An artist’s impression of Philae on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, released by the European Space Agency November 10, 2015 by Mariëtte Le Roux, Pascale Mollard-Chenebenoi A year ago on Thursday, the world held its collective breath as a European spacecraft dropped a tiny robot lab onto the surface of a comet hurtling towards the …
One year after comet touchdown, what’s next for Philae? Read More »
This is the “South Pillar” region of the star-forming region called the Carina Nebula. Like cracking open a watermelon and finding its seeds, the infrared telescope “busted open” this murky cloud to reveal star embryos tucked inside finger-like pillars of thick dust. Credit: NASA November 10, 2015 Astronomers have identified for the first time one …
Close-up view of galaxies prompts re-think on star formation Read More »
An artist’s concept of two colliding black holes, in the process of merging. Credit: NASA / CXC / A. Hobart. (Phys.org)—PKS 1302-102 is one of the few known quasars with a pair of black holes within its accretion disc. It is also a curious case for astronomers as it will produce a powerful explosion when …
Doomed quasar is heading for a powerful explosion Read More »
The chemical makeup of these ancient stars points to huge explosions called hypernovae. Credit: ESO November 11, 2015 An international team of astronomers, led researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Australian National University, have identified some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, which could contain vital clues about the early Universe, including …
This cartoon shows the transiting planet GJ 1132b to scale against its host star GJ 1132. Credit: Zach Berta-Thompson Scientists have discovered a new exoplanet that, in the language of “Star Wars,” would be the polar opposite of frigid Hoth, and even more inhospitable than the deserts of Tatooine. But instead of residing in a …
Venus’ twin? Earth-sized rocky planet orbiting a nearby star Read More »
