Origin Of Cosmic Rays: VERITAS Telescopes Help Solve 100-year-old Mystery Nov 3, 2009
Astronomers questioned what natural force could accelerate particles to such a speed ... Astronomers have devised ingenious methods for detecting cosmic rays that hit Earth's atmosphere ... 5, 2004) An international team of astronomers has produced the first ever image of an astronomical object using high energy gamma rays, helping to solve a 100 year old mystery - an origin of cosmic rays. (Science Daily)
3 in Hawaii win governor's innovation awards Nov 3, 2009
University of Hawai'i planetary astronomer Dr. Tobias Owen is one of the world's leading solar system astronomers. His areas of expertise include comets, the origin and evolution of planetary and satellite atmospheres, and the origin and distribution of life in the universe. (Honolulu Advertiser)
NASA's Fermi Telescope Detects Gamma Rays From 'Star Factories' In Other Galaxies Nov 3, 2009
2, 2009) Nearby galaxies undergoing a furious pace of star formation also emit lots of gamma rays, say astronomers using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope ... Astronomers suspect that the rapidly expanding shells of exploded stars somehow accelerate cosmic ray particles to their fantastic energy ... 29, 2009) An international team of astronomers has used the world's biggest radio telescope to look deep into the brightest galaxies that NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope can see. (Science Daily)
E-Infrastructures Give Real Boost To Virtual Observatories Nov 2, 2009
1, 2009) New tools and systems developed by European researchers are helping astronomers access data centres from anywhere in the world ... But much more remains to be discovered, if only astronomers had access to all the possible data available on celestial objects ... These and many more VO services provide a new toolbox for astronomers. (Science Daily)
Leonids meteors light up November skies Nov 1, 2009
Meteors usually appear to come from one specific point in the sky, something astronomers call the "radiant." Because of this, meteor showers are named for the constellation in which the radiant lies ... Additionally, meteor showers have what astronomers refer to as the "peak" of the shower ... While every meteor shower's presence varies, astronomers are predicting a good show for the 2009 Leonids. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
Willing to give up blue skies for climate fix? Oct 31, 2009
Those could include creating more droughts, more ozone holes and, oh yeah, a thin cloud layer that obscures blue skies and gives astronomers fits ... The key cons: more droughts in Africa and Asia; oceans would still be acidifying; creation of ozone holes in the Arctic; reduced solar energy production; and those less blue skies and frustrated astronomers. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Opening the lid on a cosmic jewel box Oct 31, 2009
By taking advantage of variously equipped telescopes, both on the ground and in space, astronomers have built up a truly three-dimensional view of the Jewel Box in glorious detail. Hubble's view reveals very bright, pale blue supergiant stars, a solitary ruby-red supergiant and a variety of other brilliantly coloured stars. (Astronomy Now Online)
Distant GRB blueprint of early Universe Oct 31, 2009
Astronomers using the Very Large Array (VLA) detected the first radio waves a week following the Swift detection, and recorded changes in the object until it faded from view more than two months later ... Astronomers suspect that the Universe's first inhabitants were brighter, hotter and more massive than those that formed later, and hope to build evidence for this theory in the shape of even more distant GRBs. (Astronomy Now Online)
Physicist Makes New High-resolution Panorama Of Milky Way Oct 30, 2009
(May 29, 2007) For decades, astronomers have known that the Milky Way galaxy is on a collision course with the neighboring Andromeda spiral galaxy. What was unknown until now: the fate of the Sun and our solar. (Science Daily)
Big star burst shines light on universe's birth Oct 30, 2009
PARIS: It took 13 billion years to reach Earth, but astronomers have seen the light of an exploding mega-star that is the most distant object yet detected, two studies published yesterday reported ... Astronomers alerted to the find trained several of the largest telescopes skyward just in time to see the gamma-ray burst's fading afterglow. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
* Light-years later, Einstein still rules Oct 30, 2009
Astronomers announced on Wednesday that a race halfway across the universe had ended in a virtual tie ... Astronomers said the gamma-ray race was one of the most stringent tests yet of a bedrock principle of modern physics: Einsteins proclamation in his 1905 theory of relativity that the speed of light is constant and independent of its color, energy, direction or how you yourself are moving. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Opening Up A Colorful Cosmic Jewel Box Oct 30, 2009
Astronomers have added an application to Google Earth that allows users to not only look at detailed pictures of the night sky at their convenience. . (Science Daily)
After 7.3bn light yrs' journey, Einstein prevails Oct 30, 2009
Astronomers announced on Wednesday that a race halfway across the universe had ended in a virtual tie ... Astronomers said the gamma-ray race was one of the most stringent tests yet of a bedrock principle of modern physics: Einsteins proclamation in his 1905 theory of relativity that the speed of light is constant and independent of its color, or energy; its direction; or how you yourself are moving ... The good news, astronomers said, is that more data expected from Fermi could decide the... (India Times, India)
Scientists See Blast From 13 Billion Years Ago Oct 30, 2009
Astronomers have seen the furthest back in time ever, measuring light from a star that exploded 13 billion years ago, just after the dawn of the universe. They traced a gamma-ray burst called GRB 090423 to see the light from the massive star that died 630 million years after the Big Bang that brought the universe into being, they reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday. (Newsmax)
Astronomical Artifact: Most Distant Object Yet Detected Carries Clues from Early Universe Oct 29, 2009
A violent explosion picked up by a NASA satellite earlier this year is the oldest object ever seen by astronomers, its light having been emitted some 13 billion years ago ... But the in Hawaii was not ideal, and this particular gamma-ray burst was not especially bright, limiting the amount of additional information astronomers could glean from the explosion. (Scientific American)
Most Distant Object Found; Light Pierced "Dark Age" Fog Oct 29, 2009
Two different teams of astronomers studied a brief but powerful flash of light, called a gamma-ray burst, from the ... Astronomers think the first stars started forming during the dark ages ... The probe instantly swiveled its mirrors to monitor the burst, and soon after astronomers worldwide received alerts. (National Geographic)
Gamma-ray Photon Race Ends In Dead Heat; Einstein Wins This Round Oct 29, 2009
(July 7, 2009) With NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, astronomers now are getting their best look at those whirling stellar cinders known as pulsars. Astronomers have analyzed gamma-rays from two dozen. (Science Daily)
Blast From Past: Clues About Early Universe Oct 29, 2009
29, 2009) Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope have gained tantalizing insights into the nature of the most distant object ever observed in the Universe -- a gigantic stellar explosion known as a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) ... Astronomers turned telescopes from around the world to study the blast, dubbed GRB 090423 ... Astronomers suspect that the very first stars in the Universe were very different -- brighter, hotter, and more massive -- from... (Science Daily)
An intergalactic race in space and time Oct 29, 2009
Astronomers have used a high-energy burst of light from a distant galaxy to test the fabric of space and time. The work is the best test yet of attempts to create a theory of everything. (Scientific American)
Dark energy rips cosmos and agencies Oct 28, 2009
The effect was announced in 1998 after astronomers precisely measured the distances to supernovae in other galaxies ... Meanwhile, as the space-based mission ideas stall, ground-based astronomers are making strides in pinning down uncertainties in a key dark-energy parameter that determines whether the force is a constant or changes with time. (Scientific American)
Night Sky Viewing for November 2009 Oct 27, 2009
Astronomers now know that the two galaxies, the Andromeda and the Milky Way, are drawing together and will eventually collide in about 5 billion years. The copyright of the article Night Sky Viewing for November 2009 in is owned by. (Suite101.com)
Celestial delight Oct 26, 2009
Astronomers want to use it to study the early formation of the universe and the first stars 13 ... Astronomers want to use it to study the early formation of the universe and the first stars 13. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Controversial study suggests vast magma pool under Washington state Oct 26, 2009
European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop. Scientists using the European Southern Observatory telescope didn't find any planets quite the size of Earth or any that seemed habitable or even unusual. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Kepler and the Star of Bethlehem Oct 25, 2009
Leading the Magi or the three "Wise Men" to the birthplace of , is a standard symbol of Christmas, called the "Star of Bethlehem." For two millennia, great thinkers all astronomers, theologians, believers and even skeptics - have pondered the story of the star that is supposed to have announced the Christian era. In December 1603, Johannes Kepler was intrigued by the planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. (Suite101.com)
Family comes first, among plants too Oct 25, 2009
Last week, astronomers detected 32 planets outside our solar system. It offered hope that Earth-like planets, which harbour life, might exist beyond the realms of sci-fi. (India Times, India)
Nebulae & Galaxies Oct 24, 2009
Three amateur astronomers in California found this beautiful planetary in july 2008, officially named PN G75. 5+1. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Bay Area stargazers to honor Galileo Oct 24, 2009
His epochal discovery provided proof that Earth must revolve around the sun, and this weekend Bay Area astronomers - both professional and amateur - will celebrate "Galilean Nights" with public star parties, outdoor lectures, jazz and other events ... San Francisco Amateur Astronomers ... What: Amateur astronomers will set up their telescopes so visitors can peer at the sky and focus on Jupiter. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Long Night Falls Over Saturn's Rings Oct 24, 2009
(May 1, 2008) Astronomers appear to have solved a long-standing mystery about the cause of anomalies in Jupiter's gossamer rings ... Astronomers say that Saturn's rings will disappear from view on Earth on September 4, 2009. (Science Daily)
Unknown Force Acting On Dark Matter? Oct 23, 2009
23, 2009) An international team of astronomers have found an unexpected link between mysterious 'dark matter' and the visible stars and gas in galaxies that could revolutionise our current understanding of gravity ... One of the astronomers, Dr Hongsheng Zhao of the SUPA Centre of Gravity, University of St. Andrews, suggests that an unknown force is acting on dark matter ... Stars and gas in galaxies move so fast that astronomers have speculated that the gravity from a hypothetical invisible... (Science Daily)
And Then There Were 400 Oct 23, 2009
At an international conference on extrasolar planets being held in Portugal, a group of European astronomers unveiled on Monday a list of 30 new exoplanets and two brown dwarfs orbiting more-or-less Sun-like stars ... The European astronomers say that HARPS can measure a star's radial-velocity patterns with an accuracy as fine as 1 meter per second: slow walking speed ... To extract the very slight, periodic radial-velocity changes in a star that signify an orbiting planet, astronomers have to... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Astronomers Find Organic Molecules Around Gas Planet Oct 22, 2009
21, 2009) Peering far beyond our solar system, NASA researchers have detected the basic chemistry for life in a second hot gas planet, advancing astronomers toward the goal of being able to characterize planets where life could exist ... Astronomers can now begin comparing the two planetary atmospheres for differences and similarities ... This work will lay the groundwork for the type of analysis astronomers eventually will need to perform in shortlisting any promising rocky Earth-like planets... (Science Daily)
Heavens could be full of planets Oct 21, 2009
WASHINGTON: Astronomers are finding planets by the dozen. A team of European astronomers said they had found 32 ''exoplanets'' orbiting distant stars ... Astronomers hope some day to find signs of an Earth-like planet in an Earth-like orbit - circling a star at a distance that allows for the possibility that water might be liquid at the planet's surface. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Nibiru - big planetary fun Oct 20, 2009
None of the people taking it seriously are professional astronomers ... Also, if our collision with Nibiru were only three years away, thousands of professional and amateur astronomers would already have seen it. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
The Great 2012 Scare — and What You Need To Know Oct 20, 2009
"As we approach 2012, more and more professional and amateur astronomers are being asked about the doomsday scenario, so we want to help educate them, so they can inform the general public," says Robert Naeye, Editor in Chief of Sky cope. "Dr. Krupp's article thoroughly demolishes this pseudoscience drivel, and serves as an outstanding resource for scientists, educators, and the media.". (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Scientists Find Trawl of 32 New Planets Oct 20, 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European astronomers announced they had found 32 new planets orbiting stars outside our solar system and said on Monday they believe their find means that 40 percent or more of Sun-like stars have such planets ... "Nature doesn't like a vacuum so if there is space to put a planet it will put a planet there," Udry told reporters in an Internet briefing from a meeting of astronomers in Porto, Portugal ... Astronomers are keen to find Earthlike planets as these are the most... (Newsmax)
Rodger Doxsey, 62; helped extend Hubble telescope’s life Oct 20, 2009
At the time, the telescope was scheduled to be launched in 1986, but NASA had no good plan for enabling astronomers to use the telescope ... Dr. Doxsey s mastery of the telescope was put into service in 2004, when NASA administrator Sean O Keefe decreed an end to astronaut-servicing missions to the telescope and Hubble s engineers and astronomers were scrambling for ways to prolong its life ... Lauer said, In a sense, he was sort of the Scotty to all the astronomers who used the telescope,... (Boston Globe)
New website aims to identify unknown objects Oct 20, 2009
A new website was launched today to create a forum for astronomers to submit reports of unknown objects ... These phenomena are mainly seen in the night sky, a domain that astronomers have long considered their own, and it is important to collect testimonies from members of the population that are trained observers, says Ailleris ... The project is being launched under the auspices of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA), and is timed to go alongside the IYA cornerstone project Galilean... (Astronomy Now Online)
Towards Other Earths: 32 New Exoplanets Found Oct 20, 2009
These observations have given astronomers a great insight into the diversity of planetary systems and help us understand how they can form, says team member Nuno Santos. The HARPS consortium was very careful in their selection of targets, with several sub-programmes aimed at looking for planets around solar-like stars, low-mass dwarf stars, or stars with a lower metal content than the Sun. (Science Daily)
Lots more planets outside solar system Oct 20, 2009
WASHINGTON - European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop. The announcement by scientists using the European Southern Observatory telescope bolstered the number of planets discovered outside the solar system to more than 400. (Athens Banner-Herald)
32extrasolar planets found Oct 20, 2009
19: Astronomers announce the discovery of 32 extrasolar planets, one of which can be seen in this artist's rendering ... Astronomers announced on Monday the discovery of 32 extrasolar planets, some just five times the mass of Earth and others five times heftier than giant Jupiter ... The findings significantly boost the number of planets closer to Earth in size and help astronomers better understand what types of stars birth what kinds of planets. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Galactic Magnetic Fields May Control Boundaries Of Our Solar System Oct 18, 2009
15, 2006) Astronomers report an unprecedented elongated double helix nebula near the center of our Milky Way. (Dec. (Science Daily)
Craft kicked up debris on moon after all Oct 18, 2009
Telescopes at 19 major astronomical observatories from New Mexico to Hawaii were watching for a high-altitude debris plume rising from the moon when the Centaur rocket hit near the Lunar South Pole, but 11 reported their astronomers detected nothing. E-mail David Perlman at. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Observatory plans free open house Oct 17, 2009
If it is cloudy, UGA astronomers will present a talk of general interest. Viewing nights also will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Small asteroid will fly by Earth tonight Oct 17, 2009
Additional observations will help astronomers pin down the rock's entire track around the sun. "We'll have this orbit nailed within a couple days or so," Yeomans said. (MSNBC -- Technology)
That stuff about 2012? It's not going to happen Oct 17, 2009
If there was a Nibiru heading our way, one of the 100,000 amateur astronomers on Earth would have spotted it long ago ... In recent years, astronomers have mapped all the asteroids near Earth that are 2 miles in diameter or larger, Morrison said. (AZCentral -- News)
December 21, 2012 Oct 17, 2009
I wanted to commend Staking this stance against the hysteria that has been dogging amateur astronomers worldwide for the past few years ... These people, who most Americans would call 'hunter/gatherers' knew about the precession of the equinoxes which most astronomers I have met say is a myth. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Orionids Meteor Shower Starts This Weekend Oct 17, 2009
But dress warmly, Hammergren advised: "You always cool off more than you think you will just lying there that's a lesson novice astronomers learn real fast!" ... But it wasn't until the 1800s that astronomers noticed that some large groupings of "shooting stars" also appeared at regular intervals ... For example, next month astronomers expect Earth to pass through a clump of material left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which might boost the annual Leonid meteor shower to produce as many as 500... (National Geographic)
Obituaries in the news Oct 16, 2009
Astronomers seek to explore the cosmic Dark Ages. No place seems safe from the prying eyes of inquisitive astronomers ... Astronomers call it the Dark Ages, and now they're building huge new radio telescopes with thousands of detectors that they hope will let them peer back into the period, when the first stars and galaxies began turning on their lights. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Mystery Space "Ribbon" Found at Solar System's Edge Oct 16, 2009
In a discovery that took astronomers by surprise, the first full-sky map of the 's edge more than 9 billion miles (15 billion kilometers) away has revealed a bright "ribbon" of atoms called ENAs ... Astronomers aren't yet sure how the ribbon formed, but it's possible that the ribbon could be a result of pressure exerted on the heliosphere by our home 's magnetic field. (National Geographic)
Strange shapes seen in Milky Ways neighbor Oct 15, 2009
Astronomers obtained this portrait of Barnard's Galaxy using the Wide Field Imager attached to the 2. 2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Milky Way's Tiny But Tough Galactic Neighbor Oct 15, 2009
Astronomers obtained this latest portrait using the Wide Field Imager (WFI) attached to the 2 ... Astronomers obtained this portrait of Barnard's Galaxy using the Wide Field Imager attached to the 2 ... 6, 2009) Astronomers have taken a striking new image of a nearby galaxy that many astronomers think closely resembles our own Milky Way. (Science Daily)
Bizarre Galaxy Result Of Cosmic Collision Oct 14, 2009
A team of over 30 astronomers, including Evans, recently published an important overview paper, detailing the first results of the GOALS project. Observations from ESA's X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) telescope contributed to the astronomers' understanding of NGC 2623. (Science Daily)
The Milky Way's tiny but tough galactic neighbor Oct 14, 2009
Astronomers obtained this portrait of Barnard's Galaxy using the Wide Field Imager attached to the 2 ... Astronomers obtained this latest portrait using the Wide Field Imager (WFI) attached to the 2 ... ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. (EurekAlert!)
> read more Oct 13, 2009
The radio wavelengths of interest to astronomers are much longer than the perforations within the aluminum panels, so the dish appears "solid" to incoming radiation ... She helps visiting astronomers get the most from their runs, and when time permits she studies the surface compositions of asteroids by observing their visible and near-infrared spectra. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Orbiter beams images of lunar crashes Oct 13, 2009
So far, astronomers using ground-based telescopes and the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit have not reported seeing any ejecta plume, but have cautioned that more time is needed to be sure. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Lunar prospecting: Probe ready to touch Moon water Oct 12, 2009
In addition to other international observatories, officials have put together a loosely-organized group of amateur astronomers and watch parties to collect extra data and engage the public. Mission planners timed and positioned the impact to be in view of much of the United States. (Astronomy Now Online)
* FEATURE : Researchers attempt to debunk Mayan 2012 myth Oct 12, 2009
But most archeologists, astronomers and Maya say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of New Age philosophy, pop astronomy, Internet doomsday rumors and TV specials such as one on the History Channel which mixes predictions from Nostradamus and the Mayas and asks: Is 2012 the year the cosmic clock finally winds down to zero days, zero hope. . (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
2012 isn't the end of the world, Mayans insist Oct 11, 2009
Archaeologists, astronomers and modern-day Mayas shrug off the popular frenzy over the date of 2012, predicting it will bring nothing more than a meteor shower of new-age "consciousness," pseudo-science and alarmist television specials ... But most archaeologists, astronomers and Maya say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of New Age philosophy, pop astronomy, Internet doomsday rumors and TV specials such as one on the History Channel which mixes "predictions" from Nostradamus... (USA Today)
Less Ado About Apophis Oct 11, 2009
Fortunately, for the moment all the beefier asteroidal bodies in Earth's vicinity seem to be whizzing by harmlessly planetary astronomers continue to tell us that no known body has a significant chance of hitting home for the foreseeable future. The one known body that has been causing them a little late-night heartburn is 99942 Apophis. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Astronomy fans unimpressed by moon crash Oct 11, 2009
The space agency touts the event as an opportunity for amateur astronomers. Many say the event was a dud; a woman says she saw nothing on NASA TV. (CNN -- International)
Even the Maya are getting sick of 2012 hype Oct 11, 2009
But most archaeologists, astronomers and Maya Indians say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of New Age philosophy, pop astronomy, Internet doomsday rumors and TV specials such as one on the History Channel that mixes predictions from Nostradamus and the Maya and asks: "Is 2012 the year the cosmic clock finally winds down to zero days, zero hope?". Grains of truthIt may sound all too much like other doomsday scenarios of recent decades the 1987 Harmonic Convergence,... (MSNBC -- Environment)
A whimper of a crash, a wealth of data Oct 11, 2009
NASA had urged amateur astronomers with 10- to 12-inch telescopes to observe the event and share their images with the space agency ... " -- Star-Bulletin staff The satellite was launched in June with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and separated from the Centaur rocket about 54,000 miles above the moon's surface. The Centaur hit Cabeus crater on the moon's south pole at 1:31 a.m. Hawaii time, followed four minutes later by the spacecraft, which sent data... (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Moon crash fails to produce show for state Oct 10, 2009
Arizona amateur astronomers tried but also came up short ... Peterson spent Friday checking e-mails from other astronomers and said about two dozen others in Arizona and other states came up negative. (AZCentral -- News)
Moon smash gives off flash Oct 10, 2009
For many astronomers, NASA s frontal assault on the Moon ended in a fizzle on Friday. The Lunar Crater Remote Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) crashed near the lunar south pole as planned, but an expected plume of bright debris was nowhere to be seen. (Scientific American)
NASA has successfully collected data after two spacecraft impacted the moon's south pole, the space agency said Friday.• Rocket, probe hit moon in search for hidden ice Oct 10, 2009
Astronomers at the Palomar Observatory outside of San Diego said an hour after the strikes that they saw no evidence of an impact plume through the 200-inch Hale Telescope. The Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico focused three telescopes on the moon during the strikes but the instruments didn't detect any visual sign of a lunar debris plume. (Xinhuanet, China)
