SpaceRef.com - Dec. 14, 2007
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) today expressed its deep disappointment at the level of cuts to UK astronomy research announced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). These savings amount to at least BP80m over three years, with a further BP40m likely to be cut to create headroom for UK involvement in new projects.
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Cuts announced include UK participation in the Gemini South observatory in Chile, all UK research in ground-based solar-terrestrial physics and high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, UK involvement in the astronomical observatory on La Palma, and large cuts (~50%) at the Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh.
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The RAS welcomes the concession by STFC that they will seek to negotiate continuing access to the Gemini North observatory on Hawaii, as requested by the Society two weeks ago. Without Gemini North, UK astronomers will have no access to giant telescopes in the northern hemisphere and will find it increasingly difficult to compete with their peers overseas.
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Odd Little Star Has Magnetic Personality
ScienceDaily - Dec. 6, 2007
A dwarf star with a surprisingly magnetic personality and a huge hot spot covering half its surface area is showing astronomers that life as a cool dwarf is not necessarily as simple and quiet as they once assumed.
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The team’s observations of TVLM513-46546 combine radio data from the Very Large Array, optical spectra from the Gemini North 8-meter telescope, ultraviolet images from the orbiting Swift observatory and x-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. This is the first time that such a powerful set of telescopes has been trained on one of the smallest known stars. The study is part of a program that looks at the origins of magnetic fields in ultracool dwarfs, stars that astronomers always assumed were simple, quiet, and more tranquil than their hotter and more massive siblings.
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Scientists Discover "Teenager Galaxies"
The Associated Press - Nov. 28, 2007
LONDON (AP) — Young galaxies, so faint that scientists struggled to prove they were there at all, have been discovered by aiming two of the world's most powerful telescopes at a single patch of sky for nearly 100 hours.
An international group of researchers has identified 27 pre-galactic fragments, dubbed "teenager galaxies," which they hope will help astronomers understand how our own Milky Way reached adulthood.
Cambridge University scientist Martin Haehnelt said his team used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the Gemini Telescope in Chile to monitor a section of the universe for 92 hours — the equivalent of about 12 nights.
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LONDON (AP) — Young galaxies, so faint that scientists struggled to prove they were there at all, have been discovered by aiming two of the world's most powerful telescopes at a single patch of sky for nearly 100 hours.
An international group of researchers has identified 27 pre-galactic fragments, dubbed "teenager galaxies," which they hope will help astronomers understand how our own Milky Way reached adulthood.
Cambridge University scientist Martin Haehnelt said his team used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the Gemini Telescope in Chile to monitor a section of the universe for 92 hours — the equivalent of about 12 nights.
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UK plans withdrawal from telescope teams
Honolulu Star Bulletin - Nov. 25, 2007
HILO » The United Kingdom has announced its plan to withdraw from participation in the two Gemini observatories, one on Mauna Kea and the other in Chile, because of budget concerns, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.
The decision will leave British astronomers with no access to large telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere, although it still has agreements to use large telescopes in the southern hemisphere, society officials said earlier this month.
"This decision is a serious mistake and a shock to all of us," Michael Rowan-Robinson, society president, said in a press release. "If it goes ahead, it will deny UK scientists access to large telescopes in the northern hemisphere and hinder their ability to study almost half the sky."
Gemini issued a statement saying its board of directors "deeply regrets" the British decision.
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HILO » The United Kingdom has announced its plan to withdraw from participation in the two Gemini observatories, one on Mauna Kea and the other in Chile, because of budget concerns, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.
The decision will leave British astronomers with no access to large telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere, although it still has agreements to use large telescopes in the southern hemisphere, society officials said earlier this month.
"This decision is a serious mistake and a shock to all of us," Michael Rowan-Robinson, society president, said in a press release. "If it goes ahead, it will deny UK scientists access to large telescopes in the northern hemisphere and hinder their ability to study almost half the sky."
Gemini issued a statement saying its board of directors "deeply regrets" the British decision.
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Will the UK Bail on Gemini?
Sky & Telescope - Nov. 19, 2007
Astronomers in the United Kingdom are still reeling from the news, announced November 15th, that they're about to lose access to one of the "big guns" of observational astronomy. The nation's Science and Technology Facilities Council intends to withdraw from participating in Gemini Observatory, a pair of identical optical/infrared telescopes with 8-meter apertures. A final decision will be made by STFC on November 21st.
Under the terms of a seven-nation agreement in force through 2012, the UK has a 24% stake in Gemini, which it gained by committing about $70 million toward construction costs. But the STFC's anticipated budgetary shortfalls over the next few years precipitated this drastic action so that it can reinvest the planned savings in its "highest priority programmes."
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Astronomers in the United Kingdom are still reeling from the news, announced November 15th, that they're about to lose access to one of the "big guns" of observational astronomy. The nation's Science and Technology Facilities Council intends to withdraw from participating in Gemini Observatory, a pair of identical optical/infrared telescopes with 8-meter apertures. A final decision will be made by STFC on November 21st.
Under the terms of a seven-nation agreement in force through 2012, the UK has a 24% stake in Gemini, which it gained by committing about $70 million toward construction costs. But the STFC's anticipated budgetary shortfalls over the next few years precipitated this drastic action so that it can reinvest the planned savings in its "highest priority programmes."
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Astronomers Spot Evidence for Colliding Planet Embryos in Famous Star Cluster
Astrobiology Magazine - Nov. 18, 2007
Astronomers have found evidence for the formation of young rocky planets around the star HD 23514 located in the well-known Pleiades (Seven Sisters) star cluster that is easily visible in the current evening sky. Most of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered so far are gas giants similar to Jupiter, but researchers are continuing to search for smaller rocky planets. Terrestrial planets around distant stars are of utmost interest to astrobiologists because they are more likely to support habitats for life as we know it.
Using an infrared sensitive camera (MICHELLE) on the Gemini North Telescope, Joseph Rhee of UCLA and his collaborators have measured heat from hot dust surrounding a 100 million year old star in the bright star cluster. The star has properties very much like our Sun except that it is 45 times younger and is orbited by hundreds of thousands of times more dust than our Sun. The star is also one of the very few solar-type stars known to be orbited by warm dust particles.
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Astronomers have found evidence for the formation of young rocky planets around the star HD 23514 located in the well-known Pleiades (Seven Sisters) star cluster that is easily visible in the current evening sky. Most of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered so far are gas giants similar to Jupiter, but researchers are continuing to search for smaller rocky planets. Terrestrial planets around distant stars are of utmost interest to astrobiologists because they are more likely to support habitats for life as we know it.
Using an infrared sensitive camera (MICHELLE) on the Gemini North Telescope, Joseph Rhee of UCLA and his collaborators have measured heat from hot dust surrounding a 100 million year old star in the bright star cluster. The star has properties very much like our Sun except that it is 45 times younger and is orbited by hundreds of thousands of times more dust than our Sun. The star is also one of the very few solar-type stars known to be orbited by warm dust particles.
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UK astronomers stunned by Gemini withdrawal
Nature News - Nov. 21, 2007
The United Kingdom has abruptly announced its intention to withdraw from the Gemini Observatory, potentially leaving hundreds of British astronomers without a major telescope in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) said on 15 November that it would pull out of the international observatory, with its twin 8-metre telescopes in Chile and Hawaii. The STFC, one of seven UK national research councils, pays for major physics and astronomy projects. It has nearly a quarter stake in Gemini and pays annual subscription fees of £4 million (US$8.2 million).
The British astronomical community has reacted with shock and dismay. “It's a mistake,” says Royal Astronomical Society president Michael Rowan-Robinson. “I think it damages our ability to do multi-wavelength astronomy.”
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The United Kingdom has abruptly announced its intention to withdraw from the Gemini Observatory, potentially leaving hundreds of British astronomers without a major telescope in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) said on 15 November that it would pull out of the international observatory, with its twin 8-metre telescopes in Chile and Hawaii. The STFC, one of seven UK national research councils, pays for major physics and astronomy projects. It has nearly a quarter stake in Gemini and pays annual subscription fees of £4 million (US$8.2 million).
The British astronomical community has reacted with shock and dismay. “It's a mistake,” says Royal Astronomical Society president Michael Rowan-Robinson. “I think it damages our ability to do multi-wavelength astronomy.”
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Friday, November 16, 2007
UK pulls out of major observatory
Guardian Unlimited - November 16, 2007
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Already the impact of this is being seen. Earlier this week the STFC announced plans to withdraw the UK from the Gemini Observatory, an international collaboration that operates twin telescopes with 8m mirrors, one based in Hawaii and one in Chile. These two telescopes detect visible and infrared light and are amongst the largest in the world. Telescopes of this class can see exquisite detail and detect faint and often very distant objects. Amongst other quests, these instruments help astronomers search for planets around other stars and enable them to see images of galaxies that formed soon after the Universe began. Participation in Gemini and facilities like it help our scientists stay in the forefront of research in these areas - stepping stones to answering questions about the existence of extraterrestrial life and the origin of the cosmos.
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Already the impact of this is being seen. Earlier this week the STFC announced plans to withdraw the UK from the Gemini Observatory, an international collaboration that operates twin telescopes with 8m mirrors, one based in Hawaii and one in Chile. These two telescopes detect visible and infrared light and are amongst the largest in the world. Telescopes of this class can see exquisite detail and detect faint and often very distant objects. Amongst other quests, these instruments help astronomers search for planets around other stars and enable them to see images of galaxies that formed soon after the Universe began. Participation in Gemini and facilities like it help our scientists stay in the forefront of research in these areas - stepping stones to answering questions about the existence of extraterrestrial life and the origin of the cosmos.
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UK plans to withdraw from Gemini
Physicsworld.com - November 16, 2007
Astronomers in the UK are shocked at plans by the Science and Technology Funding Council (STFC) to withdraw from the Gemini Observatory, which consists of two eight-metre optical and infrared telescopes in Hawaii and Chile. The STFC, which intends to finalize its decision on 21 November, says it has to pull out from Gemini because of the “current financial climate”. The council has a total budget this year of £678m, but this will only increase in line with inflation in 2008 following the government’s recent comprehensive spending review.
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
How new planets form near the Seven Sisters
PhysOrg.com - November 15, 2007
Astronomers using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Spitzer Space Telescope report their findings in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal.
"This is the first clear evidence for planet formation in the Pleiades, and the results we are presenting may well be the first observational evidence that terrestrial planets like those in our solar system are quite common," said Joseph Rhee, a UCLA postdoctoral scholar in astronomy and lead author of the research.
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Astronomers using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Spitzer Space Telescope report their findings in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal.
"This is the first clear evidence for planet formation in the Pleiades, and the results we are presenting may well be the first observational evidence that terrestrial planets like those in our solar system are quite common," said Joseph Rhee, a UCLA postdoctoral scholar in astronomy and lead author of the research.
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New Earths may be popping up in Pleiades
MSNBC - November 14, 2007
Small, rocky planets that could resemble Earth or Mars may be forming around one of the hundreds of stars in the Pleiades cluster, astronomers reported Wednesday.
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The team used NASA's infrared Spitzer Space Telescope as well as the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to detect the dust. The resulting findings are reported in the Astrophysical Journal.
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Small, rocky planets that could resemble Earth or Mars may be forming around one of the hundreds of stars in the Pleiades cluster, astronomers reported Wednesday.
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The team used NASA's infrared Spitzer Space Telescope as well as the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to detect the dust. The resulting findings are reported in the Astrophysical Journal.
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Rocky Planets Might Inhabit Popular Nearby Star Cluster
Space.com - November 15, 2007
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Astronomers have spotted a thick cloud of dust surrounding a star in the Pleiades, or "Seven Sisters," star cluster that they speculate is debris created from the collisions of rocky planet embryos or full-fledged planets.
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Using the Gemini Observatory and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the researchers found that dust surrounding HD 23514, a star in the Pleiades that is slightly more massive and bright than our sun, is hundreds of thousands of times thicker than in our solar system.
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Astronomers have spotted a thick cloud of dust surrounding a star in the Pleiades, or "Seven Sisters," star cluster that they speculate is debris created from the collisions of rocky planet embryos or full-fledged planets.
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Using the Gemini Observatory and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the researchers found that dust surrounding HD 23514, a star in the Pleiades that is slightly more massive and bright than our sun, is hundreds of thousands of times thicker than in our solar system.
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Planets Collide! Not Just In The Movies Anymore
Wired News - November 15, 2007
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Astronomers have been observing a star system called HD 23514 in the Pleiades cluster that seems to be going through the same bumper-cars evolution as our own, with rocky planets potentially similar to Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars in the process of formation.
Using an infrared camera with the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, a UCLA-led team has found hot dust surrounding a star much like our own Sun, but about 45 times younger. The warm dust appears to indicate what they call "catastrophic collisions" in a region roughly comparable to the space between the orbits of Mercury and Mars in our own solar system.
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Planets Forming In Pleiades Star Cluster, Astronomers Report
Science Daily - November 14, 2007
Astronomers using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Spitzer Space Telescope report their findings in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal, the premier journal in astronomy.
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Astronomers using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Spitzer Space Telescope report their findings in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal, the premier journal in astronomy.
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Small planets forming in the Pleiades
Reuters - November 14, 2007
Small, rocky planets that could resemble the Earth or Mars may be forming around a star in the Pleiades star cluster, astronomers reported on Wednesday.
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The team used two telescopes to spot the dust, and report their findings in Astrophysical Journal.
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Small, rocky planets that could resemble the Earth or Mars may be forming around a star in the Pleiades star cluster, astronomers reported on Wednesday.
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The team used two telescopes to spot the dust, and report their findings in Astrophysical Journal.
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Heaviest Stellar Black Hole Discovered In Nearby Galaxy
Science Daily - October 18, 2007
Astronomers have located an exceptionally massive black hole in orbit around a huge companion star. This result has intriguing implications for the evolution and ultimate fate of massive stars.
The black hole is part of a binary system in M33, a nearby galaxy about 3 million light years from Earth. By combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Gemini telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the mass of the black hole, known as M33 X-7, was determined to be 15.7 times that of the Sun. This makes M33 X-7 the most massive stellar black hole known. A stellar black hole is formed from the collapse of the core of a massive star at the end of its life.
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Astronomers have located an exceptionally massive black hole in orbit around a huge companion star. This result has intriguing implications for the evolution and ultimate fate of massive stars.
The black hole is part of a binary system in M33, a nearby galaxy about 3 million light years from Earth. By combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Gemini telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the mass of the black hole, known as M33 X-7, was determined to be 15.7 times that of the Sun. This makes M33 X-7 the most massive stellar black hole known. A stellar black hole is formed from the collapse of the core of a massive star at the end of its life.
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Most Massive Stellar Black Hole Found in Binary System
National Geographic - October 17, 2007
A strange black hole locked in a tight orbit with a huge star in a nearby galaxy could be the most massive stellar black hole known, astronomers say.
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Astronomers soon realized that the companion star passes directly in front of the black hole on its three-day orbit, eclipsing the black hole's x-ray emissions.
This arrangement allowed the team to combine data from NASAs orbiting Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Gemini North Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to calculate the two object's masses more accurately than usual.
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A strange black hole locked in a tight orbit with a huge star in a nearby galaxy could be the most massive stellar black hole known, astronomers say.
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Astronomers soon realized that the companion star passes directly in front of the black hole on its three-day orbit, eclipsing the black hole's x-ray emissions.
This arrangement allowed the team to combine data from NASAs orbiting Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Gemini North Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to calculate the two object's masses more accurately than usual.
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Heavyweight black hole is a record breaker
New Scientist - October 17, 2007
A black hole as heavy as almost 16 Suns has set a new weight record for black holes that form from collapsing stars. Its discovery suggests that there may be even heavier ones lurking out there, spawned in the death throes of the universe's most massive stars.
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The companion star is itself a brute, some 70 times the Sun's mass. Jerome Orosz of San Diego State University in California and colleagues used the 8.2-metre Gemini North telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to work out the orbit precisely and pin down the black hole's mass (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature06218).
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A black hole as heavy as almost 16 Suns has set a new weight record for black holes that form from collapsing stars. Its discovery suggests that there may be even heavier ones lurking out there, spawned in the death throes of the universe's most massive stars.
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The companion star is itself a brute, some 70 times the Sun's mass. Jerome Orosz of San Diego State University in California and colleagues used the 8.2-metre Gemini North telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to work out the orbit precisely and pin down the black hole's mass (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature06218).
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Heaviest stellar black hole discovered in nearby galaxy
PhysOrg.com - October 17, 2007
The main component of this graphic is an artist's representation of M33 X-7, a binary system in the nearby galaxy M33. In this system, a star about 70 times more massive than the Sun (large blue object) is revolving around a black hole. This black hole is almost 16 times the sun's mass, a record for black holes created from the collapse of a giant star. Other black holes at the centers of galaxies are much more massive, but this object is the record-setter for a so-called "stellar mass" black hole. ... Observations by the Gemini telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii track the orbital motion of the companion around the black hole, giving information about the mass of the two members of the binary. ...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Baby Booms And Birth Control In Space
Science Daily — September 25, 2007
Stars in galaxies are a bit similar to people: during the first phase of their existence they grow rapidly, after which a stellar birth control occurs in most galaxies.
New observations from Dutch astronomer Mariska Kriek with the Gemini Telescope on Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, have shown that a part of the heavy galaxies already stopped forming stars when the universe was still a toddler, about 3 billion years old. Astronomers suspect that black holes exert an influence on this halt in births.
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Stars in galaxies are a bit similar to people: during the first phase of their existence they grow rapidly, after which a stellar birth control occurs in most galaxies.
New observations from Dutch astronomer Mariska Kriek with the Gemini Telescope on Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, have shown that a part of the heavy galaxies already stopped forming stars when the universe was still a toddler, about 3 billion years old. Astronomers suspect that black holes exert an influence on this halt in births.
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Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Observatory pinpoints rare neutron star
Honolulu Star Bulletin - August 21, 2007
Astronomers used the Gemini North observatory on Mauna Kea and space telescopes to discover a rare "isolated neutron star" spraying X-rays in the solar system's cosmic neighborhood, according to an article prepared for the Astrophysical Journal.
Puzzled by some aspects of the astronomers' discovery, and inspired by a movie reference, authors Robert Rutledge, Derek Fox and Andrew Shevchuk named their neutron star "Calvera" after a marauding cinema bandit. Seven other isolated neutron stars had previously been discovered and were named the "Magnificent Seven" after the 1960 movie, in which a character called Calvera was the main bad guy.
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Astronomers used the Gemini North observatory on Mauna Kea and space telescopes to discover a rare "isolated neutron star" spraying X-rays in the solar system's cosmic neighborhood, according to an article prepared for the Astrophysical Journal.
Puzzled by some aspects of the astronomers' discovery, and inspired by a movie reference, authors Robert Rutledge, Derek Fox and Andrew Shevchuk named their neutron star "Calvera" after a marauding cinema bandit. Seven other isolated neutron stars had previously been discovered and were named the "Magnificent Seven" after the 1960 movie, in which a character called Calvera was the main bad guy.
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Rare dead star found near Earth
BBC News - August 20, 2007
Astronomers have spotted a space oddity in Earth's neighbourhood - a dead star with some unusual characteristics.
The object, known as a neutron star, was studied using space telescopes and ground-based observatories.
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The researchers followed up with the 8.1m Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii and a short observation by Nasa's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Astronomers have spotted a space oddity in Earth's neighbourhood - a dead star with some unusual characteristics.
The object, known as a neutron star, was studied using space telescopes and ground-based observatories.
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The researchers followed up with the 8.1m Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii and a short observation by Nasa's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Possible Closest Neutron Star To Earth Found
Science Daily - August 20, 2007
Using NASA's Swift satellite, McGill University and Penn State University astronomers have identified an object that is likely one of the closest neutron stars to Earth -- and possibly the closest.
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The team next targeted Calvera with the 8.1-meter Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii. These observations, along with a short observation by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, showed that the object is not associated with any optical counterpart down to a very faint magnitude. Chandra's sharper X-ray vision sees the object as point-like, consistent with the neutron-star interpretation.
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Using NASA's Swift satellite, McGill University and Penn State University astronomers have identified an object that is likely one of the closest neutron stars to Earth -- and possibly the closest.
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The team next targeted Calvera with the 8.1-meter Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii. These observations, along with a short observation by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, showed that the object is not associated with any optical counterpart down to a very faint magnitude. Chandra's sharper X-ray vision sees the object as point-like, consistent with the neutron-star interpretation.
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The Coolest Dwarf
Sky & Telescope - August 10, 2007
The infrared deep-sky survey now being carried out by the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope is only 5% done, but already astronomers looking at its data have found the coolest solitary brown dwarf ever seen.
The object, named ULAS J0034–00, is located in Cetus. A followup analysis by the Gemini Observatory of steam and methane features in its infrared spectrum pegs its temperature at just 600 to 700 kelvins (330° to 430°C, or 620° to 800°F). This puts it at the very bottom of spectral class T — or perhaps in the still-cooler proposed spectral class Y, for which no other object has yet been found. ...
The infrared deep-sky survey now being carried out by the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope is only 5% done, but already astronomers looking at its data have found the coolest solitary brown dwarf ever seen.
The object, named ULAS J0034–00, is located in Cetus. A followup analysis by the Gemini Observatory of steam and methane features in its infrared spectrum pegs its temperature at just 600 to 700 kelvins (330° to 430°C, or 620° to 800°F). This puts it at the very bottom of spectral class T — or perhaps in the still-cooler proposed spectral class Y, for which no other object has yet been found. ...
Monday, August 13, 2007
The Hole Picture - Mauna Kea astronomers observe fast-moving black holes, quasars
Hawaii Tribune Herald - 2007 August 7
Astronomers using Mauna Kea's telescopes have shed new light, figuratively speaking, on black holes and quasars.
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An international team used Gemini's telescopes on Mauna Kea and in Chile to discover, to their surprise, that black holes of a billion solar masses - the mass of 1 billion suns, compressed into a point - can form shortly after the birth of the universe.
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Astronomers using Mauna Kea's telescopes have shed new light, figuratively speaking, on black holes and quasars.
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An international team used Gemini's telescopes on Mauna Kea and in Chile to discover, to their surprise, that black holes of a billion solar masses - the mass of 1 billion suns, compressed into a point - can form shortly after the birth of the universe.
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Friday, July 20, 2007
Charon: An Ice Machine in the Ultimate Deep Freeze
SpaceRef.com - July 19, 2007
Frigid geysers spewing material up through cracks in the crust of Pluto's companion Charon and recoating parts of its surface in ice crystals could be making this distant world into the equivalent of an outer solar system ice machine.
Evidence for these ice deposits comes from high-resolution spectra obtained using the Gemini Observatory's Adaptive Optics system, ALTAIR coupled with the near-infrared instrument NIRI. ...
Frigid geysers spewing material up through cracks in the crust of Pluto's companion Charon and recoating parts of its surface in ice crystals could be making this distant world into the equivalent of an outer solar system ice machine.
Evidence for these ice deposits comes from high-resolution spectra obtained using the Gemini Observatory's Adaptive Optics system, ALTAIR coupled with the near-infrared instrument NIRI. ...
Ice Volcanoes Everywhere?
Sky and Telescope - July 19, 2007
Maybe it has something to do with the sweltering heat these days, but it seems that every time I turn around, someone else is talking about ice volcanoes. First it was Saturn's moon Enceladus. Then two other Saturnian moons had them: Tethys and Dione. Now Pluto's largest moon, Charon, might be spewing frozen geysers.
The latest result comes courtesy of a group of astronomers who pointed the 8-meter Frederick C. Gillett telescope at Gemini Observatory toward the famous dwarf planet's satellite. Using Gemini, Jason Cook (Southwest Research Institute, Colorado) and Steven Desch (Arizona State University) captured some of the best spectra of Charon to date.
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Maybe it has something to do with the sweltering heat these days, but it seems that every time I turn around, someone else is talking about ice volcanoes. First it was Saturn's moon Enceladus. Then two other Saturnian moons had them: Tethys and Dione. Now Pluto's largest moon, Charon, might be spewing frozen geysers.
The latest result comes courtesy of a group of astronomers who pointed the 8-meter Frederick C. Gillett telescope at Gemini Observatory toward the famous dwarf planet's satellite. Using Gemini, Jason Cook (Southwest Research Institute, Colorado) and Steven Desch (Arizona State University) captured some of the best spectra of Charon to date.
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Thursday, July 19, 2007
Ice Geysers Found on Charon
Wired News - July 17, 2007
Quick, think of all the moons in the Solar System that have water ice welling up from within their cores. Sure, there's Enceladus, and I reported recently about Dione and Tethys. Europa's an easy one to remember. But did you ever consider Pluto's icy moon Charon?
Well, astronomers have found ice geysers there too.
According to a new press release from the Gemini Observatory, located atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii, there's strong evidence that Charon is continuously being coated by a thin layer of ammonia hydrates and water ice, welling up from inside the moon.
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Pluto's moon has ice-spewing volcanoes
Honolulu Star Bulletin - July 18, 2007
Astronomers using the Gemini telescope on top of Mauna Kea have discovered "ice volcanoes" on the little moon Charon circling the far distant dwarf planet Pluto, Gemini officials announced yesterday.
Liquid water from the interior of the moon bursts to the surface, where the minus-365 degree Fahrenheit temperature immediately turns it to ice crystals, Gemini officials said.
Gemini called it "an ice machine in the ultimate deep freeze."
The discovery was made by a team led by doctoral student Jason Cook at Arizona State University and published recently in the Astrophysical Journal.
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Astronomers using the Gemini telescope on top of Mauna Kea have discovered "ice volcanoes" on the little moon Charon circling the far distant dwarf planet Pluto, Gemini officials announced yesterday.
Liquid water from the interior of the moon bursts to the surface, where the minus-365 degree Fahrenheit temperature immediately turns it to ice crystals, Gemini officials said.
Gemini called it "an ice machine in the ultimate deep freeze."
The discovery was made by a team led by doctoral student Jason Cook at Arizona State University and published recently in the Astrophysical Journal.
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'Water on Pluto moon'
Sydney Morning Herald - July 19, 2007
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Astronomers have announced they have evidence that, despite the bitterly cold conditions on the edge of the solar system, Pluto's moon Charon may have an underground ocean of liquid water, triggering speculation it could harbour marine life.
The water appears to be spewing up through cracks in the surface, producing spectacular geysers that instantly freeze, creating showers of ice.
Using Hawaii's giant Gemini Telescope, the astronomers found that the 1200 kilometre-wide moon is covered in patches of water crystals, and ammonia hydrates.
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Astronomers have announced they have evidence that, despite the bitterly cold conditions on the edge of the solar system, Pluto's moon Charon may have an underground ocean of liquid water, triggering speculation it could harbour marine life.
The water appears to be spewing up through cracks in the surface, producing spectacular geysers that instantly freeze, creating showers of ice.
Using Hawaii's giant Gemini Telescope, the astronomers found that the 1200 kilometre-wide moon is covered in patches of water crystals, and ammonia hydrates.
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Icy geysers may erupt on Pluto's largest moon
NewScientist.com - July 18, 2007
Geysers of liquid water and ammonia are erupting on Pluto's large moon Charon, new observations suggest. The work bolsters the idea that Charon may harbour a liquid ocean beneath its surface – and just possibly, life.
Previously, astronomers had established that Charon's surface is made of mostly water ice. But those observations were not sharp enough to tell whether the ice was spread evenly over the1200-kilometre-wide moon or whether it was concentrated in patches on its surface.
Now, researchers led by Jason Cook of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, US, have found that the ice is indeed distributed differently on different parts of the moon. They made the observations with an adaptive optics system, which corrects for the blurring effect of the atmosphere, on the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, US.
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Geysers of liquid water and ammonia are erupting on Pluto's large moon Charon, new observations suggest. The work bolsters the idea that Charon may harbour a liquid ocean beneath its surface – and just possibly, life.
Previously, astronomers had established that Charon's surface is made of mostly water ice. But those observations were not sharp enough to tell whether the ice was spread evenly over the1200-kilometre-wide moon or whether it was concentrated in patches on its surface.
Now, researchers led by Jason Cook of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, US, have found that the ice is indeed distributed differently on different parts of the moon. They made the observations with an adaptive optics system, which corrects for the blurring effect of the atmosphere, on the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, US.
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Charon -- An ice machine in the ultimate deep freeze
PhysOrg.com - July 19, 2007
Evidence for these ice deposits comes from high-resolution spectra obtained using the Gemini Observatory’s Adaptive Optics system, ALTAIR coupled with the near-infrared instrument NIRI. The observations, made with the Frederick C. Gillett Gemini North telescope on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, show the fingerprints of ammonia hydrates and water crystals spread in patches across Charon, and have been described as the best evidence yet for the existence of these compounds on worlds such as Charon.
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Evidence for these ice deposits comes from high-resolution spectra obtained using the Gemini Observatory’s Adaptive Optics system, ALTAIR coupled with the near-infrared instrument NIRI. The observations, made with the Frederick C. Gillett Gemini North telescope on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, show the fingerprints of ammonia hydrates and water crystals spread in patches across Charon, and have been described as the best evidence yet for the existence of these compounds on worlds such as Charon.
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Charon: An Ice Machine In The Ultimate Deep Freeze
Science Daily - July 19, 2007
Frigid geysers spewing material up through cracks in the crust of Pluto’s companion Charon and recoating parts of its surface in ice crystals could be making this distant world into the equivalent of an outer solar system ice machine.
Evidence for these ice deposits comes from high-resolution spectra obtained using the Gemini Observatory’s Adaptive Optics system, ALTAIR coupled with the near-infrared instrument NIRI. ...
Frigid geysers spewing material up through cracks in the crust of Pluto’s companion Charon and recoating parts of its surface in ice crystals could be making this distant world into the equivalent of an outer solar system ice machine.
Evidence for these ice deposits comes from high-resolution spectra obtained using the Gemini Observatory’s Adaptive Optics system, ALTAIR coupled with the near-infrared instrument NIRI. ...
Pluto's neighbouring object, Charon, could be spewing out liquid water from ultra-cold volcanoes, covering Charon's chilly surface with freshly-formed
The Planetary Society - July 18, 2007
Pluto's companion Charon might be covered with active volcanoes of ammonia-rich water spewing forth from the moon's deep interior. Astronomers at one of the world's great telescopes have separated Charon's dim light from Pluto's and discovered that large areas of the moon's surface are plastered with deposits of crystalline water and ammonia hydrate ice. ...
Pluto's companion Charon might be covered with active volcanoes of ammonia-rich water spewing forth from the moon's deep interior. Astronomers at one of the world's great telescopes have separated Charon's dim light from Pluto's and discovered that large areas of the moon's surface are plastered with deposits of crystalline water and ammonia hydrate ice. ...
Ice volcanoes in outer space?
Nature.com - July 18, 2007
Pluto's neighbouring object, Charon, could be spewing out liquid water from ultra-cold volcanoes, covering Charon's chilly surface with freshly-formed ice crystals.
This dramatic conclusion was made by Jason Cook at Arizona State University, Tempe, who looked at Charon's near-infrared spectrum using telescopes at the Gemini Observatory at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. ...
Bullets in Orion
News item on Gemini telescope's image in Astronomy magazine, page 24, August 2007 issue.
Supersonic "bullets" in Orion
Astronomy.com - March 22, 2007
A new Gemini image shows massive gas bullets speeding away from the Orion Nebula.
A new Gemini image shows massive gas bullets speeding away from the Orion Nebula.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Catching Orion's Bullets
Sky & Telescope - July 2007 (p.14-15)
...Astronomers made the image using Gemini North's ALTAIR adaptive-optics system and a new sodium-wavelength laser that created an artificial reference star for it in Earth's upper atmosphere.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Astronomers put new discovery to good use
Hawaii Tribune Herald - June 7, 2007
The coolest-known star-like object beyond the solar system is giving astronomers a new look at the differences between massive planets and the smallest brown dwarfs.
This newly discovered object, called ULAS J0034-00 and located in the constellation of Cetus, has a record-setting surface temperature of 600-700 degrees Kelvin, cooler than any known solitary brown dwarf. ...
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Follow-up spectroscopic observations, critical for determining the brown dwarf's temperature and likely mass were obtained with the Gemini South Telescope in Chile. ...
The coolest-known star-like object beyond the solar system is giving astronomers a new look at the differences between massive planets and the smallest brown dwarfs.
This newly discovered object, called ULAS J0034-00 and located in the constellation of Cetus, has a record-setting surface temperature of 600-700 degrees Kelvin, cooler than any known solitary brown dwarf. ...
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Follow-up spectroscopic observations, critical for determining the brown dwarf's temperature and likely mass were obtained with the Gemini South Telescope in Chile. ...
Monday, April 30, 2007
'Bullet time' in the Orion Nebula
News Update item on Gemini telescope's image in Astronomy Now magazine, page 11, May 2007 issue.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Wimpy Stars Barely Hanging On
Space.com - Apr 17, 2007
A newly spotted pair of tiny stars that holds the record for the longest-distance celestial embrace is bound by only a thread of gravity and might one day break up...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Celestial embrace is hanging by a thread
MSNBC - Apr. 17, 2007
A newly spotted pair of tiny stars that holds the record for the longest-distance celestial embrace is bound by only a thread of gravity and might one day break up...
Monday, April 16, 2007
Celestial odd couple discovered
Astronomy.com (Astronomy magazine) - Apr. 11, 2007
Astronomers are puzzled by the "Hang-loose Binary" — a pair of low-mass stars with an extreme orbital separation...
Astronomers are puzzled by the "Hang-loose Binary" — a pair of low-mass stars with an extreme orbital separation...
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Featherweight Celestial Pair Has Uncertain Future Together
SpaceRef - Apr. 11, 2007
Astronomers have serendipitously discovered a record-breaking pair of low-mass stars with an extreme orbital separation. The petite objects, each of which has a mass less than 100 times that of Jupiter, are separated by more than 5,000 times the distance between the Sun and Earth a value that breaks the previous record by a factor of three and leaves the duration of their future together uncertain...
Astronomers have serendipitously discovered a record-breaking pair of low-mass stars with an extreme orbital separation. The petite objects, each of which has a mass less than 100 times that of Jupiter, are separated by more than 5,000 times the distance between the Sun and Earth a value that breaks the previous record by a factor of three and leaves the duration of their future together uncertain...
Featherweight Celestial Pair Has Uncertain Future Together
Space Daily - Apr. 11, 2007
... The celestial duo is tethered by a weak gravitational link that results in an orbital dance so slow that it takes about 500,000 years to complete a single revolution. Scaled down, this system would be like two baseballs orbiting each other about 300 kilometers (200 miles) apart.
The characterization of the system was made using near- infrared spectroscopic data taken with the Gemini South telescope, in conjunction with earlier discovery and confirmation observations made at the Cerro Tololo Inter- American Observatory 1.5-meter telescope operated by the Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) and archival data from the 2-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and the Digital Sky Survey (DSS).
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Gemini's Laser Vision Reveals Striking New Details in Orion Nebula
PressZoom (press release), Netherlands - March 26, 2007
An image released today by the Gemini Observatory brings into focus a new and remarkably detailed view of supersonic "bullets" of gas and the wakes created as they pierce through clouds of molecular hydrogen in the Orion Nebula. The image was made possible with new laser guide star adaptive optics technology that corrects in real time for image distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere...
An image released today by the Gemini Observatory brings into focus a new and remarkably detailed view of supersonic "bullets" of gas and the wakes created as they pierce through clouds of molecular hydrogen in the Orion Nebula. The image was made possible with new laser guide star adaptive optics technology that corrects in real time for image distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere...
Gemini's Laser Vision Reveals Striking New Details in Orion Nebula
Space Ref (press release) - Mar 24, 2007
An image released today by the Gemini Observatory brings into focus a new and remarkably detailed view of supersonic "bullets" of gas and the wakes created as they pierce through clouds of molecular hydrogen in the Orion Nebula. The image was made possible with new laser guide star adaptive optics technology that corrects in real time for image distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere...
An image released today by the Gemini Observatory brings into focus a new and remarkably detailed view of supersonic "bullets" of gas and the wakes created as they pierce through clouds of molecular hydrogen in the Orion Nebula. The image was made possible with new laser guide star adaptive optics technology that corrects in real time for image distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere...
Friday, March 23, 2007
Cosmic Bullets Pierce Space Cloud
Space.com - March 23, 2007
Astronomers just got their most detailed look yet at supersonic “bullets” of gas piercing through dense clouds of hydrogen gas in the Orion Nebula.
Each bullet [image] is about ten times the size of Pluto’s orbit around the Sun and travels through the clouds at up to 250 miles (400 kilometers) per second—or about a thousand times faster than the speed of sound...
Astronomers just got their most detailed look yet at supersonic “bullets” of gas piercing through dense clouds of hydrogen gas in the Orion Nebula.
Each bullet [image] is about ten times the size of Pluto’s orbit around the Sun and travels through the clouds at up to 250 miles (400 kilometers) per second—or about a thousand times faster than the speed of sound...
The Delicate Trails Of Star Birth
Space Daily, CA - March 23, 2007
An image released today by the Gemini Observatory brings into focus a new and remarkably detailed view of supersonic "bullets" of gas and the wakes created as they pierce through clouds of molecular hydrogen in the Orion Nebula. The image was made possible with new laser guide star adaptive optics technology that corrects in real time for image distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere...
An image released today by the Gemini Observatory brings into focus a new and remarkably detailed view of supersonic "bullets" of gas and the wakes created as they pierce through clouds of molecular hydrogen in the Orion Nebula. The image was made possible with new laser guide star adaptive optics technology that corrects in real time for image distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere...
Scope captures cosmic gas 'bullets'
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI - March 23, 2007
Enormous "bullets" of gas plowing through space like ships through water have been revealed in an image created by Gemini North Observatory on Mauna Kea using a special laser technique...
Enormous "bullets" of gas plowing through space like ships through water have been revealed in an image created by Gemini North Observatory on Mauna Kea using a special laser technique...
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Supersonic bullets shoot through the Orion Nebula
New Scientist (subscription), UK - March 22, 2007
Bullet-like clumps of gas hurtle through the Orion stellar nursery at supersonic speed in a new image from the Gemini North observatory. The unusual structures are revealed in unprecedented detail by newly commissioned laser-equipped optics...
Bullet-like clumps of gas hurtle through the Orion stellar nursery at supersonic speed in a new image from the Gemini North observatory. The unusual structures are revealed in unprecedented detail by newly commissioned laser-equipped optics...
Iron-fisted space bullets give scientists a glow
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - Mar 22, 2007
THEY are cosmic "bullets", bigger than our solar system, far faster than the speed of sound and filled with enough iron to satisfy China's needs for eternity.
But just what sort of gun fired them? No one really knows...
THEY are cosmic "bullets", bigger than our solar system, far faster than the speed of sound and filled with enough iron to satisfy China's needs for eternity.
But just what sort of gun fired them? No one really knows...
Cosmic bullets pierce space cloud
MSNBC - Mar 22, 2007
Astronomers just got their most detailed look yet at supersonic “bullets” of gas piercing through dense clouds of hydrogen gas in the Orion Nebula...
Astronomers just got their most detailed look yet at supersonic “bullets” of gas piercing through dense clouds of hydrogen gas in the Orion Nebula...
Friday, March 16, 2007
Light Fight
With the lights of downtown Hilo in background, Janice Harvey, center, education and outreach specialist for Gemini Observatory, shows Haili Christian sixth-graders, from left, Nicole Smallwood, Jarred Kurokawa, Cheyrub Cabarloc and Railee Rosete a star chart to indicate which constellations should be visible in the night sky. Thirteen students and their teacher met with Harvey Tuesday evening at the Bayfront soccer fields to measure light pollution in the Hilo skies.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Light pollution a focus of sky-watching project
...On the Big Island, Gemini Observatory and Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii will each distribute five light meters to science classes, said Janice Harvey...
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
"Doughnut" clumps orbit black hole
Astronomers' observations set constraints on size and characteristics of the doughnut-shaped rings surrounding supermassive black holes...
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Stellar death may spawen solar system
...By using specialized high-contrast techniques at the 10-meter Keck I telescope in Hawaii and the 8-meter Gemini South telescope in Chile, Ireland's team discovered heat radiation coming not only from Mira B itself, but also from a location offset from Mira B by a distance equivalent to Saturn's orbit...
Friday, February 9, 2007
Rocky Finding: Evidence of extrasolar asteroid belt
Astronomers report that they've obtained the best evidence yet for an asteroid belt beyond the solar system. Such a belt would suggest that the star Zeta Leporis, which lies just 70 light-years away, possesses not only asteroids but rocky planets like Earth...
Monday, February 5, 2007
Comet McNaught Captured from Cerro Pachon
... The recently arrived Comet McNaught has put on a world-wide show over the last two weeks during its apparition in the western sky...
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Dying star's wind creates planetary nursery
New Scientist (subscription), UK - Jan 10, 2007
Michael Ireland of Caltech in Pasadena, US, and colleagues used the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, US, and the Gemini South telescope in Chile to make the discovery ...
Michael Ireland of Caltech in Pasadena, US, and colleagues used the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, US, and the Gemini South telescope in Chile to make the discovery ...