Wednesday, 8 February, 2012

Feeling cramped? New measurement says the universe is bigger than you thought. Meet the astronomers’ new yardstick.

Where did all the dust come from? If you are interested in the origin of planets and human beings, here’s evidence that a star explosion made mucho dust.

Losing count: New study finds object larger than Pluto in the distant solar system. Do we now have 10 planets — or 8?

Think you know the Milky Way, our home galaxy? Think again. There’s a large bar at the center, and it’s open for business. It might even be feeding a black hole… Meet the newest galactic doo-dad…

What can we learn from whacking comets, up close and personal? What do comets tell us about the early solar system? And what is the role of comets in history?

In astronomy, it helps to get above it all. Three cool orbiting telescopes are collecting visible, infrared and X-ray light. We ogle their greatest hits.

Before planets, there was dust. But gravity doesn’t affect dust. So how did the planets form before solar wind blew all the dust away? Experiment shows that dust in planetary nebulas was coated with sticky ice.

Cassini finds lightning strikes on Saturn, haze on moon Titan, dust between the rings, and new rotation rate.

New view of crystals that form into planets in protoplanetary disks. Which came first, the planet or the crystals?

Amateur astronomers watch variable stars, asteroids, comets — helping create a better picture of the universe.