A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
A newly released set of images, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope before the recent Servicing Mission, highlight the ongoing drama in two galaxies in the Virgo Cluster affected by a process known as “ram pressure stripping”, which can result in peculiar-looking galaxies.
Continue reading… “‘Ram Pressure’ Stripping Galaxies, Hubble Space Telescope Scientists Find”
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In a break from its usual task of searching for distant cosmic explosions, NASA’s Swift satellite has acquired the highest-resolution view of a neighboring spiral galaxy ever attained in the ultraviolet. The galaxy, known as M31 in the constellation Andromeda, is the largest and closest spiral galaxy to our own.
Continue reading… “Swift Makes Best-ever Ultraviolet Portrait Of Andromeda Galaxy”
A little more of the universe has been pried out of the shadows. Two groups of astronomers have taken the first pictures of what they say – and other astronomers agree – are most likely planets going around other stars.
Continue reading… “Scientists Directly Observe Three Distant Planets”
Research presented at a recent astronomical conference is being hailed as ushering in a new era in the search for Earth-like planets by showing that they are more numerous than previously thought and that scientists can now analyze their atmospheres for elements that might be conducive to life.