Scientists using ESA’s XMM-Newton space telescope have discovered that a curious dead star has been hiding one of the strongest magnetic fields in the Universe all along, despite earlier suggestions of an unusually low magnetic field.
The object, known as SGR 0418+5729 (or SGR 0418 for short), is a magnetar, a particular kind of neutron star.
A neutron star is … Read the rest of this article
A celestial object that at first looks like a moving star enters the inky black sky above the far northern edge of the moon’s Ocean of Storms. The descending vehicle resembles an enormous flying water tower. A blinding dust storm kicks up under the spidery legs of the 160-foot tall Erector-set of girder work and fuel tanks nestled beneath a … Read the rest of this article
Do you know how often do astronauts wash their clothes in space? Think about it for a bit, take a guess and then watch the video above. … Read the rest of this article
One of the best meteor showers of the year – the Perseids – will hit their peak tonight (August 11/12). And even if you’re clouded out, suffer from light polution or are surrounded by city lights, you can still have a front row seat. This weekend, NASA are streaming its first Perseid webcast.
The camera activates at full dusk (approx. … Read the rest of this article
I’ve added a new Free Science Books page to this site. The list includes books on astronomy as well as physics, quantum mechanics, relativity and math. There’s over 100 listed. You should find something of interest to read there!… Read the rest of this article
NASA astronaut Michael Foale has retired, ending a 26-year space agency career that included 375 days in space during six space shuttle missions and extended stays aboard two space stations.
Foale spent 145 days aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1997 and 194 days aboard the International Space Station as commander of Expedition 8 from October 2003 to April … Read the rest of this article
Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have solved a 40-year mystery on the origin of the Magellanic Stream, a long ribbon of gas stretching nearly halfway around our Milky Way galaxy.
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, are at the head of the gaseous stream. Since the stream’s discovery by radio telescopes in … Read the rest of this article
One of the most legendary PR disasters in the history of astronomy happened in 1973 when the world awaited the arrival of comet Kohoutek, discovered by Czech amateur astronomer Luboš Kohoutek early that year. Once the orbit was plotted, astronomers knew that the comet was a first time visitor from the hypothesized Oort Cloud, a gigantic 2 light-year wide … Read the rest of this article
Spaceport News is a biweekly NASA publication that serves Kennedy Space Center civil service and contractor employees. The publication covers a variety of topics, primarily related to Kennedy’s business of processing, launching and landing spacecraft and payloads for Earth orbit and deep space.
In this issue: MAVEN arrives at Kennedy on its way to Mars; astronauts reminisce at Skylab’s 40th … Read the rest of this article
I’ve added a new Astronomy Societies and Club Sites page to this site. If you’d like your own astronomy society to be listed, let me know (though a reciprocal link would be appreciated). Send a brief description of what your society gets up to and does so others can check it out. … Read the rest of this article
The Sun Now (Visible light)
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The Sun Now (H-Alpha light)
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Aurora Oval
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Aurora Oval
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