Observatories
Observatory Installed on the Coldest, Driest Place on Earth
If you can't afford to send a telescope to space, you'll want the next best thing; a location on Earth…
UK Astronomy Community “Deliberately Sabotaged” By Funding Cuts To Gemini Observatories
UK astronomers have been dealt a serious and unexpected blow. Funding cuts to space research has stopped the nation from…
Flying Telescope Passes Its First Stage of Tests
Telescopes on the ground – while having all sorts of good qualities – have the disadvantage of peering through the…
New Images from the Ground are Better Than Hubble
As telescopes go, Hubble isn't actually that large; it's only 2.4 metres. But it has a huge advantage over the…
The Clear Skies Above Paranal
If you ever wondered why telescopes are perched atop the highest mountains, with the clearest skies, just check out this…
Water Vapour Discovered in an Extrasolar Planet
Scientists have reported the first conclusive evidence of water vapour in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. Before we load…
New Rocket Could Launch Really Big Telescopes
If you've got a really big rocket, what should you use it for? If you're an astronomer, you'll want it…
Plans for a Liquid Lunar Telescope
NASA-funded researchers are working on a clever technology that could deploy a gigantic telescope made from rotating liquid... on the…
Telescope Under the Ice in Antarctica
If you think you need to install a telescope on a mountaintop, or even above the surface of the Earth,…
Sensitive Gemini Instrument Damaged
A key scientific instrument attached to the Gemini South observatory was damaged in late April when a malfunctioning heater raised…