Astronomy
Curiosity Spies a Martian Annular Eclipse
It’s always interesting to consider the astronomical goings-on that occur under alien skies. On August 17th, Curiosity wowed us once…
Russian Meteor Experienced Melting Before Slamming Into Earth: Study
A collision or "near miss" caused melting in the Chelyabinsk meteor before it slammed into Earth's atmosphere this February, causing…
Double Vision: Scientists Spot An Elder ‘Twin’ To the Sun
If you want a picture of how you'll look in 30 years, youngsters are told, look at your parents. The…
New Exoplanet Research: Magnetic Fields Significantly Affect Hot Jupiter Atmospheres
Determining weather patterns in exoplanet atmospheres – hundreds to thousands of light years away – is extremely difficult. However, given…
The Cyber-Myth That Just Won’t Die: See Mars as Large as a Full Moon!!!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been with us for a decade now. Ten years ago this week, the planet…
‘TransFormers’ Could Beam Light Into Permanently Shadowed Craters
Permanently shadowed craters on the moon or Mercury are one of the most exciting locations to search for water. Because…
Your Guide To When, Where and How To See The Aurora Borealis
As an amateur astronomer, two of the most frequently questions I'm asked are "When is the best time to see…
‘Sail Rover’ Could Explore Hellish Venus
A windsailing rover could use the high speeds and hot temperatures of Venus to a robotic explorer's advantage, according to…
When do Black Holes Become Active? The Case of the Strangely-Shaped Galaxy Mrk 273
The Hubble image above shows a strange galaxy, known as Mrk 273. The odd shape – including the infrared bright…
Flicker… A Bright New Method of Measuring Stellar Surface Gravity
A simple, yet elegant method of measuring the surface gravity of a star has just been discovered. These computations are…