astronomy

SKAO and partners advance support for protection of astronomy at UN

Leave a Comment / General Articles / By / 20 March, 2023

The SKA Observatory (SKAO) and its partners have advanced support for protecting astronomy against the negative impact of satellite megaconstellations at the foremost international forum for space-related matters. During the recently concluded meeting of the scientific and technical subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna, the SKAO …

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Astronomers just discovered a comet that could be brighter than most stars when we see it next year. Or will it?

Leave a Comment / General Articles / By / 20 March, 2023

Hot on the heels of the disappointing Green Comet, astronomers have just discovered a new comet with the potential to be next year’s big story—C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinhan-ATLAS). Although it is still more than 18 months from its clossest approach to Earth and the sun, comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS already has social media buzzing, with optimistic articles being …

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A large, bright star shines from the center with smaller stars scattered throughout the image. A clumpy cloud of material surrounds the central star, with more material above and below than on the sides, in some places allowing background stars to peek through. The cloud material is yellow closer to the star. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team

Webb captures rarely seen prelude to a supernova

Leave a Comment / General Articles / By / 20 March, 2023

A Wolf-Rayet star is a rare prelude to the famous final act of a massive star: the supernova. As one of its first observations in 2022, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope captured the Wolf-Rayet star WR 124 in unprecedented detail. A distinctive halo of gas and dust frames the star and glows in the …

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M42 Orion Nebula Prime Focus Image by Deon Krige

Leave a Comment / General Articles / By / 9 March, 2021

This was a first attempt at a prime focus image (camera directly connected to his telescope) of the Orion Nebula M42 by Hermanus Astronomy member Deon Krige. Here is his fact sheet and comments: “Setup ; Meade telescope LX50 10” F10 Schmidt Cassegrain. Original no Go-To mount. Camera Canon 760D with Focal Reducer 6.3 Prime …

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Fun in the Sun with the Solar System Model along the Cliff Path

Leave a Comment / General Articles / By / 11 February, 2021

In 2016, the Hermanus Astronomy Centre in partnership with the Overstrand Municipality, many local schools, businesses and National organizations, designed and constructed a true scale model of our Solar System along the Cliff Path between the Old Harbour and Grotto Beach. It is considered a true scale model as the scale applied for the sizes …

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