16
Jun 15

EAAE 20th Summer School - Last days at reduced fee

If you are an educator interested in didactical materials about astronomy the EAAE Summer School is the place to be between the 20th and the 24th Jul 2015.

Don't miss the last days at a reduced fee until July 1st 2015.

People wishing to mek short presentations should send their abstract to ros@ma4.upc.edu.

Waiting to see you there.

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9
Jun 15

Sharpest View Ever of Star Formation in the Distant Universe

Source: ESO Science Release eso1522

eso1522aMontage of the SDP.81 Einstein Ring and the lensed galaxy.
Image credits: ALMA (NRAO/ESO/NAOJ)/Y. Tamura (The University
of Tokyo)/Mark Swinbank (Durham University)

ALMA’s Long Baseline Campaign has produced a spectacular image of a distant galaxy being gravitationally lensed. The image shows a magnified view of the galaxy’s star-forming regions, the likes of which have never been seen before at this level of detail in a galaxy so remote. The new observations are far sharper than those made using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, and reveal star-forming clumps in the galaxy equivalent to giant versions of the Orion Nebula in the Milky Way. (read more)

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6
Jun 15

Hubble observes chaotic dance of Pluto’s moons

Source: ESA/Hubble

heic1512aThe chaotic spin of Pluto’s moon Nix.
Image credits: NASA, ESA, M. Showalter (SETI Inst.), G. Bacon (STScI).

In a new study, scientists have gathered all available NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope data on the four outer moons of Pluto to analyse the system in more depth than ever before. The observations show that at least two of Pluto’s moons are not neatly rotating on their axes but are in chaotic rotation while orbiting around Pluto and its companion Charon. The study also hints that one of the moons has a mysterious jet-black colouring. These surprising results appear in the 4 June issue of the journal Nature.(read more)

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2
Jun 15

Merging galaxies break radio silence

Source: ESA/Hubble

heic1511a

In the most extensive survey of its kind ever conducted, a team of scientists have found an unambiguous link between the presence of supermassive black holes that power high-speed, radio-signal-emitting jets and the merger history of their host galaxies. Almost all of the galaxies hosting these jets were found to be merging with another galaxy, or to have done so recently. The results lend significant weight to the case for jets being the result of merging black holes and will be presented in the Astrophysical Journal.(read more)

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