Universe Today - January 11, 2002
A note from Fraser... Why All the Astronomy Stories?
I don't know if you've noticed, but Universe Today has been filled with astronomy-related stories. Normally there's a pretty equal mixture of astronomy and spaceflight stories, but the American Astronomical Society is having its annual conference in Washington DC. So, enjoy (or despise) it while it lasts. It'll all even out in a few days again.
Fraser Cain, Publisher - Universe Today
 JHU |
An Aquamarine Universe
In case you were wondering, the average colour for the entire Universe - if you mixed the light spectrum from all the stars together - is a sort of aquamarine. Before you dismiss this information as trivial, though, keep in mind that the combined colour of the Universe helps us understand its age and the stages of life it will go through. Shortly after the big bang, the Universe would have been more blue with young stars, and far into the future, it will become more red with predominantly older stars.
Original Source:
JHU News Release
Other Coverage: BBC News - CNN Space - Cosmiverse - Discovery.com Similar Stories: Astronomy Related Sites: Astronomy Related Books: Astronomy |
 NASA |
Planet Found Orbiting Giant Star
A team of astronomers have discovered the first planet orbiting a giant star. Unlike previous extrasolar planet discoveries, which have been found around stars in the middle of their life, this 8.5 Jupiter mass planet orbits iota Draconis, an old star with a radius of 13 times our own Sun. Detecting the planet was very difficult because older stars tend to pulsate, which can throw off astronomers' calculations.
Original Source:
UC Press Release
Other Coverage: BBC News - CNN Space - Cosmiverse Similar Stories: Extrasolar Planets Related Sites: Extrasolar Planets Related Books: Extrasolar Planets |