Messier 100

Spiral Galaxy Messier 100, shown above in an image captured by the VLT, probably looks quite similar to our Milky Way galaxy. A Type Ia supernova was recently discovered in the galaxy, before it was believed to have reached maximum brightness. In the two weeks following its discovery, the supernova brightened by a factor of 25.

NASA Budget Update

In January 2004, President Bush announced his new Vision for Space Exploration, with the goal of taking humans to the Moon again, and eventually, to Mars. Though this was to be an expensive endeavor, science, both the President and NASA promised, would not be affected. However, on February 6, 2006, the White House presented the NASA budget for 2007, and it appears that science will actually take a severe hit. Though the NASA budget will experience an increase of 3.2%, the funding for science will only increase by 1.5%, and the budget will increase only by 1% for subsequent years. The results: funding for astrobiology will be 50% of its present value, Europa mission cancelled, Terrestrial Planet Finder cancelled, SIM delayed, scout missions to Mars cancelled, and Dawn missions to explore asteroids cancelled. More discussion from Fraser Cain here.

Pluto: Planet or Not?

The above image of Pluto and its three known moons was recently captured by Hubble. Since the discovery of UB313 (now nicknamed Xena) about a year ago, the discussion of whether Pluto still qualifies as a planet has been seen on the news, in documentaries, and across countless internet sites. Yesterday, Fraser Cain of UniverseToday.com published the following discussion about the definition of a planet, and whether Pluto still qualifies as one.

New Type of Star Discovered

A new type of star has been discovered by astronomers working at the Jodrell Bank Observatory. These stars are similar to pulsars in that they produce brief, millisecond radio flashes, however, the new objects differ from pulsars in the greater amount of time - from 4 minutes to 3 hours - that they stay silent after each flash. Astronomers' current theory about these objects is that they build up energy over several hundred rotations, and then release it in a single burst.

Mt. Fuji Captured by ALOS

The above image of Mt. Fuji in Japan is the first captured by Japan's recently launched Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS). The satellite was launched on January 24, 2006, and is carrying three different instruments to observe Earth. Mt. Fuji is Japan's highest mountain at 3,776 meters, and a volcano that has been dormant since its last eruption in 1707.

Mega Solar System Discovered

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered potential solar systems surrounding two massive stars, 30 and 70 times the mass of our Sun. These stars generate intense solar winds, so it's surprising that disks of material could last near them long enough to form planets. Astronomers believe these disk contain massive quantities of icy material, similar to the Kuiper belt in our own Solar System, but extending out 60 times more distant than Pluto's orbit. (From UniverseToday.com)

Hubble's Pinwheel Galaxy

Hubble recently released the above image of NGC 1309, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy. With these observations, astronomers hope to determine a more accurate estimate of the expansion of the Universe.

Tenth Planet Larger Than Pluto

When UB313 was discovered a little more than a year ago, it was immediately believed to be larger than Pluto based on its greater brightness. However, UB313 orbits the Sun in a highly elongated orbit, bringing it twice as far away from the Sun as Pluto, making it difficult to measure its diameter directly. Finally, German astronomers using the 30m IRAM Telescope in Spain have arrived at an estimate for UB313's diameter at around 3000km, roughly 700km larger than Pluto. Based on its large distance from the Sun, UB313's surface temperature is believed to be around -250 degrees celsius, and because of their similar albedos, it is believed to have a surface similar to that of Pluto: frozen methane and nitrogen snow. With this measurement of UB313's diameter, it is the largest body found in the Solar System since the discovery of Neptune in 1846.

Icy Exoplanet Discovered

The above image shows an artist's conception of a recently discovered exoplanet. This planet is only five times the size of Earth, and orbits a red dwarf at a distance three times greater than that separating Earth and the Sun. Because of this large distance and the small size of its star, the expected surface temperature of the planet is -220 degrees celsius.

Most Milky Way Stars Single

Stars like the Sun and larger have long been known to form in double or multiple systems, leading to the now-common belief among astronomers that most stars in the Universe exist in multiple systems. However, a recent study carried out at Harvard's Center for Astrophysics has shown that low-mass stars rarely form in systems. These red, low-mass stars are significantly more abundant than the heavier, bluer stars, and therefore, this new study concludes that most stars in the galaxy are solitary red dwarfs. Additionally, since planets are believed to form more easily around single stars, planets may also be more abundant than previously believed.