WELCOME

ISSUE 155

News from around the universe

© NOIRLab 12 March 2024 Record-breaking image of

WIN A SKY-WATCHER SKYHAWK-114 WORTH £159

Ideal for the beginner, this reflector comes fully equipped for superb views of the night sky

ROGUE PLANETS

ORPHAN PLANETS RIPPED AWAY FROM THEIR STELLAR PARENTS OR BORN IN ISOLATION MAY VASTLY OUTNUMBER STARS

BLACK HOLE POWER

Interstellar flight will need a tremendous amount of energy, but we may be able to store it in a miniature black hole

“There’s nothing mutually exclusive about being a scientist”

All About Space talks to the astrophysicist and YouTube sensation about life, the universe and everything

ICY ASTEROIDS HELP THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE UNCOVER NEPTUNE’S HISTORY

The powerful space telescope zoomed in on Mors-Somnus, a binary pair of icy asteroids that originated within the Kuiper Belt

STUNNING IMAGES FROM THE VERY LARGE TELESCOPE CAPTURE UNIQUE VIEWS OF PLANET FORMATION

The research highlights how different systems form

OCEAN WORLDS

If physics and chemistry are the same throughout the universe, is biology too?

THE MYSTERY OF THE GREAT BLUE SPOT DEEPENS WITH A STRANGELY FLUCTUATING JET

A magnetic blemish on Jupiter is being investigated

IS IT TIME FOR A NEW OUTER SPACE TREATY? REPORTS OF A RUSSIAN NUCLEAR SPACE WEAPON RAISE QUESTIONS

With space technology able to be used as weaponry, how can we stop Earth orbit from becoming a war zone?

IMPOSSIBLE STELLAR GIANT

Some 165,000 light years from Earth, the heaviest star in the known universe lies at the heart of a brilliant star cluster – a rare type of blue hypergiant with a mass of around 230 Suns

THE BOILING SURFACE OF BETELGEUSE MAY BE CREATING AN ILLUSION

The scorching-hot surface of the red supergiant is tricking telescopes

DID VENUS ONCE HAVE A MOON?

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

SCIENTISTS FIND A BLACK HOLE SPAGHETTIFYING A STAR REMARKABLY CLOSE TO EARTH

With the black hole feeding in such close proximity to Earth, finer details of the tidal disruption event were revealed to astronomers

Ask Space

Plants grown in space can help feed astronauts

DEEP-SPACE ASTRONOMY SENSOR PEERS INTO THE HEART OF AN ATOM

Initially developed for space observations, the Compton camera has now proven its worth as a tool for addressing complex scientific questions in other domains as well

SPRING GALAXY TOUR

Take a galactic excursion this spring with All About Space

URSA MAJOR

1 Messier 81 (Bode’s Galaxy) Constellation: Ursa Major

THIS MONTH’S PLANETS

This observing period offers the opportunity to see an ice giant with the unaided eye

THE MOON THROUGH YOUR TELESCOPE

If you’re thinking about getting an instrument or already have one, here’s what you can see on the lunar surface with it

NAKED EYE AND BINOCULAR TARGETS

Sweep your binoculars around Hercules to see some fascinating sights

CASSIOPEIA’S DARK-SKY ROYALTY

How to track down some of the Queen’s most sneakily concealed crown jewels

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

The season of spring galaxies is upon us, with plenty of night-sky gems

NIKON Z6 CAMERA

The Nikon Z6 is part of Nikon’s mirrorless suite of cameras, and when you combine price with performance, it’s a real star in the night-sky photography world

IN THE SHOPS: BOOKS

Pick your next read from this excellent space-themed selection

VERA RUBIN

Rubin unlocked the secrets of galaxy rotation

ALL ABOUT SPACE

Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1