Category Archives: Astronomy

After an absence of 71 years, the green-tinged Devil Comet returns to Australian skies

Posted on by

While 12P/Pons-Brooks may not be as famous as Halley’s, its appearance close to Jupiter is causing great excitement for stargazers

The green, horned “Devil comet” is now visible in Australian skies, offering a once-in-lifetime chance to see a unique celestial body.

The comet – real name 12P/Pons-Brooks – was nicknamed the Devil comet because eruptions from its nucleus can make it look like it has two horns. More recently, Star Wars fans have nicknamed it the Millennium Falcon.

Continue reading...

Rare lunar event to shed light on Stonehenge’s links to the moon

Posted on by

Archaeologists and astronomers to study Wiltshire site’s lesser understood connection to the moon

The rising and setting of the sun at Stonehenge, especially during the summer and winter solstices, continues to evoke joy, fascination and religious devotion.

Now a project has been launched to delve into the lesser understood links that may exist between the monument and the moon during a rare lunar event.

Continue reading...

Northern lights predicted across US and UK on Monday night in wake of solar storms

Posted on by

Spectacular aurora borealis caused by geomagnetic storms on sun’s surface may be visible in North America as far south as the midwest

Solar eruptions are sending a stream of particles towards Earth, creating spectacular auroras in both hemispheres.

The aurora borealis – in the northern hemisphere – will be potentially visible on Monday night in the US as far south as the midwest. The northern lights, more commonly associated with northern Europe, could also be visible in northern United Kingdom.

Continue reading...

Planet-eating stars more common than previously thought, astrophysicists find

Posted on by

New research from Australian scientists shows strong evidence even mid-life stable stars like our sun have engulfed entire planets

Planet-eating stars are more abundant in the universe than previously thought, an Australian-led study has found.

The study, by the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in Three Dimensions (Astro 3D), looked at “co-natal” or twin stars, born from the same molecular cloud, where one had “eaten” a planet and the other had not.

Continue reading...

Astronomers detect ‘waterworld with a boiling ocean’ in deep space

Posted on by

Exclusive: Significant discovery, made by James Webb telescope, provokes disagreement over conditions on planet’s surface

Astronomers have observed a distant planet that could be entirely covered in a deep water ocean, in findings that advance the search for habitable conditions beyond Earth.

The observations, by Nasa’s James Webb space telescope (JWST), revealed water vapour and chemical signatures of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the exoplanet, which is twice Earth’s radius and about 70 light years away. This chemical mix is consistent with a water world where the ocean would span the entire surface, and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, according to researchers from the University of Cambridge, although they do not envisage a balmy, inviting seascape.

Continue reading...

‘Old smokers’: astronomers discover giant ancient stars in Milky Way

Posted on by

Stars sat fading quietly for years before suddenly puffing out vast clouds of smoke

Astronomers have discovered a mysterious group of giant elderly stars at the heart of the Milky Way that are emitting solar system-sized clouds of dust and gas.

The stars, which have been named “old smokers”, sat quietly for many years, fading almost to invisibility, before suddenly puffing out vast clouds of smoke. The discovery was made during the monitoring of almost a billion stars in infrared light during a 10-year survey of the night sky.

Continue reading...

Revealed: the oldest black hole ever observed, dating to dawn of universe

Posted on by

Exclusive: astronomers surprised at size of 13bn-year-old object, which raises new questions about where black holes came from

Astronomers have detected the oldest black hole ever observed, dating back more than 13bn years to the dawn of the universe.

The observations, by the James Webb space telescope (JWST), reveal it to be at the heart of a galaxy 440m years after the big bang. At around a million times the mass of the sun, it is surprisingly big for a baby black hole, raising the question of how it grew so big so quickly.

Continue reading...

Astronomers spot ‘overweight’ planet that appears too big for tiny host star

Posted on by

Fact that planet 13 times bigger than Earth is orbiting star nine times smaller than sun shows ‘how little we know about the universe’

Astronomers have spotted an “overweight” planet that appears to be far too massive for its petite host star.

The planet, which is 13 times bigger than Earth, is orbiting a star called LHS 3154, which is nine times smaller than the sun. The planet’s heft is unremarkable in its own right, but its pairing with an ultracool dwarf star, the smallest and coldest stars in the universe, has puzzled scientists.

Continue reading...

‘Like a ball of fire’: Perseids meteor shower to peak this weekend

Posted on by

While meteors are active from July, Perseids will be most visible in northern hemisphere this Saturday and Sunday

Stargazers will be in for a treat this weekend as the best meteor shower of the year is expected to peak.

The Perseids are named after the Greek hero Perseus because the meteor shower appears to come from the eponymous constellation.

Continue reading...

Euclid telescope lifts off in search of the secrets of dark universe

Posted on by

European Space Agency mission launches on SpaceX rocket from Florida to shed light on dark energy and dark matter

A European-built orbital satellite was launched into space on Saturday from Florida on a mission to shed new light on dark energy and dark matter, the mysterious cosmic forces scientists say account for 95% of the known universe.

The Euclid telescope, named for the ancient Greek mathematician known as the “father of geometry”, was carried in the cargo bay of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which blasted off about 11am EDT (1500 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force station. A live stream of the liftoff was shown on Nasa TV.

Continue reading...

Supermassive black hole at heart of ancient galaxy ‘far larger than expected’

Posted on by

Discovery of GS-9209, one of the furthest from the Milky Way, adds to evidence that large black holes prevent star formation, astronomers say

A supermassive black hole discovered at the heart of an ancient galaxy is five times larger than expected for the number of stars it contains, astronomers say.

Researchers spotted the immense black hole in a galaxy known as GS-9209 that lies 25bn light-years from Earth, making it one of the most distant to have been observed and recorded.

Continue reading...

Cosmic explosion last year may be ‘brightest ever seen’

Posted on by

Astronomers say gamma-ray burst may have been result of star collapsing to form black hole

A cosmic explosion that blinded space instruments last year may be the brightest ever seen, according to astronomers.

The blast took place 2bn light years from Earth, producing a pulse of intense radiation that swept through the solar system in October last year.

Continue reading...

Planets aligned: how to see the astronomical phenomenon set to light up Australia’s sky

Posted on by

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be in alignment near the moon and visible using binoculars from Tuesday evening

A planetary alignment is set to light up Australia’s night sky.

Five planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus – will be in alignment near the moon from Tuesday evening.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

How to photograph a meteor shower: where to take a photo of the Perseids meteors in Australia

Posted on by

Getting a good shot is tricky so here are some tips to capture a picture of the Perseid meteor shower at its peak in August

After three meteor showers lit up the sky across eastern Australia in July, the Perseid meteor shower will peak 13 August, giving stargazers another opportunity to photograph the fireballs as they blaze across the sky.

But capturing a meteorite shower is not as easy as just taking out your iPhone and pressing the button.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Perseid meteor shower 2022: how and where to watch in Australia

Posted on by

The annual Perseids meteor shower will peak on 13 August. Find out the best time to view

After the night sky in Australia was illuminated by a trio of meteor showers – the Piscis Austrinids, the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids late last month, stargazers will be able to see the 2022 Perseid meteor shower peak on 13 August.

The Perseids are considered by Nasa to be “the best meteor shower of the year”. This year, however, they coincide with a full moon on 12 August, resulting in less than ideal viewing conditions. Due to the brightness of the Perseids, though, some meteors should still be visible in a sky illuminated by moonlight.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Meteor shower tonight: how and where to watch the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids showers in Australia and New Zealand this weekend

Posted on by

New moon will provide ideal viewing conditions for the Piscis Austrinids, Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers this July weekend as cosmic debris from comets enters Earth’s atmosphere, before the Perseid meteor shower peaks in August

The night sky in Australia and New Zealand is set to be illuminated by a trio of meteor showers – the Piscis Austrinids, the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids – that will peak tonight.

The meteor showers coincide with the dark night sky of a new moon on 29 July, providing ideal viewing conditions.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Origin site of oldest Martian meteorite ‘Black Beauty’ named after WA mining town

Posted on by

Researchers used AI to pinpoint the meteorite’s crater on Mars’ southern hemisphere, naming it Karratha, a city close to the Pilbara region

Artificial intelligence has helped pinpoint the exact origin site of the oldest Martian meteorite, in a discovery researchers say provides clues about the planet’s early history.

The meteorite, commonly known as “Black Beauty” and officially called Northwest Africa 7034, contains the oldest known Martian igneous material, which is approximately 4.5bn years old. It was found in the Sahara Desert in 2011.

Continue reading...

First images from Nasa’s James Webb space telescope reveal ancient galaxies

Posted on by

The pictures show elements of the universe as they were 13bn years ago, reshaping our understanding of the cosmos

Nasa has released an image of far-flung galaxies as they were 13bn years ago, the first glimpse from the most powerful telescope ever launched into space, which promises to reshape our understanding of the dawn of the universe.

The small slice of the universe, called SMACS 0723, has been captured in sharp detail by the James Webb space telescope (JWST), showing the light from many different twinkling galaxies, among the oldest in the universe. Joe Biden, who unveiled the image at a White House event, called the moment “historic” and said it provided “a new window into the history of our universe”.

Continue reading...

Spirals of blue light in New Zealand night sky leave stargazers ‘kind of freaking out’

Posted on by

Social media abuzz with pictures and theories about formations thought to be from exhaust plume of SpaceX rocket

New Zealand stargazers were left puzzled and awed by strange, spiralling light formations in the night sky on Sunday night.

Around 7.25pm Alasdair Burns, a stargazing guide on Stewart Island/Rakiura, received a text from a friend: go outside and look at the sky. “As soon as we actually went outside, it was very obvious what it was he was referring to,” Burns said.

Continue reading...

Fastest-growing black hole of past 9bn years may have been found, Australian-led astronomers say

Posted on by

Scientists spot extremely luminous object powered by supermassive black hole using Coonabarabran telescope

Astronomers believe they have discovered the fastest-growing black hole of the past 9bn years.

The supermassive black hole consumes the equivalent of one Earth every second and has the mass of 3bn suns, they estimate.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...