Asteroid Explodes Over Canada, Artemis I Updates, Very Large Telescope Improvements
Updates on Artemis I. NASA predicted an asteroid striking Canada. James Webb’s view of Titan. New adaptive optics for the Very Large Telescope.
A New Instrument Gives the Very Large Telescope an Even Sharper View of the Cosmos
The Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Cerro Paranal in northern Chile, is undoubtedly one of the premier ground-based observatories. But a new infrared instrument recently installed on the telescope has made the VLT even better. The Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) was delivered to Chile in December, 2021 and the first test observations were …
A New View of the Cone Nebula From the Very Large Telescope
Here’s a dramatic and spectacular new view of the Cone Nebula, as seen by the Very Large Telescope (VLT). This nebula is part of a distant star-forming region called NGC 2264, which about 2,500 light-years away. Its pillar-like appearance is a perfect example of the shapes that can develop in giant clouds of cold molecular …
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A LEGO® Version of the Very Large Telescope. It Even has a Laser Interferometer
Interferometers are some of the most highly advanced sensor instruments that humans have made. They are used in everything from astronomy to quantum mechanics and have profoundly impacted our understanding of science. But not all interferometers have to be functional. A Dutch astronomer named Frans Snik has just designed one that, while it isn’t function, …
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Very Large Telescope Images Of Jupiter Prepare Us For Juno Arrival
In preparation for Juno’s arrival at Jupiter, a team from the European Southern Observatory is creating a breathtaking infrared map of Jupiter
Watch Live: A Day in the Life of the Very Large Telescope
Ever wonder what takes place on a daily basis at one of the premier ground-based observatories? The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and on October 5, 2012, they will host a free, live event on the web, “A Day in the Life of ESO.” There will be live observations from ESO’s …
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The Next Generation Very Large Array Would be 263 Radio Telescopes Spread Across North America
The iconic Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico has been at the forefront of astrophysical research since its dedication in 1980. The Y-shaped configuration of 27 radio astronomy dishes have made key discoveries about the cosmos, while becoming a part of pop-culture in several high-profile movies. But the aging array is due for an …
The Discovery of a Hot Neptune that Shouldn’t Exist
1800 light-years away, an unlikely survivor orbits an aged star. This rare planet is called a hot Neptune, and it’s one of only a small handful of hot Neptunes astronomers have found. Hot Neptunes are so close to their stars that the overpowering stellar radiation should’ve stripped away their atmospheres, leaving only a planetary core …
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Christiaan Huygens’ Telescope Lenses Tell Us He Was Nearsighted
A world-famous 17th-century astronomer credited with discovering Saturn’s moon Titan may have needed glasses, according to a recent paper in the Royal Society Journal of the History of Science. In an era when telescope technology was less than a century old, and evolving rapidly through trial-and-error iterations, Christiaan Huygens was known for producing lenses of …
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A Very Young Star is Forming Near the Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole
An international team of astronomers spotted a young, massive star orbiting very close to Sagittarius A*, which was previously thought to be impossible.