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Today — April 26th 2025فیزیک و مهندسی
Yesterday — April 25th 2025فیزیک و مهندسی
  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Astronomers find a strange pulsar blinking in slow motionAlison Klesman
    About 2,600 light-years away, a dead star is sending signals from beyond the grave.  Astronomers recently found the strange beacon, which appears to be a pulsar blinking in slow motion — something that shouldn’t be possible. “It’s incredibly exciting to discover such a long-period pulsar,” says Yuanming Wang, a postdoctoral researcher at Swinburne University inContinue reading "Astronomers find a strange pulsar blinking in slow motion" The post Astronomers find a strange pulsar blinking in slow
     
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Astronomers find a strange pulsar blinking in slow motion

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 25th 2025 at 9:38 pm

About 2,600 light-years away, a dead star is sending signals from beyond the grave.  Astronomers recently found the strange beacon, which appears to be a pulsar blinking in slow motion — something that shouldn’t be possible. “It’s incredibly exciting to discover such a long-period pulsar,” says Yuanming Wang, a postdoctoral researcher at Swinburne University inContinue reading "Astronomers find a strange pulsar blinking in slow motion"

The post Astronomers find a strange pulsar blinking in slow motion appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • The Sky This Week from April 25 to May 2: Venus at its brightestAlison Klesman
    Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, April 25The Moon passes 1.9° due north of Neptune at 6 A.M. EDT this morning. Early rises will be able to catch the Moon hanging between Venus and Mercury in the predawn sky — check out last week’s column for details.   LaterContinue reading "The Sky This Week from April 25 to May 2: Venus at its brightest" The post The Sky This Week from April 25 to May 2: Venus at its brightest appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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The Sky This Week from April 25 to May 2: Venus at its brightest

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 25th 2025 at 8:30 am

Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, April 25The Moon passes 1.9° due north of Neptune at 6 A.M. EDT this morning. Early rises will be able to catch the Moon hanging between Venus and Mercury in the predawn sky — check out last week’s column for details.   LaterContinue reading "The Sky This Week from April 25 to May 2: Venus at its brightest"

The post The Sky This Week from April 25 to May 2: Venus at its brightest appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • A nearby planetaryMark Zastrow
    Andrea Arbizzi from Modena, Italy In May 1980, Alois Purgathofer and Ronald Weinberger discovered this faint planetary nebula, now known as Purgathofer-Weinberger 1 (PuWe 1). It lies just 1,300 light-years away in Lynx and is the second-largest known planetary in apparent size, with a diameter two-thirds that of the Full Moon. The imager took 28Continue reading "A nearby planetary" The post A nearby planetary appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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A nearby planetary

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 25th 2025 at 12:25 am

Andrea Arbizzi from Modena, Italy In May 1980, Alois Purgathofer and Ronald Weinberger discovered this faint planetary nebula, now known as Purgathofer-Weinberger 1 (PuWe 1). It lies just 1,300 light-years away in Lynx and is the second-largest known planetary in apparent size, with a diameter two-thirds that of the Full Moon. The imager took 28Continue reading "A nearby planetary"

The post A nearby planetary appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Before yesterdayفیزیک و مهندسی
  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Hubble’s best images, 35 years since its launchSamantha Hill
    In the 35 years since the Hubble Space Telescope flew to space, it has taken pictures of comets, merging galaxies, planets, supernova remnants, and more. The first-of-its-kind telescope — a joint NASA and European Space Agency effort — was lofted aboard the shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. Since then it has made nearly 1.7Continue reading "Hubble’s best images, 35 years since its launch" The post Hubble’s best images, 35 years since its launch appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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Hubble’s best images, 35 years since its launch

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Samantha Hill
April 24th 2025 at 10:37 pm

In the 35 years since the Hubble Space Telescope flew to space, it has taken pictures of comets, merging galaxies, planets, supernova remnants, and more. The first-of-its-kind telescope — a joint NASA and European Space Agency effort — was lofted aboard the shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. Since then it has made nearly 1.7Continue reading "Hubble’s best images, 35 years since its launch"

The post Hubble’s best images, 35 years since its launch appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Euclid unveils treasure trove of 380,000 galaxies in first major data releaseSamantha Hill
    Last month, the European Space Agency (ESA) released a huge dataset from its space telescope Euclid. The release featured three deep-field mosaics glittering with 380,000 galaxies and hundreds of examples where the light of distant objects is bent and magnified by the gravitational influence of massive galaxies. The mosaics were captured in the constellations ofContinue reading "Euclid unveils treasure trove of 380,000 galaxies in first major data release" The post Euclid unveils treasure trove
     
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Euclid unveils treasure trove of 380,000 galaxies in first major data release

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Samantha Hill
April 24th 2025 at 8:32 pm

Last month, the European Space Agency (ESA) released a huge dataset from its space telescope Euclid. The release featured three deep-field mosaics glittering with 380,000 galaxies and hundreds of examples where the light of distant objects is bent and magnified by the gravitational influence of massive galaxies. The mosaics were captured in the constellations ofContinue reading "Euclid unveils treasure trove of 380,000 galaxies in first major data release"

The post Euclid unveils treasure trove of 380,000 galaxies in first major data release appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

James Webb Space Telescope finds a wild black hole growth spurt in galaxies at 'cosmic noon'

✇Space
April 24th 2025 at 7:38 pm
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have peered into galaxies that existed at cosmic noon to hunt ravenously feeding black holes and bursts of starbirth.

© Frank Summers (STScI), Greg Bacon (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Peanut-shaped surprise for Lucy in asteroid flybySamantha Hill
    NASA’s Lucy spacecraft visited the asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson on Sunday, April 20, coming within 600 miles (920 kilometers) of the object located in the inner region of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.  The asteroid was named after the paleontologist Donald Johanson, who in 1974 co-discovered the first identified example of previously unknown typeContinue reading "Peanut-shaped surprise for Lucy in asteroid flyby" The post Peanut-shaped surprise for Lucy in asteroid flyby appeared
     
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Peanut-shaped surprise for Lucy in asteroid flyby

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Samantha Hill
April 24th 2025 at 12:50 am

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft visited the asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson on Sunday, April 20, coming within 600 miles (920 kilometers) of the object located in the inner region of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.  The asteroid was named after the paleontologist Donald Johanson, who in 1974 co-discovered the first identified example of previously unknown typeContinue reading "Peanut-shaped surprise for Lucy in asteroid flyby"

The post Peanut-shaped surprise for Lucy in asteroid flyby appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Can Hubble still hang? How the space telescope compares to its successors after 35 years of cosmic adventures

✇Space
April 23rd 2025 at 11:30 pm
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, the Hubble Space Telescope will celebrate 35 years in space. Can it still hold its own and prove useful when compared to instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope?

© ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURAAcknowledgement: L. Shatz

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Blood glowMark Zastrow
    Steve Leonard from Markham, Ontario, Canada The visual appearance of the March 13/14 total lunar eclipse was captured in this composite of three stacks of images: One for the eclipsed Moon, one for the background star field, and a third stack of overexposed frames to capture the diffuse glow around the Moon. The imager usingContinue reading "Blood glow" The post Blood glow appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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Blood glow

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 23rd 2025 at 1:39 am

Steve Leonard from Markham, Ontario, Canada The visual appearance of the March 13/14 total lunar eclipse was captured in this composite of three stacks of images: One for the eclipsed Moon, one for the background star field, and a third stack of overexposed frames to capture the diffuse glow around the Moon. The imager usingContinue reading "Blood glow"

The post Blood glow appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

NASA's Lucy probe captures 1st close-up images of asteroid Donaldjohanson, revealing 'strikingly complicated geology'

✇Space
April 22nd 2025 at 7:47 pm
NASA's Lucy spacecraft, currently journeying toward Jupiter's orbit on its asteroid-hopping mission, captured an impressive close-up of its second target: the main belt asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson.

© The asteroid Donaldjohanson as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI). This is one of the most detailed images returned by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its flyby. 

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: Venus in the Morning SkyDavid J. Eicher
    In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher invites you to head out before sunrise and view brilliant Venus. The planet, which is only outshone by the Sun or the Moon, will lie low in the eastern sky. It will rise and hour or so before the Sun. Even as morning twilight begins to brighten the sky,Continue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: Venus in the Morning Sky" The post This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: Venus in the Morning Sky appeared first on Astronomy Maga
     
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This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: Venus in the Morning Sky

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: David J. Eicher
April 21st 2025 at 5:49 pm

In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher invites you to head out before sunrise and view brilliant Venus. The planet, which is only outshone by the Sun or the Moon, will lie low in the eastern sky. It will rise and hour or so before the Sun. Even as morning twilight begins to brighten the sky,Continue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: Venus in the Morning Sky"

The post This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: Venus in the Morning Sky appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇اسطرلاب (StarYab)
  • فرار فوتون‌های لیمان از کهکشان‌های کم‌جرم عدسی‌شده در کیهان اولیهنگین خسروانی‌نژاد
    اگر به گذشته‌ی بسیار دور کیهان نگاه کنیم، می‌بینیم که در بازه‌ی انتقال به سرخ حدود ۱۵ تا ۶، بیش‌تر گاز هیدروژن در فضای میان‌کهکشانی۱ از حالت خنثی به حالت یونیزه تبدیل شد؛ یعنی الکترون‌ها از اتم‌های هیدروژن جدا شدند. به این فرآیند، بازیونش۲ کیهان گفته می‌شود. یکی از بزرگ‌ترین پرسش‌های کیهان‌شناسی این است که چه عاملی باعث این یونیزه شدن شد؟ فرضیه‌ی رایج این است که ستارگان جوان در کهکشان‌های تازه‌متولدشده، نقش اصلی را با انتشار فوتون‌های یونیزه‌کننده ایفا کردند؛ گرچه احتمالاً سهم کوچکی نیز از سیاه‌
     
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فرار فوتون‌های لیمان از کهکشان‌های کم‌جرم عدسی‌شده در کیهان اولیه

✇اسطرلاب (StarYab)
By: نگین خسروانی‌نژاد
April 14th 2025 at 4:15 am

اگر به گذشته‌ی بسیار دور کیهان نگاه کنیم، می‌بینیم که در بازه‌ی انتقال به سرخ حدود ۱۵ تا ۶، بیش‌تر گاز هیدروژن در فضای میان‌کهکشانی۱ از حالت خنثی به حالت یونیزه تبدیل شد؛ یعنی الکترون‌ها از اتم‌های هیدروژن جدا شدند. به این فرآیند، بازیونش۲ کیهان گفته می‌شود. یکی از بزرگ‌ترین پرسش‌های کیهان‌شناسی این است که چه عاملی باعث این یونیزه شدن شد؟

فرضیه‌ی رایج این است که ستارگان جوان در کهکشان‌های تازه‌متولدشده، نقش اصلی را با انتشار فوتون‌های یونیزه‌کننده ایفا کردند؛ گرچه احتمالاً سهم کوچکی نیز از سیاه‌چاله‌های فعال و پرجرم ناشی می‌شد. مهم‌ترین عامل در ارزیابی توانایی کهکشان‌ها برای بازیونش کیهان، مقدار کل فوتون‌های یونیزه‌کننده‌ای است که از آن‌ها به بیرون نشت می‌کند.

متأسفانه آشکارسازی مستقیم این فوتون‌ها از کهکشان‌های دوران بازیونش (در z ≥ ۶) به دلیل جذب شدید توسط گازهای میان‌کهکشانی ممکن نیست. بنابراین اخترشناسان طی دو دهه‌ی گذشته تلاش کرده‌اند تا با بررسی کهکشان‌های ستاره‌زا در انتقال به سرخ‌های پایین‌تر (z ≤ ۴) که ویژگی‌هایی مشابه کهکشان‌های نخستین دارند (مانند طیف فرابنفش آبی، گرد و غبار کم، و فعالیت ستاره‌زایی بالا) میزان فرار این فوتون‌ها را اندازه‌گیری کنند.

این فوتون‌های پرانرژی که طول‌موجی کم‌تر از ۹۱۲ آنگستروم دارند، به تابش پیوستار لیمان۳ معروف‌اند و نقشی حیاتی در درک بازیونش دارند، اما همچنان میزان “نرخ فرار” آن‌ها و سازوکار خروج‌شان از کهکشان‌ها به‌درستی مشخص نیست (اینجا و اینجا بیش‌تر بخوانید).

در این مقاله، دانشمندان به سراغ مجموعه‌ای از کهکشان‌ها در انتقال به سرخ بین ۱/۳ تا ۳ رفتند که می‌توانند همتایان کهکشان‌های دوران باز‌یونش در نظر گرفته شوند. آن‌ها از تلسکوپ فضایی هابل و ابزارهای تصویربرداری فرابنفش آن استفاده کرده‌اند تا ببینند آیا فوتون‌های پیوستار لیمان از این کهکشان‌ها در حال فرار هستند یا نه. اما این فوتون‌ها معمولاً در داخل کهکشان جذب می‌شوند، مگر این‌که شرایط خاصی مسیر فرار از داخل کهکشان به محیط میان‌کهکشانی را باز کند (برای مثل کانال‌های بدون گاز خنثی، بادهای ستاره‌ای، یا فوران‌های هسته‌ای).

برای انتخاب نمونه‌ی مناسب، پژوهشگران به سراغ هشت کهکشان رفتند که ویژگی‌های خاصی داشتند:

  • توسط همگرایی گرانشی۴ بزرگ‌تر و پرنورتر دیده می‌شدند (همگرایی گرانشی باعث می‌شود کهکشان‌های بسیار کوچک و کم‌نور هم قابل رصد شوند).
  • انتقال به سرخ آن‌ها از طریق طیف‌‌سنجی اندازه‌گیری شده بود؛ در نتیجه فاصله‌شان با دقت زیادی مشخص شده بود.
  • طیف فرابنفش آن‌ها آبی بود (β < -۱/۷) که معمولاً نشانه‌ی ستاره‌زایی فعال و کم‌غبار بودن است.
  • بیش‌تر آن‌ها از روی خطوط تابشی (مثل اکسیژن یونیزه در ۳۷۲۶ و ۳۷۲۹ آنگستروم) شناسایی شدند.
  • از مساحی‌های SGAS و CLASH انتخاب شدند که مخصوص شناسایی نمونه‌های عدسی‌شده هستند.
تصویرهای ۱۷ در ۱۷ دقیقه قوسی هابل از این هشت کهکشان. برای هر کهکشان از چپ به راست: تصویربرداری با فیلتر پیوستار لیمان؛ نقشه های تقسیم بندی شده که برای فوتومتری پیوستار لیمان استفاده شده اند؛ و یک فیلتر هابل با پهنای بندبالا که بقیه ناحیه فرابنفش کهکشان را نشان می دهد. خط های قرمز مرزهای فوتومتری بند پهن، و خط های سبز نواحی پس زمینه را نشان می دهند.

تصویرهای ۱۷ در ۱۷ دقیقه‌ی قوسی هابل از این هشت کهکشان. برای هر کهکشان از چپ به راست: تصویربرداری با فیلتر پیوستار لیمان؛ نقشه‌های تقسیم‌بندی‌شده که برای فوتومتری پیوستار لیمان استفاده شده‌اند؛ و یک فیلتر هابل با پهنای باند بالا که کهکشان را در ناحیه‌ی فرابنفش نشان می‌دهد. خط‌های قرمز مرزهای فوتومتری باند پهن، و خط های سبز نواحی پس‌زمینه را نشان می‌دهند.

برای آشکارسازی فوتون‌های پیوستار لیمان، از تصویربرداری فرابنفش تلسکوپ فضایی هابل با دو ابزار ACS/SBC و WFC3/UVIS استفاده شده‌است. هفت کهکشان از نمونه‌ی مورد بررسی با ابزار ACS/SBC و فیلتر F150LP تصویربرداری شده‌اند (در بازه‌ی قرمزگرایی ۱/۳ تا ۱/۶)، و یک کهکشان دیگر با ابزار WFC3/UVIS و فیلتر F336W در قرمزگرایی ۳/۰ بررسی شده‌است. این فیلترها در چارچوب سکون به طول‌موج‌های حدود ۶۲۰–۷۰۰ آنگستروم (F150LP) و ۸۳۸ آنگستروم (F336W) حساس‌اند که هر دو در محدوده‌ی پیوستار لیمان قرار دارند. برای هر کهکشان بین ۲/۲۵ تا ۶ ساعت نوردهی انجام شده‌است. برای سنجش دقیق تابش پیوستار لیمان، نویسندگان از فوتومتری با نقشه‌های تفکیکی دقیق استفاده کرده‌اند. آن‌ها با استفاده از ابزار photutils در پایتون، مرزهای ناحیه‌ی کهکشانی را مشخص کرده و سپس میزان شار را در این نواحی اندازه‌گیری کرده‌اند. برای برآورد بهتر نویز پس‌زمینه، در هر تصویر فوتومتری مشابهی در ۱۰۰ نقطه‌ی تصادفی اطراف کهکشان انجام شده‌است.

نتیجه؟ هیچ‌کدام از کهکشان‌ها سیگنال قابل‌توجهی از تابش پیوستار لیمان نشان ندادند. حتی در خوش‌بینانه‌ترین حالت، تنها می‌توان گفت که کسری از فوتون‌های یونیزه‌کننده که از این کهکشان‌ها فرار کرده‌اند، کم‌تر از ۳ تا ۱۵ درصد است. گرچه هدف اصلی این مطالعه یافتن نشانه‌ای از نشت فوتون‌های یونیزه‌کننده بود، همین عدم آشکارسازی هم خود حامل اطلاعات ارزشمندی است.

نسبت فرار فوتون‌های پیوستار لیمان بر حسب سه متغیر نمایش داده شده است: قدر مطلق فرابنفش (سمت چپ)، قرمزشدگی ناشی از غبار (وسط)، و شیب طیف فرابنفش (سمت راست). حد بالای یک‌سیگما برای نسبت‌های فرار به‌صورت پیکان‌های قرمز مشخص شده‌اند. کهکشانی با انتقال به سرخ ۳ با نماد مربع و سایر کهکشان‌ها با نماد لوزی نمایش داده شده‌اند. برای مقایسه، نمونه‌هایی از نشت‌دهندگان فوتون‌های لیمان نیز با دایره‌ها و پیکان‌های خاکستری نشان داده شده‌اند.

نسبت فرار فوتون‌های پیوستار لیمان بر حسب سه متغیر نمایش داده شده است: قدر مطلق فرابنفش (سمت چپ)، قرمزشدگی ناشی از غبار (وسط)، و شیب طیف فرابنفش (سمت راست). حد بالای یک‌سیگما برای نسبت‌های فرار به‌صورت پیکان‌های قرمز مشخص شده‌اند. کهکشانی با انتقال به سرخ ۳ با نماد مربع و سایر کهکشان‌ها با نماد لوزی نمایش داده شده‌اند. برای مقایسه، نمونه‌هایی از نشت‌دهندگان فوتون‌های لیمان نیز با دایره‌ها و پیکان‌های خاکستری نشان داده شده‌اند.

نویسندگان مقاله با استفاده از کدهای مربوط به برازش خطوط جذبی و نشری موجود در طیف، ویژگی‌های فیزیکی کهکشان‌ها را نیز بررسی کردند. نتایج آن‌ها نشان می‌دهد که بیش‌تر این کهکشان‌ها دارای مقدار اندکی غبار هستند  (E(B-V) ≲۰/۱)، و جرم‌های ستاره‌ای پایینی در بازه‌ی ۷*۱۰ تا ۹*۱۰ برابر جرم خورشیدی دارند. برخی از آن‌ها همچنین نشانه‌هایی از ستاره‌زایی انفجاری در حدود ۱۰۰ میلیون سال اخیر را نشان می‌دهند- ویژگی‌هایی که معمولا انتظار می‌رود با نرخ بالای فرار فوتون‌های یونیزه‌کننده همراه باشند. اما با وجود تمام این شرایط مساعد، چرا باز هم نشتی مشاهده نمی‌شود؟ یکی از احتمالات مهم این است که فرار فوتون‌های لیمان، به شدت وابسته به جهت‌گیری است؛ یعنی ممکن است این فوتون‌ها فقط در برخی جهت‌ها از کهکشان خارج شوند، و اگر ما دقیقاً در مسیر مناسب نباشیم، این فرار را آشکار نخواهیم کرد. این پدیده پیش‌تر نیز در کهکشان‌هایی مثل Sunburst Arc در انتقال به سرخ ۲/۳۷ دیده شده است. احتمال دیگر این است که به دلیل بازده‌ی پایین ستاره‌زایی، کهکشان‌های کم‌جرم و کم‌نور واقعاً نرخ فرار کمی داشته باشند، یا هنوز نتوانسته باشند کانال‌های خالی از گاز ایجاد کنند تا این فوتون‌ها از آن عبور کنند.

در نهایت، این مقاله با دقت بالایی نشان می‌دهد که نمی‌توان به سادگی فرض کرد که هر کهکشان کم‌جرم و جوانی، الزاماً در حال نشت پیوستار لیمان است. برای درک بهتر این فرآیند، باید نمونه‌های بیش‌تری از چنین کهکشان‌هایی را رصد کنیم، و سعی کنیم جهت‌های مختلف و اطلاعات طیفی کامل‌تری از آن‌ها داشته باشیم. تنها در این صورت است که می‌توانیم با اطمینان بگوییم دقیقاً چه چیزهایی کیهان را یونیزه کرده‌است.

۱. intergalactic medium
۲. reionization
۳. Lyman continuum emission
۴.gravitational lensing

شکل بالای صفحه: Sloan Giant Arc Survey (SGAS)

عنوان اصلی مقاله:  Constraints on the Lyman Continuum Escape from Low-mass Lensed Galaxies at 1.3<z<3

نویسندگان: .Intae Jung et al.

لینک اصلی مقاله: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2408.05273

گردآوری: نگین خسروانی‌نژاد

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Scintillating star trails

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By: Mark Zastrow
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PUNCH sees first light, prepares to study how the Sun creates our space weather

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A dark, dusty pillar stretches across re-released Hubble image

✇Astronomy Magazine
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The post A dark, dusty pillar stretches across re-released Hubble image appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Astronomers find a rare ‘dark galaxy’ within our Local Group

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The post Astronomers find a rare ‘dark galaxy’ within our Local Group appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong's gold Omega moonwatch sells for record $2.2M at auction

✇Space
By: robert@collectspace.com (Robert Z. Pearlman)
April 18th 2025 at 12:30 pm
A new record has been set for the most paid at auction for an astronaut's timepiece. The 18-karat gold Omega Speedmaster that was presented to Neil Armstrong sold for $2,187,500 with premium.

© RR Auction/collectSPACE.com

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
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The Sky This Week from April 18 to 25: The Lyrid meteor shower peaks

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
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The post The Sky This Week from April 18 to 25: The Lyrid meteor shower peaks appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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M83: Big, bright, and beautiful

✇Astronomy Magazine
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The post M83: Big, bright, and beautiful appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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K2-18 b could have dimethyl sulfide in its air. But is it a sign of life?

✇Astronomy Magazine
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The post K2-18 b could have dimethyl sulfide in its air. But is it a sign of life? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Minotaur 4 rocket, repurposed from intercontinental ballistic missile, launches secret US spy satellites to orbit from California (video)

✇Space
By: mwall@space.com (Mike Wall)
April 17th 2025 at 1:10 am
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© Northrop Grumman

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Vast bolsters commercial space station plans with key agreements

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NASA Chief nominee Isaacman fields questions about Moon, Mars, Musk

✇Astronomy Magazine
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Keeping up in the second Space Race takes diligence

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Blue Origin flies Katy Perry, Gayle King, and other customers to space

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JWST spots the earliest galaxy yet clearing the universe’s hydrogen ‘fog’

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The post JWST spots the earliest galaxy yet clearing the universe’s hydrogen ‘fog’ appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Aurora alert! Powerful geomagnetic storm could spark northern lights as far south as Illinois and Oregon tonight

✇Space
By: daisy.dobrijevic@space.com (Daisy Dobrijevic)
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© Justinreznick via Getty Images

'I've never been more proud of my friend than today,' Oprah Winfrey says as she watches Gayle King launch on Blue Origin rocket (video)

✇Space
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© Blue Origin

Why meteorites that hit Earth have less water than the asteroid bits brought back by space probes — a planetary scientist explains

✇Astronomy Magazine
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Upon further reflection

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
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The post Upon further reflection appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

‘It is the highest high’: Here's what Katy Perry and the 5 other women of Blue Origin's historic all-female flight felt after liftoff (videos)

✇Space
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© Blue Origin

Trump’s nomination for NASA leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Wendy Whitman Cobb， The Conversation
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Before Einstein, what did astronomers think powered the Sun?

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Astronomy Staff
April 14th 2025 at 9:30 pm

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The post Before Einstein, what did astronomers think powered the Sun? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: A conjunction of planets

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: David J. Eicher
April 14th 2025 at 5:59 pm

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The post This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: A conjunction of planets appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Don’t want to observe alone? Go to a star party!

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: shill
April 14th 2025 at 4:30 pm

Time under dark skies is precious, and for a lot of us, getting out to those sites can be tough. When we do, often we end up observing alone, or with a few intrepid others at an astronomy club observing session. And sometimes that solitude is what we’re looking for: just you and the sky.Continue reading "Don’t want to observe alone? Go to a star party!"

The post Don’t want to observe alone? Go to a star party! appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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No relief for astronomy industry in new tariff exemptions

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 12th 2025 at 11:03 pm

Exceptions announced late Friday night to the Trump administration’s so-called “reciprocal tariffs” are unlikely to provide any relief to the amateur astronomy industry, as they do not cover categories for telescopes, mounts, or digital cameras. The updated guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) affects the reciprocal tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald TrumpContinue reading "No relief for astronomy industry in new tariff exemptions"

The post No relief for astronomy industry in new tariff exemptions appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • NASA faced with massive budget cuts in White House proposalSamantha Hill
    NASA could see a 20 percent cut to its overall 2026 budget, with funding for its science division slashed in half, if a preliminary budget proposal from the White House is enacted. The cuts would, among other impacts, cancel several missions and shut down NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The proposed cuts were laid outContinue reading "NASA faced with massive budget cuts in White House proposal" The post NASA faced with massive budget cuts in White House proposal appeared first on Astronomy M
     
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NASA faced with massive budget cuts in White House proposal

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Samantha Hill
April 12th 2025 at 1:45 am

NASA could see a 20 percent cut to its overall 2026 budget, with funding for its science division slashed in half, if a preliminary budget proposal from the White House is enacted. The cuts would, among other impacts, cancel several missions and shut down NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The proposed cuts were laid outContinue reading "NASA faced with massive budget cuts in White House proposal"

The post NASA faced with massive budget cuts in White House proposal appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • C/2025 F2 (SWAN): A new comet is in the spring skyMichael E. Bakich
    In late March, three amateur astronomers discovered Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN). Immediately, predictions began appearing online stating the brightness this object might reach. But, as comet discoverer David Levy says, “Comets are like cats. They have tails and do what they want.”  In other words, don’t bet the house that current predictions will come true.Continue reading "C/2025 F2 (SWAN): A new comet is in the spring sky" The post C/2025 F2 (SWAN): A new comet is in the spring sky appeared first o
     
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C/2025 F2 (SWAN): A new comet is in the spring sky

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Michael E. Bakich
April 12th 2025 at 12:27 am

In late March, three amateur astronomers discovered Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN). Immediately, predictions began appearing online stating the brightness this object might reach. But, as comet discoverer David Levy says, “Comets are like cats. They have tails and do what they want.”  In other words, don’t bet the house that current predictions will come true.Continue reading "C/2025 F2 (SWAN): A new comet is in the spring sky"

The post C/2025 F2 (SWAN): A new comet is in the spring sky appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • The Sky This Week from April 11 to 18: The April Full Pink Moon shinesAlison Klesman
    Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, April 11An hour after sunset, the bright planet Jupiter stands out in eastern Taurus, forming a V with the two tips of the Bull’s horns, Zeta (ζ) Tauri and Gamma (γ) Aurigae. Below Jupiter shines Aldebaran, the Bull’s alpha star, a magnitude 0.9Continue reading "The Sky This Week from April 11 to 18: The April Full Pink Moon shines" The post The Sky This Week from April 11 to 18: The April Full Pink Moon shines appeared first on Astro
     
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The Sky This Week from April 11 to 18: The April Full Pink Moon shines

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 11th 2025 at 8:30 am

Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, April 11An hour after sunset, the bright planet Jupiter stands out in eastern Taurus, forming a V with the two tips of the Bull’s horns, Zeta (ζ) Tauri and Gamma (γ) Aurigae. Below Jupiter shines Aldebaran, the Bull’s alpha star, a magnitude 0.9Continue reading "The Sky This Week from April 11 to 18: The April Full Pink Moon shines"

The post The Sky This Week from April 11 to 18: The April Full Pink Moon shines appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Amateur astronomy industry grapples with tariff chaosMark Zastrow
    The telescope industry in the U.S. has been thrown into chaos as a result of the Trump administration’s escalating trade conflict with China, as manufacturers contemplate price hikes and worry about the possibility of slowing demand. In the latest round of tariffs, U.S. President Donald Trump announced April 9 that duties on goods imported fromContinue reading "Amateur astronomy industry grapples with tariff chaos" The post Amateur astronomy industry grapples with tariff chaos appeared first on
     
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Amateur astronomy industry grapples with tariff chaos

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 11th 2025 at 7:45 am

The telescope industry in the U.S. has been thrown into chaos as a result of the Trump administration’s escalating trade conflict with China, as manufacturers contemplate price hikes and worry about the possibility of slowing demand. In the latest round of tariffs, U.S. President Donald Trump announced April 9 that duties on goods imported fromContinue reading "Amateur astronomy industry grapples with tariff chaos"

The post Amateur astronomy industry grapples with tariff chaos appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Blue Origin’s all-female spaceflight urges women to shoot for the stars — but astronaut memoirs reveal the cost of being exceptional

✇Space
April 11th 2025 at 3:30 am
For the first time since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963, a spacecraft will fly with only women aboard. Blue Origin’s all-female crew includes pop star Katy Perry.

© Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to EgyptMichael E. Bakich
    I’m leading another eclipse trip. No surprise there. I’ve traveled to observe 16 total solar eclipses, and on all but two of them I was the official astronomer. But this one’s special, even for me.  First, it boasts the longest totality — 6 minutes 23 seconds — that anyone alive will be able to witness.Continue reading "Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to Egypt" The post Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to Egypt appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to Egypt

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Michael E. Bakich
April 11th 2025 at 12:06 am

I’m leading another eclipse trip. No surprise there. I’ve traveled to observe 16 total solar eclipses, and on all but two of them I was the official astronomer. But this one’s special, even for me.  First, it boasts the longest totality — 6 minutes 23 seconds — that anyone alive will be able to witness.Continue reading "Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to Egypt"

The post Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to Egypt appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • A fledgling SWANMark Zastrow
    Chris Schur from Payson, Arizona Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN), discovered March. 29 by amateur astronomers in public imagery taken by the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) camera on ESA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) spacecraft, has reached magnitude 7.5. This imager caught the comet on April 8 in the morning sky with an 8-inch RASA scopeContinue reading "A fledgling SWAN" The post A fledgling SWAN appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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A fledgling SWAN

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 10th 2025 at 11:43 pm

Chris Schur from Payson, Arizona Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN), discovered March. 29 by amateur astronomers in public imagery taken by the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) camera on ESA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) spacecraft, has reached magnitude 7.5. This imager caught the comet on April 8 in the morning sky with an 8-inch RASA scopeContinue reading "A fledgling SWAN"

The post A fledgling SWAN appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • How you can observe impacts on JupiterStephen James O'Meara
    Lucky is the word I’d use for any telescopic observers who got to see one of the most stunning spectacles in nature when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacted Jupiter in July 1994. The collision left inky scars in the planet’s atmosphere that persisted for months, with the largest welts visible in even the smallest of telescopes.Continue reading "How you can observe impacts on Jupiter" The post How you can observe impacts on Jupiter appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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How you can observe impacts on Jupiter

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Stephen James O'Meara
April 10th 2025 at 4:30 pm

Lucky is the word I’d use for any telescopic observers who got to see one of the most stunning spectacles in nature when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacted Jupiter in July 1994. The collision left inky scars in the planet’s atmosphere that persisted for months, with the largest welts visible in even the smallest of telescopes.Continue reading "How you can observe impacts on Jupiter"

The post How you can observe impacts on Jupiter appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Three new planets found around Barnard’s StarAlison Klesman
    As of 2025, astronomers have identified at least 14 stars within 10 light-years of the Sun. After the Alpha Centauri system, the next closest is Barnard’s Star, a solo red dwarf roughly 6 light-years away. And thanks to new observations, we now know that Barnard’s Star is orbited by four small, rocky exoplanets. But it’sContinue reading "Three new planets found around Barnard’s Star" The post Three new planets found around Barnard’s Star appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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Three new planets found around Barnard’s Star

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 9th 2025 at 9:30 pm

As of 2025, astronomers have identified at least 14 stars within 10 light-years of the Sun. After the Alpha Centauri system, the next closest is Barnard’s Star, a solo red dwarf roughly 6 light-years away. And thanks to new observations, we now know that Barnard’s Star is orbited by four small, rocky exoplanets. But it’sContinue reading "Three new planets found around Barnard’s Star"

The post Three new planets found around Barnard’s Star appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The April Lyrid Meteor ShowerDavid J. Eicher
    In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher invites you to head out and view the first major meteor shower of the spring, the Lyrids. Because more than one meteor shower originates from the constellation Lyra, these are the April Lyrids. This shower is visible from April 15 to April 29, with the peak coming on AprilContinue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The April Lyrid Meteor Shower" The post This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The April Lyrid Meteor Shower ap
     
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This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The April Lyrid Meteor Shower

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: David J. Eicher
April 9th 2025 at 6:40 pm

In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher invites you to head out and view the first major meteor shower of the spring, the Lyrids. Because more than one meteor shower originates from the constellation Lyra, these are the April Lyrids. This shower is visible from April 15 to April 29, with the peak coming on AprilContinue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The April Lyrid Meteor Shower"

The post This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The April Lyrid Meteor Shower appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Mystery ‘interstellar icy objects’ are carrying the seeds of lifeAlison Klesman
    In the century or so since Edwin Hubble discovered that the Milky Way is just one of countless galaxies in the universe, our understanding of our home galaxy has grown in leaps and bounds. But as recent research into a new type of cosmic object shows, there’s still plenty left to learn. Astronomers found twoContinue reading "Mystery ‘interstellar icy objects’ are carrying the seeds of life" The post Mystery ‘interstellar icy objects’ are carrying the seeds of life appeared first on Astronomy Mag
     
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Mystery ‘interstellar icy objects’ are carrying the seeds of life

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 9th 2025 at 4:30 pm

In the century or so since Edwin Hubble discovered that the Milky Way is just one of countless galaxies in the universe, our understanding of our home galaxy has grown in leaps and bounds. But as recent research into a new type of cosmic object shows, there’s still plenty left to learn. Astronomers found twoContinue reading "Mystery ‘interstellar icy objects’ are carrying the seeds of life"

The post Mystery ‘interstellar icy objects’ are carrying the seeds of life appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • The summer Milky Way returnsMark Zastrow
    Gianni Tumino from Ragusa, Italy Evening views of the Milky Way’s central regions return to the Northern Hemisphere, as seen in this shot taken from Punta Castellazzo on the island of Sicily, Italy. To image the sky, the imager used a Canon EOS Ra and 28mm lens at f/3.2 with a dual-band filter to captureContinue reading "The summer Milky Way returns" The post The summer Milky Way returns appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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The summer Milky Way returns

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 9th 2025 at 1:34 am

Gianni Tumino from Ragusa, Italy Evening views of the Milky Way’s central regions return to the Northern Hemisphere, as seen in this shot taken from Punta Castellazzo on the island of Sicily, Italy. To image the sky, the imager used a Canon EOS Ra and 28mm lens at f/3.2 with a dual-band filter to captureContinue reading "The summer Milky Way returns"

The post The summer Milky Way returns appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Record-breaking 'dead' galaxy discovered by JWST lived fast and died young in the early universe

✇Space
April 8th 2025 at 8:30 pm
The most distant and earliest "dead" massive galaxy ever seen shows some galaxies lived fast and died young shortly after the Big Bang.

© NASA/CSA/ESA, A. Weibel, P. A. Oesch (University of Geneva), RUBIES team: A. de Graaff (MPIA Heidelberg), G. Brammer (Niels Bohr Institute), DAWN JWST Archive

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA win Space Force contracts worth up to $13.7BAlison Klesman
    Launch providers SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance — a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin Space — on Friday snapped up billions of dollars in national security launch contracts. Space Systems Command, the branch of Space Force responsible for development, acquisition, launch, and logistics, estimated the value of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL)Continue reading "SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA win Space Force contracts worth up to $13.7B" The post SpaceX, Blue Origi
     
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SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA win Space Force contracts worth up to $13.7B

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 8th 2025 at 6:30 pm

Launch providers SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance — a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin Space — on Friday snapped up billions of dollars in national security launch contracts. Space Systems Command, the branch of Space Force responsible for development, acquisition, launch, and logistics, estimated the value of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL)Continue reading "SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA win Space Force contracts worth up to $13.7B"

The post SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA win Space Force contracts worth up to $13.7B appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • ESO report shows energy plant would cause ‘devastating and irreversible’ impactChristopher Cokinos
    A new study by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) contradicts corporate claims that a proposed hydrogen fuel facility would not harm observatories in Chile. Earlier this year, ESO alerted the astronomy community that its facilities at Paranal — with some of the world’s darkest skies — were threatened by the plans to build a 7,400-acreContinue reading "ESO report shows energy plant would cause ‘devastating and irreversible’ impact" The post ESO report shows energy plant would cause ‘devastat
     
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ESO report shows energy plant would cause ‘devastating and irreversible’ impact

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Christopher Cokinos
April 8th 2025 at 4:30 pm

A new study by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) contradicts corporate claims that a proposed hydrogen fuel facility would not harm observatories in Chile. Earlier this year, ESO alerted the astronomy community that its facilities at Paranal — with some of the world’s darkest skies — were threatened by the plans to build a 7,400-acreContinue reading "ESO report shows energy plant would cause ‘devastating and irreversible’ impact"

The post ESO report shows energy plant would cause ‘devastating and irreversible’ impact appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • The best new astronomy products we saw at NEAF 2025Phil Harrington
    The annual Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) was held over the weekend of April 5 and 6 at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York. Organized by the Rockland Astronomy Club, NEAF is one of the world’s premier annual astronomy expos. It brings together amateur astronomers, professionals, and industry leaders for a weekend of discovery andContinue reading "The best new astronomy products we saw at NEAF 2025" The post The best new astronomy products we saw at NEAF 2025 appeared first on Astr
     
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The best new astronomy products we saw at NEAF 2025

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Phil Harrington
April 8th 2025 at 12:20 am

The annual Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) was held over the weekend of April 5 and 6 at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York. Organized by the Rockland Astronomy Club, NEAF is one of the world’s premier annual astronomy expos. It brings together amateur astronomers, professionals, and industry leaders for a weekend of discovery andContinue reading "The best new astronomy products we saw at NEAF 2025"

The post The best new astronomy products we saw at NEAF 2025 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Was there ever a planet between Mars and Jupiter? Astronomy Staff
    Is there evidence of a planet ever existing between Mars and Jupiter? MarkSmithtown, New York This splendid question gives us an opportunity to distinguish between what we know and what we believe might be true. First, we know that myriad small bodies orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. These objects are the asteroids that comprise the mainContinue reading "Was there ever a planet between Mars and Jupiter? " The post Was there ever a planet between Mars and Jupiter?  appeared first on Astron
     
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Was there ever a planet between Mars and Jupiter? 

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Astronomy Staff
April 7th 2025 at 9:30 pm

Is there evidence of a planet ever existing between Mars and Jupiter? MarkSmithtown, New York This splendid question gives us an opportunity to distinguish between what we know and what we believe might be true. First, we know that myriad small bodies orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. These objects are the asteroids that comprise the mainContinue reading "Was there ever a planet between Mars and Jupiter? "

The post Was there ever a planet between Mars and Jupiter?  appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Review: Astronomy tests Vaonis’ Hestia telescope for your smartphoneRaymond Shubinski
    The new Hestia telescope by Vaonis is the third of the company’s innovative instruments I have reviewed, and once again, I’m impressed. Vaonis named their creation for the Greek goddess of the hearth and home, and released it after a successful 2023 Kickstarter campaign which raised $4.1 million in just a month. The Hestia isContinue reading "Review: Astronomy tests Vaonis’ Hestia telescope for your smartphone" The post Review: Astronomy tests Vaonis’ Hestia telescope for your smartphone appeare
     
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Review: Astronomy tests Vaonis’ Hestia telescope for your smartphone

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Raymond Shubinski
April 7th 2025 at 4:30 pm

The new Hestia telescope by Vaonis is the third of the company’s innovative instruments I have reviewed, and once again, I’m impressed. Vaonis named their creation for the Greek goddess of the hearth and home, and released it after a successful 2023 Kickstarter campaign which raised $4.1 million in just a month. The Hestia isContinue reading "Review: Astronomy tests Vaonis’ Hestia telescope for your smartphone"

The post Review: Astronomy tests Vaonis’ Hestia telescope for your smartphone appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • How Project Gemini changed spaceflightBen Evans
    Sixty years ago, a fleet of sleek little spaceships paved the way for America to land a man on the Moon. Project Gemini was a series of two-man, Earth-orbital missions that pioneered rendezvous, docking, and maneuvering in-space, as well as spacewalking — all of which had to be perfected before there was any chance ofContinue reading "How Project Gemini changed spaceflight" The post How Project Gemini changed spaceflight appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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How Project Gemini changed spaceflight

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Ben Evans
April 5th 2025 at 4:30 pm

Sixty years ago, a fleet of sleek little spaceships paved the way for America to land a man on the Moon. Project Gemini was a series of two-man, Earth-orbital missions that pioneered rendezvous, docking, and maneuvering in-space, as well as spacewalking — all of which had to be perfected before there was any chance ofContinue reading "How Project Gemini changed spaceflight"

The post How Project Gemini changed spaceflight appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Horns of the SunMark Zastrow
    Fabrizio Melandri from Voltana, Italy The partial solar eclipse of March 29, 2025, gave viewers along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard a view of “devil’s horns” — the horns of a partially eclipsed Sun emerging from the horizon at sunrise. This photographer captured this phenomenon from Monticello, Maine, with a 4-inch f/7 refractor and Nikon DSLR. The post Horns of the Sun appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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Horns of the Sun

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 4th 2025 at 9:30 am

Fabrizio Melandri from Voltana, Italy The partial solar eclipse of March 29, 2025, gave viewers along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard a view of “devil’s horns” — the horns of a partially eclipsed Sun emerging from the horizon at sunrise. This photographer captured this phenomenon from Monticello, Maine, with a 4-inch f/7 refractor and Nikon DSLR.

The post Horns of the Sun appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Fram2 astronauts splash down after historic polar spaceflightAlison Klesman
    The first astronaut crew to fly directly over Earth’s poles splashed down safely on Friday after nearly four days on orbit. Civilian astronauts Chun Wang, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Rabea Rogge, and Eric Phillips — the international crew of SpaceX’s private Fram2 mission — landed around 12:19 p.m. EDT and exited their SpaceX Dragon capsule without assistance, allowing researchers to study how theContinue reading "Fram2 astronauts splash down after historic polar spaceflight" The post Fram2 astronauts s
     
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Fram2 astronauts splash down after historic polar spaceflight

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 5th 2025 at 12:45 am

The first astronaut crew to fly directly over Earth’s poles splashed down safely on Friday after nearly four days on orbit. Civilian astronauts Chun Wang, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Rabea Rogge, and Eric Phillips — the international crew of SpaceX’s private Fram2 mission — landed around 12:19 p.m. EDT and exited their SpaceX Dragon capsule without assistance, allowing researchers to study how theContinue reading "Fram2 astronauts splash down after historic polar spaceflight"

The post Fram2 astronauts splash down after historic polar spaceflight appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Space
  • HoverAir X1 PRO drone review
    The HoverAir X1 PRO is one of two new ZeroZero Robotics selfie drone models and is the more affordable option of the two with 4K video capture with a host of optional accessories available.
     
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  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Curiosity discovers largest organic molecules yet on MarsKorey Haynes
    The Mars Curiosity rover has found the largest organic molecules yet on the Red Planet. Organic molecules are the building blocks of life, although they can also be produced by geological processes. While there’s currently no way to prove whether these particular molecules were formed from processes associated with life, their very discovery shows thatContinue reading "Curiosity discovers largest organic molecules yet on Mars" The post Curiosity discovers largest organic molecules yet on Mars ap
     
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Curiosity discovers largest organic molecules yet on Mars

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Korey Haynes
April 4th 2025 at 6:52 pm

The Mars Curiosity rover has found the largest organic molecules yet on the Red Planet. Organic molecules are the building blocks of life, although they can also be produced by geological processes. While there’s currently no way to prove whether these particular molecules were formed from processes associated with life, their very discovery shows thatContinue reading "Curiosity discovers largest organic molecules yet on Mars"

The post Curiosity discovers largest organic molecules yet on Mars appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Watch 'potentially hazardous' asteroid fly near Earth this weekend in this free livestream

✇Space
April 4th 2025 at 5:30 pm
The near-Earth asteroid 2025 BC10 will pass safely near our planet on Saturday (April 5). The Virtual Telescope Project will livestream views of the asteroid's close approach online.

© Asteroid graphic: Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project. Graphic made in Canva Pro by Daisy Dobrijevic

JWST finds spiral galaxy about 5 times more massive than Milky Way — scientists call it 'Big Wheel'

✇Space
By: capellalarissa68@hotmail.com (Larissa G. Capella)
April 4th 2025 at 1:30 pm
Scientists have uncovered a massive galaxy that existed just 2 billion years after the Big Bang. But how did this colossal "Big Wheel" form so early in the universe? The answer could change everything we know about galaxy growth.

© NASA/ESA

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • The Sky This Week from April 4 to 11: Catch your last views of UranusAlison Klesman
    Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, April 4This evening, the roughly half-illuminated face of the Moon hangs in Gemini, high in the south an hour after sunset. First Quarter Moon occurs at 10:15 P.M. EDT. The two brightest stars in Gemini are Castor (magnitude 1.6) and Pollux (magnitude 1.2).Continue reading "The Sky This Week from April 4 to 11: Catch your last views of Uranus" The post The Sky This Week from April 4 to 11: Catch your last views of Uranus appeared firs
     
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The Sky This Week from April 4 to 11: Catch your last views of Uranus

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Alison Klesman
April 4th 2025 at 8:30 am

Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, April 4This evening, the roughly half-illuminated face of the Moon hangs in Gemini, high in the south an hour after sunset. First Quarter Moon occurs at 10:15 P.M. EDT. The two brightest stars in Gemini are Castor (magnitude 1.6) and Pollux (magnitude 1.2).Continue reading "The Sky This Week from April 4 to 11: Catch your last views of Uranus"

The post The Sky This Week from April 4 to 11: Catch your last views of Uranus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Extreme magnetic fields near our galaxy's black hole are preventing stars from being born, JWST discovers

✇Space
April 3rd 2025 at 8:06 pm
New James Webb Space Telescope images of the stellar nursery Sgr C, near the galactic center, reveal why it contains fewer stars than expected.

© NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, SARAO, Samuel Crowe (UVA), John Bally (CU), Ruben Fedriani (IAA-CSIC), Ian Heywood (Oxford)

The utterly beautiful destruction of a planet: Space photo of the day

✇Space
By: robert@collectspace.com (Robert Z. Pearlman)
April 3rd 2025 at 8:06 pm
The Helix nebula may point to the ultimate fate of our sun — and Earth.

© X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/Univ Mexico/S. Estrada-Dorado et al.; Ultraviolet: NASA/JPL; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI (M. Meixner)/NRAO (T.A. Rector); Infrared: ESO/VISTA/J. Emerson; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Megaroc: The British manned space program that almost wasDoug Adler
    As World War II drew to a close, the Allies were eager to get their hands on one of the most technologically amazing yet terrifying weapons in Nazi Germany’s armamentarium: the V-2 rocket. A long-range, liquid-fueled supersonic guided missile, the V-2 could carry a 2,000-pound (910 kilograms) warhead a staggering 200 miles (320 kilometers) fromContinue reading "Megaroc: The British manned space program that almost was" The post Megaroc: The British manned space program that almost was appeared f
     
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Megaroc: The British manned space program that almost was

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Doug Adler
April 3rd 2025 at 6:30 pm

As World War II drew to a close, the Allies were eager to get their hands on one of the most technologically amazing yet terrifying weapons in Nazi Germany’s armamentarium: the V-2 rocket. A long-range, liquid-fueled supersonic guided missile, the V-2 could carry a 2,000-pound (910 kilograms) warhead a staggering 200 miles (320 kilometers) fromContinue reading "Megaroc: The British manned space program that almost was"

The post Megaroc: The British manned space program that almost was appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • ✇Astronomy Magazine
  • Cosmic wingspanMark Zastrow
    Andrei Pleskatsevich, taken from Minsk, Belarus The Seagull Nebula is a region of nebulosity lying on the border between constellations Monoceros and Canis Major; the emission nebula forming the bird’s “head” carries the catalog designation IC 2177. The imager used a 3-inch f/4.5 scope and one-shot color camera to take 10 hours of exposure. The post Cosmic wingspan appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
     
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Cosmic wingspan

✇Astronomy Magazine
By: Mark Zastrow
April 3rd 2025 at 9:26 am

Andrei Pleskatsevich, taken from Minsk, Belarus The Seagull Nebula is a region of nebulosity lying on the border between constellations Monoceros and Canis Major; the emission nebula forming the bird’s “head” carries the catalog designation IC 2177. The imager used a 3-inch f/4.5 scope and one-shot color camera to take 10 hours of exposure.

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