April 8th at our observatory we carried out planned observations of Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin). An analysis of the results of the observations shows a rapid growth of the coma. Besides the internal compact gas envelope, the forming rarified external coma is
Mark your calendars for an impressive and upcoming flyby of an asteroid (2005 YU55) that’s one of the larger potentially perilous space rocks in the heavens – in terms of smacking the Earth in the future.It’s the case of asteroid 2005 YU55, a round mini-world
There are plenty of near-Earth asteroids out there, but this latest one studied by two researchers at Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland is extremely rare in that it has a weird, horseshoe-shaped orbit. Not that Asteroid 2010 SO16 does an about-face and turns
It's notable when an asteroid flies past Earth closer than the Moon. Today, April 6th, two asteroids will do this.Newly-discovered space rocks 2011 GW9 and 2011 GP28 will zip through the Earth-Moon system at Earth-distances of 77,000 km and 192,000 km, respectively.
On March 29, 1807, German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers spotted Vesta as a pinprick of light in the sky. Two hundred and four years later, as NASA’s Dawn spacecraft prepares to begin orbiting this intriguing world, scientists now know how special this world is,
A meteor’s million-year journey through the solar system ended in the skies above New Zealand, casting a bright blue light and creating a sonic boom that was heard in Raglan.The lights caused by the meteor’s entry into the earth’s atmosphere about 11pm on Monday
Chandra space telescope recorded a stunning image showing effervescence of supermassive black holes at elliptical galaxy M87 in cluster Virgo. Outbursts and deep sounds have been generated by the black hole for eons as it seems.The black hole at the center of the
Stardust launched in 1999 and in 2004 became the first and so far only mission to collect samples of comet dust when it flew by comet Wild 2. Stardust made a side trip to asteroid Annefrank in 2002 on its way to comet Wild 2. The samples parachuted to Earth in a
If you look at eastern sunset on March 19th you will see a full Moon called "perigee moon". Moon's orbit is oval shaped that results with variations of observed size of full Moon. The orbit of Moon is ellipse that called perigee from closer side and…
This week, sky watchers have a rare opportunity to see Mercury at its best as NASA’s MESSENGER probe prepares to enter orbit around the innermost planet. Look west at sunset: Mercury pops out of the evening twilight alongside Jupiter for a fantastic sky show.Peter
