... Planets . ... Earth Satellites . ... Looking in the direction of the constellation Cygnus the Swan and launched by NASA in 2009 is the Kepler Space Observatory.Many previous missions searching for exoplanets mainly detected large giant planets, like large hot Jupiters (it is easier to detect larger planets).However KeplerтАЩs main objective is to search for much smaller planets located in a habitable zone which is not too close nor too far from their star; planets which may be just like our Earth. ...

Two groups are measuring distant supernovae with the goal of determining whether the Universe is open or closed by measuring the curvature in the Hubble diagram. The figure below shows both data sets: Perlmutter et al. (1997) and (1998) in black and Garnavich et al. (1997) in orange. The curves show a closed Universe (Omega = 2) in red, the critical density Universe (Omega = 1) in black, the empty Universe (Omega = 0) in green, and the steady state model in blue. ... Tutorial : Part 1 | ...

Astronomy Picture of the Day . Closer To Beta Pic . ... Credit: S. R. Heap ( LASP / GSFC ), NASA Explanation: What did our Solar System look like as the planets were forming ? ... Beta Pic is surrounded by a disk of dust which we view nearly edge-on. The dust disk shines by reflected starlight and has been examined with ever increasing detail to search for signs of planetary formation. ... NASA Official: Jay Norris. ... Publications with keywords: planetary system - circumstellar disk . ...

... But there also exists a practical angle: in a world increasingly dependent on electricity and electronics, the "space weather" outside the atmosphere can have serious effects, in particular on human communications. Currently more than 200 communication satellites circle the Earth in synchronous orbit . ... For a view of NOAA's "space weather report," click here ; another such report, from the University of Michigan, is linked here . ... Another such event occured April 7-11, 1997 . ...

... Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2004 March 1 . Cassini Closes in on Saturn . Credit: Cassini Imaging Team , SSI , JPL , ESA , NASA . Explanation: Are they gone? ... The mystery revolves around strange shadow-like spokes that appeared on Saturn's large B-ring , the large middle ring in the complex system of particles that orbits Saturn . ... About APOD | ...

... With enough velocity, a spacecraft can break loose from the Earth's gravity and enter an orbit around the Sun, like that of a planet. If it then orbits the Sun with the same period as the Earth--one year--it may keep a fixed position relative to Earth. ... If the distance is just right--about 4 times the distance to the Moon or 1/100 the distance to the Sun--the spacecraft, too, will need just one year to go around the Sun, and will keep its position between the Sun and the Earth. ...

... Миссия "Cassini - Huygens" (NASA и ESA) . ... Хронология за 2007-2008 года . ... Cassini short engine burn number 87 to stay on course . ... Farthest distance (1,900,000 km; 1,200,000 mi) from . ... Close (altitude = 1,000 km; 600 mi) of moon . ... Closest distance (760,000 km; 472,000 mi) to on rev number 37 . ... Closest distance (941,000 km; 585,000 mi) to on rev number 38 . ... Closest distance (730,000 km; 454,000 mi) to on rev number 40 . ... Distant (altitude = 102,000 km; 63,000 mi) of moon ...

... Currently, there is very little information on comets which are active beyond the orbit of Jupiter. ... Previous observations conducted by our team with the SAO RAS 6-m telescope showed that some of these comets have extended tails dissimilar to the tails of comets forming at close heliocentric distances. ... We for the first time measured the linear polarization of scattered emission for the two distant comets C/2010 S1 (LINEAR) and C/2010 R1 (LINEAR) at heliocentric distances of 5.9-7.0 au. ...

Microsymposium 34, MS047, 2001 SOME PROBLEMS OF THE EVOLUTION OF ASTEROIDS ­ RUBBLE PILE. ... Evidently, we can distinguish two processes: distant interactions, where there is no direct contact between separate fragments, and close contact interactions, where the fragments collide with one another. ... Such a rubble pile with a dust atmosphere differs from a cometary nucleus only in the absence of a volatile gas component, which is usually considered the cause of the appearance of cometary dust. ...

... We have measured this "redshift" for the pink black holes, and allowed for it in our calculations. ... We see this effect in the emission from gas around these pink black holes, but it is far too small an effect to account for the pinkness. Thus the swirling motions of gas around or into the black holes cannot produc the colour. ... At first we thought that these things were normal blue black holes hidden behind clouds of interstellar dust, that absorbed the blue light and made them appear pink. ...

The planets Jupiter and Venus will make an apparent close approach to each other on the early morning of Friday, 5th November. When Jupiter rises above the eastern horizon at 4.07 a.m. for Northern Ireland viewers, it will be just about one Moon-width away from the much more brilliant Venus. ... In reality, a vast distance will separate the planets. ... FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John McFarland at the Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG. ...

... Science User Portal . ... ESO, the European Southern Observatory . ... Travel and Contacts . Travel to ESO Headquarters . ... Survey Telescopes . ... Images . ... Galaxies . ... Star Clusters . ... Usage of ESO Images and Videos . ... Usage of ESO Videos and Images . ... Stars@ESO . ... ESO Science Newsletter . ... ESO 3.6-metre telescope . ... MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope . ... ESO 1-metre Schmidt telescope . ... ESO Science Outreach Network . ... Close-ups of some of the most distant galaxies. ...