First Ring System Found Around an Asteroid

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One significant feature that links Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune is the presence of ring system.  Now a fifth solar system body can be added to this rarefied group, and it is a rather surprising addition.  Observations at several sites in South America including ESO’s La Silla Observatory have discovered… Click to read more

A large Lunar Impact Blast on 11 September 2013

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On the 11th September 2013 at 20hrs 07min 28.68secs ±0.01secs UTC, two telescopes operated in MIDAS network recorded an bright flash produced by the impact on the Moon of a large meteoroid. The peak brightness of this flash reached 2.9 ± 0.2 mag in V and it lasted over 8 seconds, with estimated energy of 15.6 ± 2.5 tons of TNT. Work has important implications for impact flux on Earth. Click to read more

First International Dark Sky Reserve Named in Ireland

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More good news for those of us who treasure dark skies to enjoy the wonders of the universe.  On January 27, 2014, the International Dark Sky Association named its first International Dark Sky Place in the Republic of Ireland.  Not only is the first in Ireland, but Kerry International Dark… Click to read more

The International Dark Sky Association names two new UK dark sky places

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On December 9th 2013, the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) announced that it has designated two new International Dark Sky Places in the United Kingdom, including one representing the largest land area of protected night skies in all of Europe. Click to read more

Recently Observed Comet ISON Brightening likely due to fragmentation

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Images taken of Comet ISON in the last few days by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and the Wendelstein Observatory of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Germany suggest that one or more fragments may have detached from the main nucleus of Comet ISON which may explain the recent outburst of activity reported last week. Click to read more