Astronomy
New Type of Star Discovered
UK astronomers have used the Jodrell Bank Observatory to discover an entirely new class of objects. These new kinds of…
Gemini Counts Up the Dark Matter in NGC 3379
Australian astronomers have used the powerful Gemini observatory to measure the amount of dark matter in the heart of galaxy…
So, Is Pluto a Planet or Not?
In ancient times, skywatchers knew of 5 planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The fact that Earth was another…
Great Mercury Viewing This Week
Since it's often hidden by the glare of the Sun, you don't get many chances to see Mercury. Well, now's…
The Milky Way Shines in X-Rays Too
Astronomers now know that the haze of the Milky Way is actually the combined light of millions of stars. The…
Tiny Crystals in Violent Galaxies
Spitzer has uncovered an unusual pair of colliding galaxies whose hearts are surrounded by tiny crystals that resemble crushed glass.…
Gamma-ray Afterglow reveals Pre-Historic Particle Accelerator
The gamma-ray image of the galactic centre region taken by H.E.S.S. Click to enlarge Astrophysicists using the H.E.S.S. gamma-ray telescopes,…
Invisible Metal-Rich Cloud Revealed
Astronomers have used the light from a distant quasar to discover a metal-rich hydrogen cloud that would have otherwise been…
How Supernova Shockwaves Change a Nebula’s Shape
When NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory took this photograph of the supernova remnant Puppis A, it revealed a how a cloud…
Planets Running in Reverse
NASA astronomers have discovered an unusual solar system about 500 light-years away where the inner planets are going one direction,…