Elliptical Crater

Huh? Go here to see a stunningly weird picture from Mars.

Next Mission to Mars

... is slowing taking shape with the selection of instruments that will ride on aboard. Go here, here, here, and here, and here, to read about what has been chosen.

First results from Herschel Space Telescope

Recently launched to study cold nearby objects and very hot ones far away (isn't redshift grand?), its first results have been published. Read about them here.

First Planck Results

ESA's Planck satellite, designed to detect very tiny fluctuations in the light emitted by the Big Bang (the Cosmic Microwave Background), has just released its first all-sky image here. Got to get rid of that pesky Milky Way before you can study the CMB. For more about the CMB, list to this interview with Dr. Dan Babich, recorded and broadcast all-too-long ago. Enjoy!

Rosetta’s blind date with asteroid Lutetia

Read about it here. Hopefully it works...

A Hole in Space

Not really a "hole", but Herschel has recently detected a large region of almost no gas or dust created by the expanding outflow from a young star as it forms. Go here for more details. Interesting.

What happens when you lock strangers together in a room for 500 days?

ESA is about to find out, since any manned mission to Mars will involve something very similar to this. Go here to read more about this test.

First results from Herschel

The European Space Agency launched the Herschel space telescope, designed to detect mid-infrared light from the universe (dominated by emission from hot dust, e.g. from intensely star-forming galaxies at early times or around hot, young stars in the Milky Way) has released its first science results. Go here to read them. Exciting!

It's not just about the Cosmic Microwave Background

ESA's new satellite Planck will also help astronomer learn how star form, as evidenced here. I like general purpose Astronomy satellite.

The Golden Apples of Venus

In one of my favorite Ray Bradbury's science fiction stories, titled "Golden Apples of the Sun," a spaceship travels to the Sun to take a sample of its outer atmosphere. Nice story. Venus Express recently skimmed the top of Venus's atmosphere to the same effect. Read about it here. Neat!

Nearby High-mass star formation

While astronomers think we have a good understanding of how Sun-like stars form, how more massive stars remain a mystery for various reasons. Go here here and here to read how observations by the new Herschel spacecraft will help reveal what is going on.

It's Alive!

Alive! Venus is ALIVE!!!!

Geologically speaking that is. (This blog tries to deal with science fact, not science fiction, though admittedly science fiction has much cooler movies.) While volcanos had previously been identified on the surface of Venus, people had thought they were all dormant. Recent pictures by Venus Express suggest otherwise. Go here for more details. Enjoy!

Yet more evidence for an accelerating universe

This time coming from distortions in the shapes of galaxies observed by the Hubble Space Telescopes. How, you ask? Go here to read the details. And if doesn't make sense, please leave questions below. I like questions. Maybe I can even answer them.

A Human Trip to Mars

While the technical challenges of sending people to Mars (and returning them) are certainly formidable, possibly the most difficult aspect is the human one - can a small number of people survive being cooped together in a very small space for more than a year while they travel from Earth to Mars. ESA is trying to find out, as described here. Enjoy the article, though I'm not sure how much the human test subjects will enjoy the simulation...

Most misleading Astronomy press release...

.... I've seen in a while. Go here to read it. The planet that was discovered is interesting, but all the speculation at the end? Ugh. It just really annoyed me for whatever reason. Feel free to disagree with me below. Of course, I am posting about it, which is probably all they wanted....

The dusty Milky Way

Even though it was launched to study the Cosmic Microwave Background, Planck also detected emission from warm dust since they emit light at the similar wavelengths. Go here to check out an amazing image it has made of "nearby" dust in the Milky Way. Enjoy!

"I'm ready for my close-up...

... Mars Express"? (Yeah, I know, the jokes are getting lamer by the post. Sorry. There is a very good reason why I'm an astronomer and not a comedian). Well, even if it wasn't, the ESA space craft Mars Express passed within 70 km (!!!) of Mars's moon Phobos, and took these wonderful pictures as a result. Enjoy!

Attack of the killer electrons!!!!

Well, killer to satellites. They make pretty sheets of light when they hit the atmosphere. Go here to read more. Enjoy!, and watch out?

The lone giant

In general, it is believed that galaxies form hierarchically: small galaxies formed first, and then these merged into larger ones, which merge into larger ones, etc. As a result, all massive galaxies are expected to be found by lots of smaller ones. This is true for the Milky Way, and M31, and lots of other galaxies - but not ESO 306-17, it is all alone? Did all the small galaxies which would normally be around it merge into this one? Go here to find out. Interesting...

Where did spiral galaxies comes from?

Hubble might have imaged their ancestors, the proto-galaxies which merged together to form spirals like our own Milky Way. And they didn't appear to be spiral-like at all. Go here for more details.