Category: Space and Astronomy

  • Grab a Beer with NASA Scientists at This Astronomy Meetup in LA

    Grab a Beer with NASA Scientists at This Astronomy Meetup in LA

    Past lecture series have covered topics like Cannibal Galaxies and settling on Mars. | Photo by Irina Logra for ThrillistPast lecture series have covered topics like Cannibal Galaxies and settling on Mars. | Photo by Irina Logra for Thrillist Did you know that there are anywhere between 100 billion and two trillion galaxies in the…

  • Send robots into space rather than people, says Britain’s Astronomer Royal

    Send robots into space rather than people, says Britain’s Astronomer Royal

    Britain’s Astronomer Royal Martin Rees said sending people into space when robots could do the job just as effectively was a waste of public money, and space exploration should be left to billionaires and those willing to pay for trips themselves. “I’m sceptical about the idea of a human space flight being worthwhile,” Rees told…

  • Astronomers conduct first search for forming planets with James Webb Space Telescope

    Astronomers conduct first search for forming planets with James Webb Space Telescope

    Two spiral arms emerge from the gas-rich disk around SAO 206462, a young star in the constellation Lupus. This image, acquired by the Subaru Telescope and its HiCIAO instrument, is the first to show spiral arms in a circumstellar disk. The image traces the light emitted by the star and scattered on the disk surface.…

  • Cosmic gold rush! Astronomers find 49 new galaxies in just 3 hours

    Cosmic gold rush! Astronomers find 49 new galaxies in just 3 hours

    Astronomers have been surprised by a “gold rush” of new galaxies, racking up 49 discoveries in just 3 hours.  The gas-rich galaxies were uncovered by a team using the MeerKAT radio telescope located in South Africa. They have been dubbed the “forty-niners,” a callback to the nickname given to the thousands of gold miners who…

  • Space travel best left to robots and eccentric billionaires, says British astronomy adviser

    Space travel best left to robots and eccentric billionaires, says British astronomy adviser

    Martin Rees said Elon Musk had ‘done a much better job’ than the big conglomerates that used to work for Nasa in producing efficient rockets. Photo: Getty Paul Sandle Today at 03:30 Britain’s Astronomer Royal Martin Rees said sending people into space when robots could do the job just as effectively was a waste of…

  • How are extreme “blue supergiant” stars born? Astronomers may finally know

    How are extreme “blue supergiant” stars born? Astronomers may finally know

    Astronomers may have solved the mystery of how some of the brightest and hottest stars in the cosmos are born.  The team, led by researchers at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), found clues that suggest blue supergiants are created when two stars in a binary system spiral together and merge.  B-type blue supergiant…

  • Astronomers Furious at Plan to Shut Down NASA Space Telescope

    Astronomers Furious at Plan to Shut Down NASA Space Telescope

    “If you turn Chandra off, the hit to x-ray astronomy in the US is huge.” Going Dark For over two decades, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory — humanity’s most powerful telescope of its kind — has provided astronomers with an unparalleled view, allowing them to better understand the structure and evolution of the universe. But a…

  • Meet 7 women who broke barriers in the field of astronomy and beyond

    Meet 7 women who broke barriers in the field of astronomy and beyond

    Many corners of the scientific world have been profoundly impacted by the work of women. They’ve blazed a trail across every field, breaking down barriers for themselves and others in the process. These extraordinary women have discovered comets, created classification systems, and stared into the abyss of black holes.  In recognition of Women’s History Month,…

  • Northern Arizona astronomy: The sun through space

    Northern Arizona astronomy: The sun through space

    To view this content you must be logged in as a subscriber. 4 WEEKS $2.50 UNLIMITED DIGITAL ACCESS 4 WEEKS 1 YEAR $25 UNLIMITED DIGITAL ACCESS FOR 12 MONTHS Plans include full website access, e-Edition and exclusive online extras. Print and Digital combo plans also available. GET STARTED NOW ALREADY A PRINT SUBSCRIBER? GET FULL…

  • Astronomers looking for space gas accidentally find 49 new galaxies

    Astronomers looking for space gas accidentally find 49 new galaxies

    Stars are born from huge clouds of mostly hydrogen gas floating in space. Astronomers like me study this gas because it helps us understand how stars and galaxies form and grow. Hydrogen gas gives off a faint glow that is invisible to human eyes but can be observed with a telescope tuned to detect radio…