#astronomy

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San Francisco, 4:55 PM
Tue Feb 9
27 posts in the last 24 hours

IO9 TEAM

#astronomy

The Earth Revolves Around the Sun? Prove It.

All the books say that the Earth revolves around the sun, but how do you prove it? In case you ever time-travel to the middle ages, we have a (relatively) quick way for you to demonstrate heliocentrism to the King. More »

02/05/10

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By Esther Inglis-Arkell

#madastronomy

Two Galaxies Smash Together To Create Binary Quasar

Astronomers have caught the first definitive glimpse of one of the most dramatic events in the universe. Billions of light-years away, two galaxies are merging into one, creating a supermassive binary quasar at their center. More »

02/04/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

Roklimber 01/25/10

Astronomers hopeful of detecting extra-terrestrial life
[news.bbc.co.uk]

The chance of discovering life on other worlds is greater than ever, according to Britain's leading astronomer.

#tips #aliens #astronomy #madscience Reply

#mysterydisks

There's A "Dark Disk of Material" Hovering Out In Space

Some kind of obstruction is blocking our view of Epsilon Aurigae, a star in the constellation Auriga. Its exact nature is unknown — but astronomers say that if you've got a telescope, you could help them figure it out. More »

01/17/10

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By Alex Eichler

#spaceporn

A Galaxy Image So Clear, You Can See Individual Stars

If you've got the bandwidth, you can download the 706MB version of this image of spiral galaxy M81, showing individual stars, open and globular star clusters, and fluorescent gas clouds from 11.6 million light years away. More »

01/11/10

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#madastronomy

Earth's First Twin Is Extremely Hot And Extremely Volcanic

Last September, astronomers confirmed the first rocky planet ever found outside our solar system, the wonderfully named CoRoT-7 b. Scientists have studied the properties of this cosmic trailblazer, and it could be among the most volcanic places in the universe. More »

01/10/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

#blackholes

Ancient Black Holes Steered The Formation Of The Early Universe

Black holes aren't just cosmic destroyers or grim reminders of the final fate that awaits massive stars. They may have once had a more constructive purpose. New models suggest they were essential in the formation of the early universe. More »

01/08/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

#madastronomy

Remarkable Styrofoam Planet Is Among Five New Exoplanet Discoveries

NASA's dedicated exoplanet hunter, the Kepler space telescope, has turned up five new planets. One of the planets is bigger than Jupiter but as light as styrofoam, and the findings only get crazier. More »

01/07/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

#spaceporn

The Hubble Telescope Reveals The Oldest Galaxies Ever Seen

The Hubble Telescope's tour of duty is coming to an end, but it's still good for some incredible finds. And it's hard to top these images of ancient galaxies that date to a mere billion years after the Big Bang. More »

01/06/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

#graphicdesign

The Mind-Bending Math Art Posters Of Simon Page

Trained mathematician Simon Page has found a new career in graphic design, where he blends 1960s minimalist influences with more futuristic designs. His work shines in this collection of posters for the International Year of Astronomy 2009. More »

01/04/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

#madastronomy

Voyager 2 Continues Its Long, Lonely Journey Into Magnetic Fluff

Thirty-two years into its mission and 8.4 million miles from Earth, Voyager 2 will soon enter the Local Fluff, an interstellar cloud of hydrogen and helium measuring thirty lightyears across. And, according to Voyager's measurements, the fluff is surprisingly magnetic. More »

01/01/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

#spaceporn

First Clear Look At One Of The Galaxy's Greatest Mysteries

The ESA's Herschel satellite has instruments aboard that created this never-before-seen image of a star factory inside a dust-shrouded, mysterious region of the galaxy called "Gould's Belt." It's a vast ring of young stars that encircles our solar system. More »

12/23/09

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By Annalee Newitz

Josh Wimmer 11/30/09

Did you guys know "Cytherean" is a synonym for "Venusian"?

[en.wikipedia.org]

#venus #astronomy #language Reply

#spaceporn

Two Black Holes Enter, One Black Hole Leaves!

The meeting of two black holes in the galaxy NGC 6240 started 30 million years ago, but the ending was known from the beginning: in the end, there can only be one super-massive black hole. [Chandra Observatory]

10/28/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#retrofuturism

The Vatican's Secret Storehouse Of Space Knowledge Is On Display At Last

The Vatican didn't just torment Gallileo — it also helped further the development of astronomy, with masterpieces like this 18th century Planetarium, created by Martin Benjamin. And now the Vatican's treasures of astronomy are going on display. Gallery below. More »

10/13/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#spaceporn

The Best Space Porn of the Year

Martin Pugh's striking image of the Horsehead Nebula took home the grand prize in the 2009 Royal Observatory Greenwich's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Check out more winners of space porn's top honors. More »

09/09/09

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By Lauren Davis

#exogenesis

Building Blocks of Life Found on a Comet

Score another point for exogenesis, the idea that life on Earth has extraterrestrial origins. For the first time, NASA has identified amino acids in a sample of material from a comet, suggesting a comet may have brought proteins to Earth. More »

08/18/09

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By Lauren Davis

#spaceporn

Perseid Meteors Shower the Sky

Didn't get a chance to see this week's Perseid meteor shower? Amateur and professor astronomy photographers have captured images of the shooting meteors from all over the world. More »

08/14/09

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By Lauren Davis

#space

Scientists Have Discovered A Very Strange Giant, Puffy, Backwards-Orbiting Planet

It's a pretty solid rule: in most planetary systems, as in our own Solar System, planets orbit their central star in the same direction as that star's rotation. But researchers have recently found a glaring, 100,000 kilometer wide exception. More »

08/13/09

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By Stephen Goldmeier

#spaceporn

Saturn Goes Naked on Its Equinox

Yesterday, Saturn reached its equinox, an event that occurs once every 15 years that creates the illusion that its rings have disappeared. The Cassini spacecraft was there to capture rare images of an apparently ringless Saturn. More »

08/13/09

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By Lauren Davis

#astrobiology

Other Suns and Planets May Provide Better Conditions for Life than Our Own

While our sun and Earth have allowed for the development of a relative bounty of life, many astronomers are starting to believe that the conditions they provide aren't unique, or even ideal, suggesting we may not be alone after all. More »

08/13/09

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By Lauren Davis

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