Astronomy
See the Smallest Full Moon of 2014: It’s the “Return of the Mini-Moon”
Last month, (and last year) we wrote about the visually smallest Full Moon of 2013. Now, in a followup act, our…
LEDs: Light Pollution Solution or Night Sky Nemesis?
You may have noticed a change underway in your city lighting. High pressure sodium lights, with their familiar orange glow,…
One Percent Measure of the Universe
When it comes to accuracy, everyone strives for a hundred percent, but measuring cosmic distances leaves a bit more to…
New Findings from NuSTAR: A New X-Ray View of the “Hand of God” and More
One star player in this week’s findings out of the 223rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society has been the…
Selling Rocks from Outer Space: an Interview with ‘Meteorite Man’ Geoff Notkin
What's the oldest thing you've ever held in your hand? A piece of petrified wood? A fossilized trilobite? A chunk…
Millisecond Pulsar Discovered In Rare Triple Star System
If you’re looking for something truly unique, then check out the cosmic menage aux trois ferreted out by a team…
Chandra’s Verdict on the Demise of a Star: “Death by Black Hole”
This week, astronomers announced the detection of a rare event, a star being torn to shreds by a massive black…
Dark Sky Regulations Bring Zodiacal Light to Rhode Island Observatory
The result of sunlight reflected off fine particles of dust aligned along the plane of the Solar System, zodiacal light…
Gravitational Lens Seen for the First Time in Gamma Rays
An exciting new discovery was unveiled early this week at the 223rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society being held…
Kepler Finds an Earth-Sized “Gas Giant”
Gas planets aren't always bloated, monstrous worlds the size of Jupiter or Saturn (or larger) they can also apparently be…