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18/12/2007 |
Death Star Galaxy
Black Hole Fires at Neighboring Galaxy
Known as 3C 321, the system contains two galaxies in orbit around each other.
Powerful jet from a supermassive black hole blasting nearby galaxy. This never-before
witnessed galactic violence may have a profound effect on planets in the jet path and
trigger for bursts of star formation in its destructive wake. This "death star
galaxy" was discovered through the combined efforts of both space and ground-based
telescopes.
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12/12/2007 |
Extrasolar Planet Has
a Hazy Sunset
Astronomers have detected strong evidence of hazes in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting
a distant star. The new HST observations were made as the planet HD 189733b passed in
front of its parent star in an eclipse. As the light from the star briefly passes through
the exoplanet's atmosphere, the gases in the atmosphere stamp their unique spectral
fingerprints on the starlight. Where the scientists had expected to see the fingerprints
of sodium and potassium, there were none; implying that high-level hazes (with an altitude
of nearly 2,000 miles) are responsible for blocking the light from these elements.
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06/12/2007 |
How White Dwarfs Get
Their 'Kicks' HST provides
strong evidence that white dwarfs, the burned-out relics of stars, are given a
"kick" when they form. The sharp vision of Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys
uncovered the speedy white dwarfs in the ancient globular star cluster NGC 6397, a dense
swarm of hundreds of thousands of stars.
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16/11/2007 |
HST probed the bright
core of Comet 17P/Holmes. It
has mysteriously brightened by nearly a millionfold in a 24-hour period beginning Oct. 23,
2007. Astronomers used Hubble's powerful resolution to study Comet Holmes' core for clues
about how the comet brightened. The orbiting observatory's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2
(WFPC2) monitored the comet for several days, snapping images on Oct. 29, Oct. 31, and
Nov. 4. Hubble's crisp "eye" can see objects as small as 33 miles (54
kilometers) across, providing the sharpest view yet of the source of the spectacular
brightening.
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06/11/2007 |
Two galaxies perform
an intricate dance The
galaxies, containing a vast number of stars, swing past each other in a graceful
performance choreographed by gravity. The pair, known collectively as Arp 87, is one of
hundreds of interacting and merging galaxies known in our nearby universe.
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29/10/2007 |
Hubble Spies Shells of
Sparkling Stars Around Quasar
The Hubble photos show shells of stars around a bright quasar, known as MC2 1635+119,
which dominates the center of the galaxy. The shells' presence indicates a titanic clash
with another galaxy in the relatively recent past.
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18/10/2007 |
Hubble Finds 'Dorian
Gray' Galaxy
NASA's HST quashed the possibility that what was previously believed to be a toddler
galaxy in the nearby universe may actually be considered an adult. Called I Zwicky 18,
this galaxy has a youthful appearance that resembles galaxies typically found only in the
early universe. Hubble has now found faint, older stars within this galaxy, suggesting
that the galaxy may have formed at the same time as most other galaxies.
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28/09/2007 |
Thermal images of planet
Neptune taken with VISIR show a 'hot' south pole on Neptune. These warmer temperatures
provide an avenue for methane to escape out of the deep atmosphere. Scientists believe
Neptune's south pole is 'hotter' than anywhere else on the planet by about 10 degrees
Celsius.
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17/09/2007 |
New Supernova
Discovery Confirmed with GSTAR-EX
Once again, a new visual supernova discovery is claimed by Australian Bob Evans on 13th
Septemeber 2007 using a 41 cm f/4.5 reflector. Visiting amateur astronomer and GSTAR-EX
camera user Darrin Nitchke also confirmed the dicovery visually in the same telescope.
Mudgee Astronomer Steve Quirk then made a confirmation image with the GSTAR-EX camera
using a 31.5 cm f/4.5 reflector about 20 minutes later. Position for the SN as determined
from Astrometrica - RA = 14 18 25.57 Dec = -43 22 54.0 Mag R 14.3. Has now been given V
magnitude of 13.2
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13/09/2007 |
The colourful, intricate
shapes in new NASA HST images reveal how the glowing gas ejected by dying Sun-like stars
evolves dramatically over time. These gaseous clouds, called planetary nebulae, are
created when stars in the last stages of life cast off their outer layers of material into
space.
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03/09/2007 |
ESO's VLT takes images of a
stellar firework in the spiral galaxy NGC 1288. The supernova - designated SN 2006dr - was
at its peak brightness, shining as bright as the entire galaxy itself, bearing witness to
the amount of energy released.
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14/08/2007 |
GSTAR-EX
deepsky and planetary camera continues to push the boundaries revealing magnificent deep
sky portraits with this uncooled technology.
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09/08/2007 |
Lunar Eclipse 28th
August 2007 Guide Check out
our My Astro Shop guide to the total lunar eclipse for August 28th. You don't need a
telescope to view this magnificent event but binoculars or a telescope will certainly help
you see those faint stars being occulted by our Moon.
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