July 25, 2011 - Discover (Bad Astronomy Blog)
Look, I’ve been around the block a few times. I’ve spent my whole life as an astronomer, so I’ve seen pretty much every big, bright object there is in the sky.
However, "pretty much" != "all". It’s still possible to surprise me, and folks, let me tell you: the Gemini telescope’s observation of the nebula Kronberger 61 did just that!
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
"Soccer Ball" Nebula Discovered by Amateur Astronomer
July 25, 2011 - National Geographic
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Amateur astronomer Matthias Kronberger discovered the soccer-ball nebula, called Kronberger 61, in January 2011 after poring over digitized photos of sky surveys from the 1980s. After he alerted professional astronomers, the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii zoomed in on the region to create the new, color-composite image.
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Amateur astronomer Matthias Kronberger discovered the soccer-ball nebula, called Kronberger 61, in January 2011 after poring over digitized photos of sky surveys from the 1980s. After he alerted professional astronomers, the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii zoomed in on the region to create the new, color-composite image.
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What happens when a star dies?
July 25, 2011 - West Hawaii Today
This nebula could clear up some questions astronomers have about what happens when a star dies.
Astronomers at the Gemini Observatory, working with an amateur astronomer, have made a discovery that could help the astronomical community learn about planetary nebulae, the large gas clouds scientists say are likely formed at the end of stars' lives, similar to the sun. Scientists believe the nebulae form when the aging stars become unstable and discharge gas from their outer layers.
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This nebula could clear up some questions astronomers have about what happens when a star dies.
Astronomers at the Gemini Observatory, working with an amateur astronomer, have made a discovery that could help the astronomical community learn about planetary nebulae, the large gas clouds scientists say are likely formed at the end of stars' lives, similar to the sun. Scientists believe the nebulae form when the aging stars become unstable and discharge gas from their outer layers.
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Amateur Astronomer Discovers Blue-Raspberry-Shaped Planetary Nebula
July 26, 2011 - Popular Science
Combing through the night sky and looking for possible planetary nebulae is tough, tedious work. NASA actually works with several amateur astronomy groups to examine the findings from its Kepler space observatory, so sometimes, the big discoveries are made by amateurs--including this one, the newest known planetary nebula, named Kronberger 61.
This image, provided by the Gemini Observatory, shows the "ionized shell of expelled gas," colored blue due to the double-ionization of the oxygen. If you look closely, you can see the star at the center of the system--it's the bright bluish dot near the center of the blue-raspberry-like shell.
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Combing through the night sky and looking for possible planetary nebulae is tough, tedious work. NASA actually works with several amateur astronomy groups to examine the findings from its Kepler space observatory, so sometimes, the big discoveries are made by amateurs--including this one, the newest known planetary nebula, named Kronberger 61.
This image, provided by the Gemini Observatory, shows the "ionized shell of expelled gas," colored blue due to the double-ionization of the oxygen. If you look closely, you can see the star at the center of the system--it's the bright bluish dot near the center of the blue-raspberry-like shell.
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In a partnership between amateur and professional astronomers, the recent discovery of a dying star’s last gasps could help resolve a decades-old deba
July 25, 2011 - Honolulu Star Advertiser
A striking image of a planetary nebula taken by the Gemini Observatory on Mauna Kea is adding fuel to a fiery debate about the last gasps of dying stars.
Nebulae form after nuclear fusion in a late-life star can no longer counter the pressure of gravity and the star becomes unstable, pulsates and throws off a shell of gas. The expanding gas is ionized and glows due to the radiation still emitted by the central star.
Some scientists say our sun will share this fate.
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A striking image of a planetary nebula taken by the Gemini Observatory on Mauna Kea is adding fuel to a fiery debate about the last gasps of dying stars.
Nebulae form after nuclear fusion in a late-life star can no longer counter the pressure of gravity and the star becomes unstable, pulsates and throws off a shell of gas. The expanding gas is ionized and glows due to the radiation still emitted by the central star.
Some scientists say our sun will share this fate.
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Gemini captures beauty of planetary nebula discovered by amateur astronomer
July 25, 2011 - Astronomy Magazine
In a partnership between amateur and professional astronomers, the recent discovery of a dying star’s last gasps could help resolve a decades-old debate among astronomers. That is, are stellar companions key to the formation and structure of planetary nebulae?
The discovery, by Austrian amateur astronomer Matthias Kronberger, is featured at an International Astronomical Union symposium on planetary nebulae this week in Spain’s Canary Islands. The research team’s work features a striking image of the new nebula obtained with the Gemini Observatory.
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In a partnership between amateur and professional astronomers, the recent discovery of a dying star’s last gasps could help resolve a decades-old debate among astronomers. That is, are stellar companions key to the formation and structure of planetary nebulae?
The discovery, by Austrian amateur astronomer Matthias Kronberger, is featured at an International Astronomical Union symposium on planetary nebulae this week in Spain’s Canary Islands. The research team’s work features a striking image of the new nebula obtained with the Gemini Observatory.
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Dying star’s last gasps provides new Kepler target
July 25, 2011 - Astronomy Now
A new planetary nebula, recently discovered thanks to the combined efforts of amateur and professional astronomers and within sight of the Kepler spacecraft, could hold the key to understanding how our own Sun's life will end.
The detection of the nebula, Kronberger 61 (Kn 61), along with a striking new image of it from the Gemini Observatory, was presented this week at the International Astronomical Union symposium in Tenerife. It's named after its discoverer, Matthias Kronberger, a member of a group of amateur astronomers called the Deep Sky Hunters, who devote their spare time to hunting through existing datasets to find objects like this. Such a search is difficult because they are "extremely rare and each, a valuable gem," according to George Jacoby of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization and the Carnegie Observatories.
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A new planetary nebula, recently discovered thanks to the combined efforts of amateur and professional astronomers and within sight of the Kepler spacecraft, could hold the key to understanding how our own Sun's life will end.
The detection of the nebula, Kronberger 61 (Kn 61), along with a striking new image of it from the Gemini Observatory, was presented this week at the International Astronomical Union symposium in Tenerife. It's named after its discoverer, Matthias Kronberger, a member of a group of amateur astronomers called the Deep Sky Hunters, who devote their spare time to hunting through existing datasets to find objects like this. Such a search is difficult because they are "extremely rare and each, a valuable gem," according to George Jacoby of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization and the Carnegie Observatories.
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Team aims to score cosmic goal
July 25, 2011 - MSNBC
Professional and amateur astronomers are teaming up to study a cosmic "soccer ball" with a tricky goal in mind: understanding how the death throes of a star are affected by the company it keeps.
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Kronberger 61 is worth noting for aesthetic reasons alone: The image above, captured by the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, highlights the nebula's emissions from twice-ionized oxygen. The dying star can be seen as a point of bluish light close to the center of the ball-shaped nebula.
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Professional and amateur astronomers are teaming up to study a cosmic "soccer ball" with a tricky goal in mind: understanding how the death throes of a star are affected by the company it keeps.
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Kronberger 61 is worth noting for aesthetic reasons alone: The image above, captured by the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, highlights the nebula's emissions from twice-ionized oxygen. The dying star can be seen as a point of bluish light close to the center of the ball-shaped nebula.
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Stunning New Planetary Nebula Unveiled
July 26, 2011 - Wired News
This image of an exquisite puff of interstellar gas, resembling a union of soccer ball and jellyfish, was released July 25 by the Gemini Observatory.
Exhaled by a dying star, the newly-discovered planetary nebula, Kronberger 61, is named for its finder: Austrian Matthias Kronberger, member of the amateur astronomy group Deep Sky Hunters.
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Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July 4: Scientists Discover Oldest Black Hole Using Telescopes on Mauna Kea ShareThis Scientists have discovered one of the oldest objects in the un
July 4, 2011 - Hawaii Public Radio
Scientists have discovered one of the oldest objects in the universe.
It’s what they call a black hole. They found it using two telescopes on Mauna Kea.
The light detected in Hawaii left the black hole 13 billion years ago, says Gemini Observatory scientist Paul Hirst.
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Scientists have discovered one of the oldest objects in the universe.
It’s what they call a black hole. They found it using two telescopes on Mauna Kea.
The light detected in Hawaii left the black hole 13 billion years ago, says Gemini Observatory scientist Paul Hirst.
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Exclusive: Scientist Talks About Mauna Kea Discovery
June 30, 2011 - KITV
This is a rendering, of what scientists call the most distant, and earliest quasar ever discovered. It's a major discovery made by using a telescope high atop Mauna Kea. KITV interview of Paul Hirst, Gemini Observatory. [video/3min.]
This is a rendering, of what scientists call the most distant, and earliest quasar ever discovered. It's a major discovery made by using a telescope high atop Mauna Kea. KITV interview of Paul Hirst, Gemini Observatory. [video/3min.]
Brown dwarfs: the success of failed stars
June 2011 - American Museum of Natural History
The search for the intermediate objects between stars and planets. [video/8min.]
The search for the intermediate objects between stars and planets. [video/8min.]
Friday, July 1, 2011
ULAS J1120+0641 Is The Most Distant Quasar Yet
June 29, 2011 - Science 2.0
A quasar named ULAS J1120+0641, powered by a black hole with a mass two billion times that of the Sun, is by far the brightest object yet discovered in the early Universe - yet.
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The distance to the quasar was determined from observations made with the FORS2 instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and instruments on the Gemini North Telescope [3]. Because the object is comparatively bright it is possible to take a spectrum of it (which involves splitting the light from the object into its component colours). This technique allowed the astronomers to find out quite a lot about the quasar.
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A quasar named ULAS J1120+0641, powered by a black hole with a mass two billion times that of the Sun, is by far the brightest object yet discovered in the early Universe - yet.
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The distance to the quasar was determined from observations made with the FORS2 instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and instruments on the Gemini North Telescope [3]. Because the object is comparatively bright it is possible to take a spectrum of it (which involves splitting the light from the object into its component colours). This technique allowed the astronomers to find out quite a lot about the quasar.
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