astronomy Archives

International Astronomy Day: Seeking the stars

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International Astronomy Day started in 1973 by Doug Berger. As the then president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California, he wanted to make astronomy more accessible to the public. While it may feel that space is infinitely remote, the study and celebration of what space is and may contain is a truly down-to-earth matter. By studying the stars, scientists […]

The 20-year-old mysteries of nu Octantis: Its almost unbelievable planet – or what?

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Dr David Ramm discovered the nu Octantis exoplanet almost 20 years ago while studying for his PhD and has since studied the seemingly impossible planet

When observing the light emitted by nearby stars as part of his PhD at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, Dr David Ramm made a discovery that turned astronomers’ understanding of orbital mechanics on its head. With an orbit lying roughly halfway between two very close stars in a binary system, the nu Octantis exoplanet seemed at first glance impossible. […]

Research Outreach x World Space Week 2021

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Join us in our celebration of World Space Week 2021 by checking out our Editor’s choice of space-related research. We’re in awe of the (inter)stellar work that has been and is being undertaken all over the world, and we’re extremely proud to have published some of it! Find out more about World Space Week 2021: https://bit.ly/3ahjHxQ From analysing solar activity […]

‘Oumuamua: Unpacking the mystery of our interstellar visitor

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For the time being, the idea of building a spacecraft which can carry us to other stars is a goal reserved for the future – but that doesn’t stop interstellar visitors from coming to us. In 2017, a small, mysterious object named ‘Oumuamua became the first body in the Solar System ever confirmed to originate from a star system beyond […]

Refining the search for the largest gravitational waves

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Ask many astronomers, and they will tell you that gravitational waves are the greatest scientific discovery of the 21st century so far. In his research, Miguel Holgado at the University of Illinois studies the clever astronomical techniques which can be used to observe the very largest of these elusive ripples, originating from supermassive black holes as they orbit around each […]