Bolton (UH/IfA) / SLACS / NASA / ESA by an international team of astronomers recently that once again bring dark matter into the discussion ... For about 20 years astronomers have known that one elliptical galaxy twice as massive as another will be significantly less than twice as luminous, Bolton says. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Armchair astronomer finds 'cosmic ghost' Aug 9, 2008
The find illustrates how more amateur astronomers are contributing to science ... But her startling find -- a mysterious and unique object some observers are calling a "cosmic ghost" -- has captivated astronomers and even caught the attention of the people who run the Hubble Space Telescope, who have agreed to take a closer look next year ... "There was a time when I spoke pejoratively of armchair astronomers. And I've gotten up at a star party and publicly apologized for that.". (CNN -- Tech)
Hubble Instruments Slated for On-Orbit 'Surgery' Aug 9, 2008
These two spectrographs working in tandem would give astronomers a full, spectroscopic suite of instruments. The improvements will add years of science to Hubble s mission and provide a full 'toolkit' to astronomers around the world ... "Personally, I think that's where the more exciting results will come from after this servicing mission," explained Leckrone, the new ideas that astronomers have about how to use these wonderful instruments now that they re all together in a set that is... (Science Daily)
When the meteor and the 1PB database collide Aug 9, 2008
Once dismissed as the , the fear of what astronomers call turns out, thanks to improved satellite and telescopic monitoring, to be not so irrational after all. Pan-STARRS on patrol. (Computerworld)
Called to discover heaven on earth Aug 9, 2008
While many modern amateur astronomers delight in using computer software and digital images to snap "deep-sky" objects, such as the wispy outlines of distant galaxies, Toohey prefers to draw the planets by hand. "I'm a Renaissance man," he admits with a laugh. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
We are special. Take it from a University of Guelph astrophysicist Aug 8, 2008
The researchers used data that astronomers have collected from exoplanets, the 300 planets discovered outside our solar system ... The results matched the kinds of planetary systems astronomers have discovered in the night sky ... Most of the 300 exoplanets that have been detected are gas giants, big enough for astronomers to find using space-or land-based telescopes. (Globe and Mail)
Teacher Discovers New Space Object Aug 8, 2008
A Dutch schoolteacher taking part in an online research project has discovered a gaseous object that astronomers say is of unknown origin. Hanny van Arkel was one of more than 150,000 volunteer amateur astronomers who last year helped classify more than 1 million images on the Web site galaxyzoo ... Schawinski asked astronomers around the world to examine the Voorwerp with ground- and satellite-based telescopes. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Dark Energy's Early Fingerprints Aug 8, 2008
While we're nowhere near cracking dark energy's secrets, a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy has confirmed its effects on the microwave background radiation we see from the early universe ... The astronomers, led by Istvn Szapudi, looked for what's called the late-time integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect ... (That's what astronomers mean by "expansion of the universe.") Dark energy speeds up the rate of this expansion. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Clumps And Streams Of Dark Matter May Lie In Inner Regions Of Milky Way Aug 8, 2008
By studying the motions of stars within dwarf galaxies, astronomers can calculate the density of the dark matter in the subhalos and compare that with the densities predicted by the simulation ... (July 28, 2003) Astronomers from the University of Cambridge, UK, have found for the first time the true outer limits of a galaxy ... 21, 2006) For the last decade, astronomers have thought that the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest galactic neighbor, was rather different from the Milky Way. (Science Daily)
Solar System Is Pretty Special, Computer Shows Aug 8, 2008
Now a new study by Northwestern University astronomers, using recent data from the 300 exoplanets discovered orbiting other stars, turns that view on its head ... This limited the planetary formation models, and astronomers had no reason to think the solar system unusual ... 16, 2001) An international team of astronomers has discovered eight new extrasolar planets, bringing to nearly 80 the number of planets found orbiting nearby stars. (Science Daily)
Family center stage at Nana’s House Aug 8, 2008
The group met in Kaumakani School s softball field where Kauai s amateur astronomers provided telescopes and an introductory course on the Hawaiian night sky. Nana s House hosted a potluck for families followed by a pre-starwatch presentation by KEASA president Pastor James Merritt and the club s secretary Rozlyn Reiner. (Lihue Garden Island, HA)
Study: early planet formation violent Aug 8, 2008
But the observed exoplanets represent those that are relatively easiest to find, or "a filtered sample" of what astronomers can see, Thommes cautioned. The researchers chose to sacrifice some detail in their simulation in order to model planetary systems from start to finish. (Xinhuanet, China)
Dutch teacher locates 'cosmic ghost' Aug 7, 2008
Rather, it was made entirely of gas so hot about 10,000 Celsius that the astronomers felt it had to be illuminated by something powerful ... Van Arkel is one of more than 150,000 amateur astronomers who have assisted in classifying more than 1 million galaxies over the past year as part of the Galaxy Zoo project. (India Times, India)
Jupiter, Saturn Full Of Liquid Metal Helium Aug 7, 2008
Astronomers say that Saturn's rings will disappear from view on Earth on September 4, 2009. The gases, ice, and rocky material that make up the rings. (Science Daily)
Space May Be Filled With Germs Aug 7, 2008
Meanwhile, astronomers seem to find wherever they train their telescopes; comets have proven unexpectedly rich in organic material ... "They appear scattered throughout most of the observable space we can study with our instruments thus far. Astronomers have been finding hundreds of planets around other stars. There are probably lots more places out there where life could exist.". (Newsmax)
Scientists gear up for planetary smackdown Aug 6, 2008
Top astronomers and other planetary scientists will step into the ring this month to duke it out over a basic, yet controversial, question: What is a planet ... Some astronomers see the conference as a way of cleaning up the mess created by the organization that names celestial bodies, the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which in August 2006 voted in a new definition of planet that demoted Pluto to "dwarf planet." (Under a more recent IAU decision, Pluto and similar objects are... (MSNBC -- Politics)
Amateur astronomer spots cosmic ghost Aug 6, 2008
Van Arkel is one of more than 150,000 amateur astronomers who have assisted in classifying more than 1 million galaxies over the past year as part of the Galaxy Zoo project. The next stage of Galaxy Zoo will ask volunteers to search for more unusual astronomical objects. (MSNBC -- Politics)
'Cosmic Ghost' Discovered By Volunteer Astronomer In Archived Images Of Night Sky Aug 6, 2008
When she posted about the image that quickly became known as "Hanny's Voorwerp" ( Dutch for "object") on the Galaxy Zoo forum, astronomers who run the site began to investigate and soon realized van Arkel might have found a new class of astronomical object ... "The Voorwerp didn't contain any stars." Rather, it was made entirely of gas so hot about 10,000 Celsius that the astronomers felt it had to be illuminated by something powerful ... Knowing that the human eye is sometimes more sensitive... (Science Daily)
Hubble Spies Thousands Of Globular Clusters Aug 6, 2008
One of the results of these discoveries led astronomers to understand more about the life and evolution of cannibal galaxies ... Astronomers used the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to identify over 11 000 globular clusters in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, most of which are more than 5 billion years old ... Astronomers have long known that the giant elliptical galaxy at the cluster s centre, Messier 87, also hosts a larger than predicted population of globular star clusters. (Science Daily)
'Einstein rings' show gravity Aug 5, 2008
A. BOLTON (UH/IFA) FOR SLACS AND NASA/ESA An international team of astronomers, including Adam S. Bolton of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, has recently announced a finding that helps to settle a long-standing debate over the relationship between mass (the amount of matter) and luminosity (brightness) in galaxies ... The astronomers compiled images of 70 "gravitational lens" galaxies, the largest single collection, identified by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with images from... (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
UH team sees 'dark energy' trail Aug 5, 2008
University of Hawaii astronomers have discovered evidence of "dark energy," one of the great mysteries of science ... The UH astronomers made the discovery by measuring imprints left by superclusters and supervoids in microwaves that pass through them. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
> read more Aug 4, 2008
From wind interactions, astronomers peg the companion to glow at least 20,000 kelvins hot even hotter than the estimated minimum for Eta Car of 15,000 kelvins ... Astronomers have never managed to find it because the Homunculus Nebula surrounding Eta Car prevents good observations and Eta Car itself is so bright that it blinds instruments to anything nearby. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Sagittarius is constellation lovers? cup of tea Aug 3, 2008
Astronomers have called it "the little sun that couldn't." It's a gas ball of mostly hydrogen and helium, like the sun, but it falls far short of the sun for heft ... This isn't a constellation but an asterism - an informal star pattern that didn't make the cut when, in 1930, astronomers divided up the sky into 88 official constellations with borders defined as precisely as those of the 50 states ... Amateur astronomers, whether casual skygazers or total telescopic fanatics, often make up... (Boston Globe)
JULIAN: Astronomy buffs trek to mountains for big Starfest Aug 2, 2008
Organized by three local astronomers, the festival begins at 9 a.m. Saturday with exhibits, displays and a series of lectures from prominent scientists and astronomy experts from throughout the western United States ... "There's a reason they built the observatory on Palomar Mountain. It's perfectly situated for astronomers, and Julian is a close second.". (North County Times)
Clear weather for sun eclipse observation Aug 2, 2008
According to astronomers here, the next solar eclipse to be seen in China will occur on July 22, 2009. The frequent eclipses could spark a fresh wave of astronomy travel in the country, observed Wu Guangjie, a senior scientist with the CAS.. (Xinhuanet, China)
Thousands witness total solar eclipse Aug 2, 2008
YIWU, Xinjiang, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of astronomers and tourists witnessed a total solar eclipse on Friday evening in Yiwu County of west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It lasted two minutes, according to the China National Astronomical Observatory. (Xinhuanet, China)
Don't fear the solar eclipse Aug 1, 2008
Nehru Planetarium, in collaboration with the Amateur Astronomers Association, Delhi will be conducting public sky-watch for the eclipse from the Jantar Mantar, the planetarium and the India Gate area. "If clouds permit, a pinhole placed at the crosswires of the Jai Prakas instrument of the Jantar Mantar observatory, would be used to trace the entire progress of the eclipse in the bowl of the instrument," Rathnashree said. (India Times, India)
Moon shadow: where to see a total eclipse of the sun Aug 1, 2008
As is always the case with eclipses, tourists and amateur and professional astronomers have been flooding towns in the best viewing locations - along the path of totality. In Novosibirsk, Siberia's cultural and scientific capital, more than 5,000 foreign tourists were expected to show up in the city. (BBC News)
Total eclipse stirs hearts in Russia Aug 1, 2008
Eclipses have long intrigued astronomers, in part because they allow direct observation of the Sun's corona. One eclipse was used to confirm Einstein's theory of general relativity. (CNN -- International)
Antikythera Mechanism: Scientists Crack Secrets Of 2,000-year-old Astronomical Computer Aug 1, 2008
Recreating its workings was a difficult, painstaking process, involving astronomers, mathematicians, computer experts, script analysts and conservation experts ... 16, 2008) Astronomers have discovered that our galaxy's central black hole let loose a powerful flare three centuries ago. (Science Daily)
Dust And Gas In The Early Universe Aug 1, 2008
18, 2006) An international team of astronomers has uncovered the faintest stars ever seen in any globular star cluster, bringing scientists closer to revealing the formation time of one of the earliest ... Astronomers removed light from closer and better known galaxies and stars from pictures taken with the Spitzer Space Telescope. (Science Daily)
Sunlight's gentle nudge on asteroids detected Aug 1, 2008
Astronomers have detected the delicate force of sunlight on an asteroid's orbit for the first time ... This means astronomers can have more confidence in predictions of other asteroid orbits. (Yahoo News -- Meteors and Asteroids)
