Talk about a close shave. On 15 February, an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth only 27 681 kilometres above our planet’s surface. There’s no danger of a collision, but the space rock, designated 2012 DA14, has Nasa’s attention. “This is a record-setting close approach,” says Don …
Record-setting asteroid flyby past Earth on 15 February Read More »
Artist’s rendition of the HAT-P-7 system. Researchers used the Subaru Telescope to discover the retrograde planet (nearest the central star), another giant planet (in the foreground), and a companion star (upper right) in this system. // Credit: NAOJ A team of astronomers thinks a companion star and a newly confirmed outer exoplanet could explain a …
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A comparison of the ionosphere of Venus under different solar wind conditions. // Credit: ESA/Wei et al. (2012) Venus Express has discovered that our sister planet’s ionosphere balloons out like a comet’s tail on its nightside. By ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands — Published: January 29, 2013 The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Venus Express has made unique …
Comet-finder-chartAs Comet PANSTARRS makes its first trip through the inner solar system, it could brighten to naked-eye visibility late in February for observers in the Southern Hemisphere. // Astronomy: Roen Kelly Southern-sky viewers have all the luck this month. By Michael E. Bakich — Published: January 31, 2013 As February opens, Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) …
This is one of the highest-resolution images ever taken of the solar corona, or outer atmosphere. It was captured by NASA’s High Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) in the ultraviolet wavelength of 19.3 nanometers. Hi-C showed that the Sun is dynamic, with magnetic fields constantly warping, twisting, and colliding in bursts of energy. Added together, those …
Space instrument adds big piece to the solar corona puzzle Read More »
