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White dwarfs crashing into Neutron Stars explain loneliest supernovae

A research team of astronomers and astrophysicists have found that some of the Universe's loneliest supernovae are likely created by the collisions of white dwarf stars into neutron stars.

Aug 8th, 2014

Successful rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The Rosetta spacecraft has travelled over 6.4 billion kilometres, swung by planets, examined two asteroids during flybys, and spent more than two and a half years in hibernation during its 10-year journey. On 6 August 2014 at 11:30 CEST, with the Philae lander on board, it arrived at its target comet and entered into orbit.

Aug 8th, 2014

Still hot inside the Moon: Tidal heating in the deepest part of the lunar mantle

Researchers have found that there is an extremely soft layer deep inside the Moon and that heat is effectively generated in the layer by the gravity of the Earth.

Aug 8th, 2014

Taking astronomy to the next level

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope gets funding to begin construction.

Aug 8th, 2014

Step closer to birth of the sun

Researchers are a step closer to understanding the birth of the sun.

Aug 7th, 2014

Astronomers find stream of gas - 2.6 million light years long

Astronomers have found a bridge of atomic hydrogen gas 2.6 million light years long between galaxies 500 million light years away.

Aug 7th, 2014

The black hole at the birth of the Universe

What we perceive as the big bang, researchers argue, could be the three-dimensional 'mirage' of a collapsing star in a universe profoundly different than our own.

Aug 7th, 2014

Hubble finds supernova star system linked to potential 'zombie star'

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, a team of astronomers has spotted a star system that could have left behind a 'zombie star'' after an unusually weak supernova explosion.

Aug 6th, 2014

Triangulum galaxy snapped by VST

The VLT Survey Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile has captured a beautifully detailed image of the galaxy Messier 33. This nearby spiral, the second closest large galaxy to our own galaxy, is packed with bright star clusters, and clouds of gas and dust. The new picture is amongst the most detailed wide-field views of this object ever taken and shows the many glowing gas clouds in the spiral arms with particular clarity.

Aug 6th, 2014

Planet-like object may have spent its youth as hot as a star

Astronomers have discovered an extremely cool object that could have a particularly diverse history - although it is now as cool as a planet, it may have spent much of its youth as hot as a star.

Aug 5th, 2014

IBEX and Voyager spacecraft drive advances in outer heliosphere research

Scientists yesterday highlighted an impressive list of achievements in researching the outer heliosphere at the 40th International Committee on Space Research Scientific Assembly in Moscow.

Aug 4th, 2014

Image captures one of the brightest volcanoes in the solar system

An image from the Gemini Observatory captures what is one of the brightest volcanoes ever seen in our solar system. The image, obtained on Aug. 29, reveals the magnitude of the eruption that was the 'grand finale' in a series of eruptions on the distant moon.

Aug 4th, 2014

Best evidence yet for coronal heating theory detected by NASA sounding rocket

Scientists have recently gathered some of the strongest evidence to date to explain what makes the sun's outer atmosphere so much hotter than its surface. The new observations of the small-scale extremely hot temperatures are consistent with only one current theory: something called nanoflares - a constant peppering of impulsive bursts of heating, none of which can be individually detected - provide the mysterious extra heat.

Aug 1st, 2014

Asteroid attacks significantly altered ancient Earth

New research shows that more than four billion years ago, the surface of Earth was heavily reprocessed as a result of giant asteroid impacts. A new model based on existing lunar and terrestrial data sheds light on the role asteroid bombardments played in the geological evolution of the uppermost layers of the Hadean Earth.

Jul 31st, 2014

Research finds numerous unknown jets from young stars and planetary nebulae

Preliminary research findings from the University of Kent have identified hundreds of so far unknown jets from young stars, as well as numerous new planetary nebulae in the Galactic Plane.

Jul 31st, 2014

Last mission for the ATV European space freighter

So far, four European space freighters have carried supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). At 01:47 CEST on 30 July 2014, Georges Lemaitre - the fifth and last European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) - lifted off from the spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana.

Jul 30th, 2014

Young binary star system may form planets with weird and wild orbits

While surveying a series of binary stars, astronomers uncovered a striking pair of wildly misaligned planet-forming disks in the young binary star system HK Tau.

Jul 30th, 2014

Revolutionary microshutter technology hurdles significant challenges

NASA technologists have hurdled a number of significant technological challenges in their quest to improve an already revolutionary observing technology originally created for the James Webb Space Telescope.

Jul 30th, 2014