News

A very massive star collapsed to form a neutron star and not a black hole as anticipated, according to new results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This discovery shows that nature has a harder time making black holes than previously thought. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

Astronomers have gotten their deepest glimpse into the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy, peering closer to the supermassive black hole at the Galaxy's core then ever before. Using the National Science Foundation's continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), they found that a radio-wave-emitting object at the Galaxy's center would nearly fit between the Earth and the Sun. This is half the size measured in any previous observation. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

Does this eyepiece live up to it's rep? This week's review winner expresses one opinion very well.

Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to view the ninth planet in our solar system, astronomers discovered Pluto may have not one, but three moons. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

Mars has delivered an early Halloween treat for observers in the Western Hemisphere.

B612 Foundation Statement Regarding NASA’s Analysis of Asteroid 99942 Apophis Impact Potential

Images of Saturn's narrow and contorted F ring returned by cameras onboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed phenomena not previously detected in any planetary ring. The findings are reported in Nature (27th October 2005). <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

An astromart member remembers his first 6" dob and illustrates just how far things have come in terms of beginner's equipment in this week's review winner.

X-ray cameras designed by MIT astrophysicists are a key component of a new instrument aboard an orbiting Japanese observatory that will probe the secrets of such phenomena as exploding stars. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has spotted the very beginnings of what might become planets around the puniest of celestial orbs - brown dwarfs, or "failed stars." <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

NASA is using the unique capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope for a new class of scientific observations of the Earth's moon. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

This wide-field, highpower eyepiece goes under the microscope in this week's review winner.

During the Cassini spacecraft's only close flyby of the grayish moon, on Oct. 11, 2005, the spacecraft came within 500 kilometers (310 miles) of the surface. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory revealed a new generation of stars spawned by a super-massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This novel mode of star formation may solve several mysteries about these super-massive black holes that reside at the centers of nearly all galaxies. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

A stalwart of the imaging community, Takahashi's venerable NJP gets the once over in this week's review contest winner.