2019 February 28 Sharpest Ultima Thule Image Credit: NASA, Johns Hopkins University APL, Southwest Research Institute, National Optical Astronomy Observatory Explanation: On January 1, New Horizons swooped to within 3,500 kilometers of the Kuiper Belt world known as Ultima Thule. That’s about […]
2019 February 27 Magnetic Orion Image Credit & Copyright: NASA, SOFIA, D. Chuss et al. & ESO, M. McCaughrean et al. Explanation: Can magnetism affect how stars form? Recent analysis of Orion data from the HAWC+ instrument on the airborne SOFIA observatory indicate that, at times, it can. HAW
2019 February 26 Simulation TNG50: A Galaxy Cluster Forms Video Credit: IllustrisTNG Project; Visualization: Dylan Nelson (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics) et al. Music: Symphony No. 5 (Ludwig van Beethoven), via YouTube Audio Library Explanation: How do clusters of galaxies form? Since our un
2019 February 25 Red Sprite Lightning over Kununurra Image Credit & Copyright: Ben Broady Explanation: What are those red filaments in the sky? It is a rarely seen form of lightning confirmed only about 30 years ago: red sprites. Recent research has shown that following a powerful positive cloud
2019 February 24 The Expanding Echoes of Supernova 1987A Video Credit & Copyright: David Malin, AAT Explanation: Can you find supernova 1987A? It isn’t hard — it occurred at the center of the expanding bullseye pattern. Although this stellar detonation was first seen in 1987, light f
2019 February 23 The Stars of the Triangulum Galaxy Image Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Durbin, J. Dalcanton, and B. F. Williams (University of Washington) Explanation: Like grains of sand on a cosmic beach, stars of the Triangulum Galaxy are resolved in this sharp mosaic from the Hubble Space TelescopeR
2019 February 22 NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge Image Credit & Copyright: Christoph Kaltseis, CEDIC Explanation: Magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 4565 is viewed edge-on from planet Earth. Also known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, bright NGC 4565 is a stop on many telescopic tours of the nor
2019 February 21 Reflections on vdB 9 Image Credit & Copyright: Guenter Kerschhuber Explanation: Centered in a well-composed celestial still life, pretty, blue vdB 9 is the 9th object in Sidney van den Bergh’s 1966 catalog of reflection nebulae. It shares this telescopic field of view, abo
2019 February 20 Doomed Star Eta Carinae Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt Explanation: Eta Carinae may be about to explode. But no one knows when – it may be next year, it may be one million years from now. Eta Carinae’s mass – about 100 times
2019 February 19 Comet Iwamoto Before Spiral Galaxy NGC 2903 Video Credit & Copyright: Norbert Span Explanation: It isn’t every night that a comet passes a galaxy. Last Thursday, though, binocular comet C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto) moved nearly in front of a spiral galaxy of approximately the same
