Category Archives: News and Updates

News about Astronomy and Space Science. Find every news item and update here, in blog format. You can get these updates sent straight to your mailbox by subscribing here, or you can subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the link.

Phoenix Galaxy Cluster growing stars at record pace

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The image on the left shows the newly discovered Phoenix Cluster, located about 5.7 billion light years from Earth. This composite includes an X-ray image from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in purple, an optical image from the 4m Blanco telescope in red, green and blue, and an ultraviolet (UV) image from NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) in blue. The Chandra data show hot gas in the cluster and the optical and UV images show galaxies in the cluster and in … Continue reading →

Global Warming changing ecosystems

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  A team of NASA and university scientists have found that Northern latitudes are starting to see lusher plant growth as a result of warmer average temperatures lengthening the growing seasons.  The 30 year study examined the relationship between changes in surface temperature and vegetation growth between latitudes of 45°N and the Arctic Circle, and found these far Northern regions are becoming more and more like areas further South. As the Northern latitudes get warmer, sea ice and snow cover … Continue reading →

2020: A sequel to Curiosity

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Building on the success of Curiosity’s Red Planet landing, NASA has announced plans for a robust multi-year Mars program, including a new robotic science rover set to launch in 2020. This announcement affirms the agency’s commitment to a bold exploration program that meets our nation’s scientific and human exploration objectives.

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Copernicus re-buried

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On Saturday 22 May, the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus were exhumed from their tomb under the floor of the cathedral in Frombork, Poland.  Then, in a ceremony conducted by the Polish Catholic Church, he was re-interred with honours, and a new black granite tombstone decorated with images of the Sun and six planets was placed above the grave.  Archbishop Wojciech Ziemba said “Today’s funeral has symbolic value in that it is a gesture of reconciliation between science and faith. Science … Continue reading →

Curiosity rover: Mission Accomplished (sort of)

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A self-portrait of the Curiosity rover on Mars. This picture was assembled from a series of images taken by the MAHLI camera, mounted on the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm. Credit: NASA / JPL / MSSS / Ed Truthan A few days ago, the science team of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), also known as the Curiosity rover, described by some as a laser-armed nuclear robo-tank, announced their latest findings.  In summary: The rover’s current location, a site named John … Continue reading →