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NASA Scientists Pioneer Method for Making Giant Lunar Telescopes
Scientists working at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., have concocted an innovative recipe for giant telescope mirrors on the Moon. To make a mirror that dwarfs anything on Earth, just take a little bit of carbon, throw in some epoxy, and add lots of lunar dust.   view more (2008-06-05)

Scientists Wait For Beagle 2 To Call Home
The fate of Beagle 2 remains uncertain this morning after the giant radio telescope at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire, UK, failed in its first attempt to detect any signal from the spacecraft. Scientists were hopeful that the 250 ft (76 m) Lovell Telescope, recently fitted with a highly sensitive... view more (2003-12-26)

European agreement on James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) signed
An agreement between ESA and seven Member States to jointly build a major part of the MIRI instrument, which will considerably extend the capability of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), was signed yesterday, 8 June 2004. This agreement also marks a new kind of partnership between ESA and its... view more (2004-06-11)

Astronomers discover the wake of a planet around a nearby star
An international team of astronomers today report the discovery of a huge distorted disk of cold dust surrounding Fomalhaut - one of the brightest stars in the sky. The most likely cause of the distortion is the gravitational influence of a Saturn-like planet at a large distance from the star... view more (2002-10-10)

Watching how planets form
With the VISIR instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope, astronomers have mapped the disc around a star more massive than the Sun. The very extended and flared disc most likely contains enough gas and dust to spawn planets.   view more (2006-09-29)

Unveiling the Secret of a Virgo Dwarf Galaxy
Dwarf galaxies may not be as impressive in appearance as their larger brethren, but they are at least as interestingfrom a scientific point of view. And sometimes they may have hidden properties that will only be found by means of careful observations, probing the signals of their stars at the... view more (2000-05-03)

Paranal Receives New Mirror
A 4.1-metre diameter primary mirror, a vital part of the world's newest and fastest survey telescope, VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) has been delivered to its new mountaintop home at Cerro Paranal, Chile. The mirror will now be coupled with a small camera for... view more (2008-04-18)

First simultaneous observation of a gamma-ray burst in the X-ray and in the very high energy gamma ray band
For the first time a gamma-ray burst (GRB) has been observed simultaneously in the X-ray and in the very high energy gamma ray band.   view more (2005-08-24)

First view of a newborn millisecond pulsar?
Combining Hubble Space Telescope images with radio observations has revealed a highly unusual system consisting of a fast spinning pulsar and a bloated red companion star. The existence of the system is something of a mystery - the best explanation so far is that we have our first view of a... view more (2002-02-13)

A sharper look at near Earth asteroid 2002 NY40
The Near Earth Asteroid 2002 NY40 was observed with the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma, Canary Islands, on the night of August 17 to 18, 2002. The asteroid was imaged just before its closest approach to Earth, using the Adaptive Optics system NAOMI. These are the first images of a Near... view more (2002-09-03)

Arecibo telescope finds critical ingredients for the soup of life in a galaxy far, far away
Astronomers from Arecibo Observatory radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, have detected for the first time the molecules methanimine and hydrogen cyanide - two ingredients that build life-forming amino acids - in a galaxy some 250 million light years away.   view more (2008-01-15)

Asteroid Hunting
A lot of attention has been paid in recent years to the asteroid threat issue. The International Asteroid Patrol has been set up to monitor the flight of potentially dangerous celestial rocks in visual diapason. However, the accuracy of optical methods for determining the trajectory leaves much to... view more (2003-03-07)

Youngest solar systems detected by U-M astronomers
Astronomers at the University of Michigan have found what are believed to be some of the youngest solar systems yet detected.   view more (2007-11-30)

School kids get their own research-class telescopes
School children throughout the UK will be able to see the most amazing astronomical images in the sky from the comfort of their classrooms by controlling two, remotely operated research-class telescopes. British Entrepreneur Dill Faulkes and the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees have today (March... view more (2004-03-17)

Astronomers shed surprising light on our galaxy's black hole
In the most comprehensive study of Sagittarius A (Sgr A), the enigmatic supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, astronomers - using nine ground and space-based telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope and the XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory - have... view more (2006-01-11)

Freshly painted Arecibo Observatory returns to work, spies object associated with meteor showers
After receiving its first fresh, full coat of paint in more than 40 years, Arecibo Observatory made its first observation in more than six months at 6:36 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 8.   view more (2007-12-26)

Robotic telescope unravels mystery of cosmic blasts
Scientists have used the world's largest robotic telescope to make the earliest-ever measurement of the optical polarisation* of a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) just 203 seconds after the start of the cosmic explosion. This finding, which provides new insight into GRB physics, is published in Science today... view more (2007-03-19)

Discovery of a new planet in the outer solar system
A team of researchers from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, Yale University in New Haven, CT, and Gemini Observatory in Hilo, HI, report the discovery of a new planet in the outer solar system.   view more (2005-08-02)

Largest, brightest supernova ever seen may be long-sought pair-instability supernova
An exploding star first observed last September is the largest and most luminous supernova ever seen, according to University of California, Berkeley, astronomers, and may be the first example of a type of massive exploding star rare today but probably common in the very early universe.   view more (2007-05-08)

The moon's south pole: Very high resolution, radar images find rocks abundant, but no ice sheets
Using the highest resolution radar-signal images ever made of the moon - images from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Arecibo Telescope in Arecibo, P.R., and the NSF's Robert C. Byrd Telescope in Green Bank, W.Va. - planetary astronomers have found no evidence for ice in craters at the lunar... view more (2006-10-19)

Novel audio telescope heeds call of the wild ... birds
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Intelligent Automation, Inc. (Rockville, Md.) and the University of Missouri-Columbia have modified a NIST-designed microphone array to make an "audio telescope" that could help airports more efficiently avoid... view more (2006-11-10)

Hubble panoramic view of Orion Nebula reveals thousands of stars
In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is offering an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula.   view more (2006-01-12)

Solar Games at Paranal
Cerro Paranal, home of ESO's Very Large Telescope, is certainly one of the best astronomical sites on the planet. Stunning images, obtained by ESO staff at Paranal, of the green and blue flashes, as well as of the so-called 'Gegenschein', are real cases in point.   view more (2008-05-05)

Sussex University astronomer takes part in NASA mission
When NASA launches its new orbiting observatory this week, a University of Sussex astronomer will be looking at parts of the universe never seen before. Dr Sebastian Oliver is one of just a handful of UK scientists involved in the largest project for NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility... view more (2003-08-20)

First Stars Seen In Distant Galaxies
UK and US astronomers have used the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope to detect light coming from the first stars to form in some of the most distant galaxies yet seen.   view more (2005-04-02)

VIMOS - a Cosmology Machine for the VLT
Successful Test Observations With Powerful New Instrument at Paranal One of the most fundamental tasks of modern astrophysics is the study of the evolution of the Universe. This is a daunting undertaking that requires extensive observations of large samples of objects in order to produce... view more (2002-03-13)

Astronomers discover dozens of mini-galaxies
A new survey made with the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) has revealed dozens of previously unsuspected miniature galaxies in the nearby Fornax galaxy cluster. They belong to a class of galaxies dubbed "ultra-compact dwarfs" (UCDs), which was unknown before the same team of astronomers... view more (2004-03-25)

Heavy Metal Stars: La Silla Telescope Detects Lots of Lead in Three Distant Binaries
Very high abundances of the heavy element Lead have been discovered in three distant stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. This finding strongly supports the long-held view that roughly half of the stable elements heavier than Iron are produced in common stars during a phase towards the end of their life... view more (2001-08-21)

South African Large Telescope (SALT) Makes Its Debut
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, today joined 10 partners worldwide to release the first full-color astronomical images made by the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) in South Africa.   view more (2005-09-02)

For peace and quiet, try the Moon
ASTRONOMERS are taking the search for somewhere quiet to work to new extremes with a plan to put a radio telescope on the far side of the Moon.         The advantage of this unusual location is that the Moon would act as a massive shield, protecting the... view more (2002-01-02)

University of Central Lancashire is Light Years Ahead
University of Central Lancashire is Light Years Ahead   view more (1999-05-27)

Hubble shows 'baby' galaxy is not so young after all
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has found out the true nature of a dwarf galaxy that astronomers had for a long time identified as one of the youngest galaxies in the Universe. Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have made observations of the galaxy I Zwicky 18 which seem to... view more (2007-10-17)

First sunrise on Hinode's instruments
The Hinode (formerly Solar-B) satellite, a joint Japan/NASA/PPARC mission launched on 22nd September 2006, has today (October 31st) reported its first observations of the Sun with its suite of scientific instruments.   view more (2006-11-01)

UK Astronomers look forward to looking back
When NASA launches its Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) - the agency's fourth 'Great Observatory' - later this week, astronomers around the world will be looking forward to using one of the most powerful time machines ever built. Among those anticipating the opportunity to look back... view more (2003-08-19)

Galaxies are born inside dark matter clumps, Cornell study of Spitzer Space Telescope data shows
Try mixing caramel into vanilla ice cream - you will always end up with globs and swirls of caramel. Scientists are finding that galaxies may distribute themselves in similar ways throughout the universe and in places where there is lots of so-called dark matter.   view more (2006-04-20)

Astronomers detect stellar ashes at dawn of time
Using a powerful instrument on a telescope in Hawaii, UK astronomers have found ashes from a generation of stars that died over 10 billion years ago. This is the first time that the tell-tale cosmic dust has been detected at such an early stage in the evolution of the universe.   view more (2002-04-10)

Top class images help ESA`s Rosetta prepare to ride on a cosmic bullet
Chase a fast-moving comet, land on it and `ride` it while it speeds up towards the Sun: not the script of a science-fiction movie, but the very real task of ESA`s Rosetta spacecraft. New observations with the European Southern Observatory`s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) provide vital... view more (2002-02-26)

Dark energy may be vacuum
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen's Dark Cosmology Centre at the Niels Bohr Institute have brought us one step closer to understanding what the universe is made of. As part of the international collaboration ESSENCE they have observed distant supernovae (exploding stars), some of which... view more (2007-01-17)

Distant Galaxies Are In The Red
According to scientists from the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, red is the colour favoured by distant galaxies. But the reason for this is still not clear. Working with astronomers in California and Canada, the Cambridge team used a special infrared-sensitive camera to carry out a... view more (2001-04-03)

MIT-Williams team catches rare light show
In a feat of astronomical and terrestrial alignment, a group of scientists from MIT (Cambridge, Mass.) and Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.) recently succeeded in observing distant Pluto's tiny moon, Charon, hide a star.   view more (2005-07-21)

Hubble finds 16 candidate extrasolar planets far across our Galaxy
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has discovered 16 extrasolar planet candidates that are orbiting a variety of distant stars. In accomplishing this, Hubble looked farther into our Milky Way galaxy than has ever successfully been done before in searching for extrasolar planets.   view more (2006-10-09)

Massive-star supernovae found to be major space dust factories
An unaccounted for source of space dust which spawns life in the universe has been identified by an international team of scientists.   view more (2006-06-09)

Clues To Supernova Origin Found In Dusty Stellar Wind
Scientists from Imperial College London have detected a dusty wind emitted by a star that, at the end of its life, turned into a white dwarf and then exploded as a supernova. This is the first time that a wind from this type of supernova precursor has been observed and it is also the first time... view more (2005-03-30)

Spitzer nets thousands of galaxies in a giant cluster
In just a short amount of time, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has bagged more than a thousand previously unknown dwarf galaxies in a giant cluster of galaxies.   view more (2007-05-29)

General relativity survives gruelling pulsar test
Astronomers have used a pair of pulsars orbiting each other, found with CSIRO's Parkes telescope in 2003, to show that Einstein's theory of general relativity is correct to within 0.05% - the most stringent limit to date.   view more (2006-09-18)

Late Afternoon at Taruntius
Amazingly Sharp VLT Image of Lunar Landscape Thirty-three years after the first manned landing on the Moon, the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) has obtained what may be the sharpest image of the lunar surface ever recorded from the ground. It was made with the NAOS-CONICA (NACO) adaptive optics... view more (2002-08-09)

Media Invite - UK joins the European Southern Observatory
To mark the occasion of the UK joining the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and thereby gaining access to some of the most advanced telescope facilities in the world a press briefing will be held at the Royal Observatory Greenwich (ROG) on Monday 8th July at 3.00 p.m. This is your opportunity to... view more (2002-06-26)

GLAST Safely in Orbit, Getting Check-ups
Less than a week after launch, NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, is safely up-and-running well in orbit approximately 350 miles (565 kilometers) above Earth's surface.   view more (2008-06-20)

NARVAL — The first observatory dedicated to stellar magnetism
NARVAL, a stellar spectropolarimeter, has recently been installed on the 2 meter diameter Bernard Lyot Telescope (INSU-CNRS) at the summit of the Pic du Midi in the French Pyrenees.   view more (2007-02-09)

Astronomers Discover Mysterious New Star Clusters
A UK-led team of astronomers has discovered a completely new type of star cluster around a neighbouring galaxy.   view more (2005-04-02)

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