A new multimillion-rand telescope in the Karoo will offer astronomers an unprecedented view of the stars. The MeerLICHT instrument in Sutherland will be specifically linked to the MeerKAT radio telescope array near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape. Unlike its bigger brother SALT (Southern African Large Telescope), the MeerLICHT is meant …
Since the beginning of the space age, astronomers have dreamed of putting telescopes and other instruments on the far side of the moon. Not only would that avoid all the distortions and disturbances caused by Earth's turbulent atmosphere, but equally important, the moon's mass would block the noisy torrent of …
New York: Astronomers at the University of Sussex claim to have calculated that the Sun will vapourise Earth in about 7.6 billion years unless our planet's orbit is altered. According to them, the Sun's slow expansion will cause the temperature on the surface of the Earth to rise
Astronomers claim to have discovered a rich diversity of at least 67 gravitational lenses around a number of massive elliptical and lenticular-shaped galaxies in the distant Universe, using the Hubble Space Telescope. The strong lensing produced by massive galaxies is much more common than the usual giant "arc' gravitationally lensed …
Experts have discovered that the Milky Way is twice as thick than previously believed. According to a report in ABC, the discovery was made by professor Bryan Gaensler from the University of Sydney and his team. The research team found out that the enormous spiral-shaped collection gas and stars is …
Washington: American warships are moving into position to try to shoot down an out-of-control spy satellite as early as Wednesday before it tumbles into the Earth's atmosphere, Pentagon officials said here on Tuesday. Armed with two specially modified interceptor missiles, the
20-60% Stars Can Give Rise To Life-Supporting Planets Boston (Massachusetts): Planets resembling Earth can be found orbiting many Sun-like stars in our galaxy, increasing the prospects of finding extraterrestial life on some of them, according to a study released on Sunday. University of Arizona astronomer Michael Meyer, working with Nasa's …
Boston: Life on Mars may have been snuffed out early on because the water there was too salty, a biologist involved in exploring the red planet said. "Mars has been a very dry place for a very long time,' said Andrew Knoll, an expert member of a team operating two …
Titan, the deep-frozen moon of Saturn, is emerging as the most likely place in the solar system for new life to evolve, according to scientists who have been studying its atmosphere and surface chemistry. They found that Titan's atmosphere is drenched in a wide range of complex organic molecules very …
Researchers have discovered two planets in a solar system 5,000 lightyears away that appear to be structured in some important ways like our own. The planets are gas giants similar to but smaller than Jupiter and Saturn. In addition, they circle their star at a distance proportional to the distances …
Astronomers Discover A Scaled-Down Version Of Our Planet System Washington: Astronomers and amateur stargazers have used an unusual technique to find a solar system that closely resembles our own and say it may be a new and more productive way to scour the universe for planets
It Formed 700 Million Years After Our Universe Began, Claim Astronomers New York: Astronomers have discovered a galaxy which they claim is one of the youngest and brightest ever seen right after the cosmic "dark ages', just 700 million years after the beginning of our Universe. The Hubble Space Telescope …
Europe is to launch the most powerful space telescope ever built, with the ability to capture light from stars that were born and died up to 13 billion years ago. The Herschel space telescope, named after an 18th-century British astronomer, could help solve the mystery of how galaxies and stars …
twin of the sun: Astronomers have found the Sun's long-lost twin. The star HIP 56948, considered to be the best solar twin, is about 200 light-years away. The mid-sized star is one of many in the Draco constellation and may be a billion years older than the middle-aged Sun
google Sky images of the night sky have become clearer. New colour images taken at different wavelengths were added to the interactive online feature on October 2. Each image contains specific information about space. They were taken as part of the All-wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (aegis) which has …
The surprise discovery of a vast void in the universe will give a new dimension to the study of the development of the universe. Cosmology probes how cosmic structures developed in the universe after the Big Bang. The discovery raises questions about the current understanding of the development of the …
marburg hemorrhagic fever: Following two cases of Marburg hemorrhagic fever in Uganda, scientists are collecting bats from the country's lead and gold mines where the victims had worked. Around five million bats live in and around these mines. Scientists are testing these bats for Marburg virus antibodies. Samples have been …
lab tool: A professor at University of Delhi has developed a new instrument that can measure the surface tension and viscosity of liquids together. The
On April 24, 2007, astronomers announced the discovery of a "super-earth'. This planet, outside the solar system, is in the "habitable zone' of space where the presence of water is quite likely, making the planet suitable for life, say researchers led by St
birth and death of stars has intrigued scientists all along. A recent study has dispelled the notion that massive stars die with violent accompaniments such as bursts of light and ejection of chemicals (also called supernova explosion). Astronomers have stumbled upon a class of such stars that die silently. On …
On Decmber 22, 2006, sculptor Lita Albuquerque put up for view, an artist's conception of the realities of vast time and space in an unlikely gallery: a corner of Antarctica. Stellar Axis, a 182 metre installation, consisting of 99 blue fiberglass spheres of varying sizes in a pattern mirroring the …
