Astronomy News
2010
Most distant galaxy cluster resembles those in
nearby universe
A team of astronomers, using the Spitzer Space
Telescope, has uncovered what may be the most distant cluster of
galaxies ever detected. However, it’s not the size nor the age of the
cluster that amazes the team of researchers. Rather, it’s the
surprisingly modern appearance of CLG J02182-05102 that has them
baffled. 24 June 2010
Latest supernova surveys fail to resolve
problems with dark energy
An international consortium called The
Supernova Cosmology Project has announced what it calls the 'Union2'
compilation of hundreds of supernovae type 1a, the largest collection
ever of high-quality data from numerous surveys that are searching for
and studying this particular type of stellar explosion. 24 June 2010
 Merging
galaxies pose challenge to concept of evolving universe
New
images by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope show a group of small, ancient
galaxies are just beginning the long process of merging together to form
a large elliptical galaxy. Astronomers expect such encounters to only
occur very early on in a universe that is evolving from an explosive
beginning. 15 March 2010
Too few galaxies in early Universe
Five
international teams of astronomers studying data from Hubble's new
infrared camera, the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) have unexpectedly found
that the density of galaxies in space decreases with distance. 15 March
2010
 Remarkable changes on Pluto witnessed by Hubble
NASA has released dramatic pictures taken with the Hubble Space
Telescope that show differences over a two-year period. Astronomers were
not expecting to find such obvious alterations to the surface structure
over so short a period compared to its orbital period of 248 years. 15 March
2010
 Deepest Hubble image surprises astronomers
The Hubble Space Telescope has made the deepest image of the
universe ever by using near-infrared light. The light from the furthest
objects in the image has taken an incredible 13.1 billion years to reach
us, a mere 600 million years after the Big Bang. 15 Feb 2010
Millions of hours of expensive supercomputer time used to prop up
big
bang model.
By making computer simulations of cosmic explosions big enough and frequent enough it was
possible to generate galaxies with substantially
lower densities at their cores, closely matching the observed properties
of dwarf galaxies. 12 Feb 2010
 Hubble captures stunning images of double
aurora on Saturn.
Stunning new images taken by the Hubble space telescope have given a
once in a lifetime view of the fluttering aurorae that light up both of
Saturn's poles. The observations have allowed researchers to monitor the behaviour of
both Saturn's poles in the same shot over a sustained period of time. 12 Feb 2010
New views of Orion Nebula
New images taken by the world's largest infrared telescope have
revealed new details of the Orion Nebula. The images taken by the
European Southern Observatory's new VISTA survey telescope reveal many
of its hidden secrets.
 Furthest stellar mass black hole ever found
Astronomers have detected a stellar-mass black hole much farther away
than any other previously known — 6 million light years. With a mass
above fifteen times that of the Sun, this is also the second most
massive stellar-mass black hole ever found. 12 Feb 2010
2009
Go out and see Comet Lulin!
Comet Lulin is currently moving past the bright star Spica in Virgo and
is just about visible with the unaided eye from a dark-sky site. Its
brightness will peak on 24 February. 17 February 2009
Cosmologists simulate early universe
Scientists have used a computer simulation to predict what the very
early Universe could have appeared like 500 million years after a big
bang.
The images, produced by scientists at Durham University’s Institute for
Computational Cosmology, show the formation of the first big galaxies in
the Universe. 12 February 2009
Astronomers discover cosmic dust fountain
Astronomers at the University of Toledo have observed a double-star
system that displays all the characteristics that astronomers suspect
are associated with dust production. 12 Feb 2009
NASA's great observatories celebrate
International Year of Astronomy
In conjunction with Galileo's birthday on Feb. 15, NASA is releasing
images from its Great Observatories — the Hubble Space Telescope,
Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory — to more than
100 planetariums, museums, nature centres, and schools across the US. 12
February 2009
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