The best chance to see Mercury will be from February 20 to March 12. The planet will, from our point of view, have moved far enough from the Sun’s glare to be visible shortly after sunset. Mercury will reach greatest elongation from the Sun on March 5, reaching a relatively bright magnitude of about -1. Continue reading
Scientists help define structure of exoplanets. Using models similar to those used in weapons research, scientists may soon know more about exoplanets, those objects beyond the realm of our solar system. Continue reading
In 1995, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope took an iconic image of the Eagle nebula, dubbed the “Pillars of Creation,” highlighting its finger-like pillars where new stars are thought to be forming. Now, the Herschel Space Observatory has a new, expansive view of the region captured in longer-wavelength infrared light. Continue reading
Astronomers using the partially completed ALMA observatory have found compelling evidence for how star-forming galaxies evolve into ‘red and dead’ elliptical galaxies, catching a large group of galaxies right in the middle of this change. Continue reading
Astronomers using data from NASA’s Kepler mission have discovered the three smallest planets yet detected orbiting a star beyond our sun. The planets orbit a single star, called KOI-961, and are 0.78, 0.73 and 0.57 times the radius of Earth. The smallest is about the size of Mars. Continue reading
This beautiful image of two colliding galaxies has been released by NASA’s great observatories. The Antennae galaxies are located about 62 million light-years from Earth. They take their name from the long antenna-like “arms,” which were produced by tidal forces generated in the collision. Continue reading
Since the dawn of history, outer space has always caught the imagination of people across the continents and different cultures. However most of what we currently know about space has been discovered since the beginning of the space age over … Continue reading
The moon may look lonely, but it is far from alone. Small asteroids too dim to detect seem to stray into Earth’s orbit quite frequently and stay for short periods of time. We may even be able to bring one of these moonlets back to Earth for study. Continue reading
This image represents the inner region of galaxy cluster Abell 1689 and the distribution of dark matter around it. Abell 1689 is an immense cluster of galaxies located 2.2 billion light-years away. Dark matter cannot be photographed, but its presence can be inferred by observing the light from background galaxies… Continue reading
On the night of January 3 to 4 the Quadrantids meteor shower will peak. It is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at the peak. The near first quarter moon will interfere with the show a little at first, but it will set shortly after midnight, leaving dark skies for what would then be a good show. Continue reading
