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A new ‘mini-moon’ comes to Earth this fall
Earth’s moon will have some company for a couple months this fall. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Earth will be hosting a new guest this fall. No, it’s not an alien. It’s an asteroid. The space rock, which has been named “2024 PT5,” has been traveling along its normal path around the sun, but…
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Earth’s Fall Equinox Ushers In Astronomical Autumn
During an equinox, places around the globe experience nearly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime. The second occurrence this year happens on Sunday. This Sunday, the autumnal equinox is upon us, and with it, a shift to shorter days, longer nights and the astronomical start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Equinoxes occur when Earth…
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Beth Bero commended with award for astronomy outreach as educator and aficionado
MADISON – Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Leedham Bero is the 2024 recipient of Las Cumbres Amateur Outreach Award for her outstanding educational outreach as an amateur astronomer. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific or ASP, one of the oldest, innovative organizations dedicated to understanding astronomy, presents the Las Cumbres and other awards for excellence in astronomy education.…
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Two UMD Astronomy Space Probes Advance to Next Round of $1 Billion NASA Mission Selection
Proposals from Christopher Reynolds for an X-ray mission and Alberto Bolatto and Jason Glenn for a far-infrared mission are closer to being realized. On October 3, 2024, NASA announced that two space probes proposed by University of Maryland astronomers have advanced to the next round of consideration for a $1 billion mission slated to launch…
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Starlink satellites are blinding astronomers’ view of space
Efforts to study the universe are being hindered by radio waves emitted from the Starlink’s extensive satellite network, according to a new study. The Starlink “constellation” consists of more than 6,300 working satellites orbiting the planet at 550km, accounting for more than half of all satellites surrounding Earth. All those satellites create radio “noise” — known as unintended…
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Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites blocking observations of deep space, astronomers say
Your support helps us to tell the story Find out moreClose As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter. Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power. Your…
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Radio pollution from SpaceX’s new Starlink satellites poses threat to astronomy, scientists say
SpaceX’s new Starlink satellites produce 32 times more radio noise than their predecessors, causing concerns among astronomers about their interference with radio astronomy observations. Radio astronomy uses supersensitive antennas to detect faint radio signals emitted by stars, black holes and other objects in the universe. Researchers working at the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) in the…
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Astronomy Photographer of the Year showcases world’s best space images
Astronomy Photographer of the Year, the annual photo competition showcasing all things space, is back. Ed Bloomer, senior astronomy manager at Royal Museums Greenwich, London, takes us on a tour of his favourite images. An exhibition of the winning entries and some of the shortlisted photos is on now at the Greenwich site’s National Maritime…
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Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites could become an ‘existential threat’ for astronomers
In This Story SpaceX’s ever-increasing network of satellites is still blocking researchers’ ability to view distant galaxies, planets, and stars, according to experts. Suggested Reading Intel’s brutal year isn’t deterring investment interest Off English Suggested Reading The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), alongside researchers from other institutions, said Wednesday that radiation from the second…
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Caught on camera: Satellite tracker photographs secret spacecraft
In the hush-hush, secretive world of space-based spy satellites, few details are publicly available — and groups like the U.S. Space Force, National Reconnaissance Office, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency like it that way. There’s an armada of classified spacecraft assigned an array of vigilant duties. Some intercept radio waves or…