Cruising the Solar System? Try Pulsar Navigation!
24th Jan, 2018 - 2296 views
What do you do when you're out of range of the global GPS system? Use Pulsars! Satellites must have a means to navigate in order to be useful for science, communications and technology. Once satellites move away from the proximity of Earth, and t
Stars Forming Precariously Close to the Galaxy's Supermassive Black Hole!
14th Dec, 2017 - 2956 views
The environment around a supermassive black hole at the centers of galaxies are turbulent and dangerous places for stars to reside. Surprisingly, it appears that stars can survive and actually be formed near a super massive black hole despite the
Raining Sunscreen? The Atmosphere of Kepler 13Ab
7th Nov, 2017 - 1592 views
Kepler-13Ab is one of the hottest known planets, with a dayside temperature of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit and is located 1,730 light-years from Earth. It has an unusual atmosphere that appears to contain titanium oxide (like sunscreen). The sci
Voyager! 40 years of Solar System Discoveries
13th Oct, 2017 - 2492 views
This hangout celebrates 40 Years of Voyager! Voyager 1 and 2 Spacecraft are twin spacecraft launched into the Solar System 40 years ago to fly by Jupiter, Saturn and beyond. The amazing discoveries from their travels include 23 moons around the gi
A Nova Rediscovered After 600 Years
29th Sep, 2017 - 2356 views
Recent observations confirm a nova seen 600 years ago. The diligence of experienced star gazers can stand the test of time, in this case 600 years later. Korean astrologers in Seoul almost 600 years ago observed a bright new star in the tail of th
WASP-121b - A Scorching Hot Atmosphere
25th Aug, 2017 - 1847 views
What is the atmosphere of the hot-Jupiter Exoplanet Wasp-121b like? We know that for planets close to their parent stars, the temperature is very high and can heat and even dissipate atmospheres. For example, if the planetary atmosphere is retain