The week in pictures: February 2ò??8, 2013
In the past seven days, astronomers discovered strobe-like flashes in a suspected binary protostar, amateur and professional astronomers teamed up to produce one of the best views yet of nearby spiral galaxy M106, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft acquired its first images of Comet ISON, and more.
Published: Friday, February 08, 2013
NASA/ESA/J. Muzerolle (STScI)/E. Furlan (NOAO and Caltech)/K. Flaherty (Univ. of Arizona/Steward Observatory)/Z. Balog (MPIA)/R. Gutermuth (Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Telescopes discover strobe-like flashes in a suspected binary protostar
Astronomers propose the light flashes are caused by periodic
interactions between two newly formed stars that are gravitationally
bound to each other.
Learn more ÒËNASA/ESA/The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)/R. Gendler (for the Hubble Heritage Team); Acknowledgment: J. GaBany
Amateur and professional astronomers team up to reveal a spiral galaxy with a secret
Besides microwave emission from M106ò??s galactic center, the galaxy has
another startling feature ò?? instead of two spiral arms, it appears to
have four.
Learn more ÒËGraduate Univ. for Advanced Studies and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Direct infrared image of an arm in disk demonstrates transition to planet formation
The image shows the dynamic environment in which planets may be born and
gives information about constraints on the distance at which planets
can form from a central star.
Learn more ÒËSmall asteroid to whiz past Earth safely
The passage of 2012 DA
14 on February 15 will be a record close approach for a known object of its size.
Learn more ÒËDeep Impact spacecraft eyes Comet ISON
The Comet ISON imaging campaign is expected to yield infrared data and
light curves, which are used in defining the cometò??s rotation rate, in
addition to visible-light images.
Learn more ÒËSuper-TIGER balloon breaks records while collecting data
The science balloon team broke the record for longest flight by a
balloon of its size, and longest flight of any heavy-lift scientific
balloon.
Learn more ÒËAdler Planetarium/IBEX Team
Enigmatic "ribbon" of energy discovered by NASA satellite explained
Researchersò?? new theory proposes that the ribbon is a region where
particles, originally from the solar wind, become trapped due to intense
waves and vibrations in the local galactic magnetic field.
Learn moreÒšÒË Are super-Earths actually mini-Neptunes?
A new study suggests that recently discovered super-Earths are actually
surrounded by extended hydrogen-rich envelopes, and they are unlikely to
ever become Earth-like.
Learn more ÒËIllustration by David A. Aguilar (CfA)
Earth-like planets are right next door
Astronomers have found that 6 percent of red dwarf stars have habitable Earth-sized planets.
Learn more ÒËESAò??C. Carreau/NazÓ?, et al.
Massive stellar winds are made of tiny pieces
Using XMM-Newton observations, astronomers for the first time have
placed constraints on the number of fragments in an adult massive starò??s
stellar wind.
Learn more ÒË