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Why clouds form near black holes EarthSky Voices in SPACE | May 19, 2020 Clouds in the greater universe are clumpy areas of greater density than their surroundings. Space telescopes have observed these cosmic clouds in the vicinity of supermassive black holes. This artist’s concept depicts...

New closest-known black hole lies in a visible star system EarthSky Voices in SPACE | May 6, 2020 Only 1,000 light-years away, the star system can be seen with the unaided eye. Artist’s concept of a black hole via ESO. A team of astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO)...

Milky Way could be catapulting stars into its outer halo Eleanor Imster in SPACE | May 3, 2020 Scientists used computer simulations to learn that our Milky Way galaxy may sometimes launch newly forming stars into the space around itself – that is, into the halo of our galaxy – via outflows...

A large asteroid is due to pass on April 29 Eddie Irizarry in ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS | SPACE | April 23, 2020 You need a telescope to see it, but astronomers have been observing it already. Charts, tips, recent images, how to watch online here. Radar image of asteroid 1998 OR2, acquired...

What UFOs can tell us about life on Earth Steven Gimbel, Washington Post | April 10, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. CDT The entrance to September’s Alienstock festival is marked on the road near Area 51 in Rachel, Nev. A few thousand people attended the lighthearted event. Three new books examine the...

Lyrid meteor shower: All you need to know Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd in ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS | April 20, 2020 Yay! The Lyrids are here. We expect some meteors to be flying Sunday, Monday and Tuesday beginning late at night. In 2020, the likely peak is Wednesday morning, April 22. A new moon...

spacex starlink satellite over europe apr 19 2020 Deborah Byrd in HUMAN WORLD | SPACE | April 20, 2020 On April 19, 2020, many in western Europe were stunned to spot a line of satellites crossing the night sky. They were the SpaceX Starlinks satellites. We woke up this morning to many email...

Phoenix Lights! The most famous reported UFO sighting in the world Kari Steele, ABC 15 Arizona | Apr 09, 2020; updated 4:00 PM, Apr 09, 2020 PHOENIX — The most famous reported UFO sighting in the world took place right here in the Valley. Mysterious formations of static flashes lit up the sky...

BepiColombo’s snaps of Earth en route to Mercury Deborah Byrd in SPACE | TODAY'S IMAGE | April 10, 2020 The European-Japanese Mercury mission, BepiColombo, completed its first flyby last night, sweeping near Earth. The gravity assist fine-tuned the craft’s trajectory. BepiColombo’s images...

Here’s how to see that huge asteroid that’ll safely pass Earth in April Eddie Irizarry, ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS | SPACE | April 8, 2020 A huge asteroid – (52768) 1998 OR2 – will pass closest to Earth on April 29. Astronomers at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico begin detailed observations today...

New podcast revisits Exeter’s UFO past Lara Bricker, Edge Radio | Apr 3, 2020 at 5:08 PM Gotham/Principal DURHAM - The mysterious case of Betty and Barney Hill, a Portsmouth couple who believed they were abducted by extraterrestrials, will be featured in “Strange Arrivals,” a new...

Follow the arc to Arcturus, drive a spike to Spica EarthSky in TONIGHT | April 5, 2020 Follow the arc to Arcturus, and drive a spike to Spica. Scouts learn this phrase. Grandparents teach it to kids. It was one of the first sky tools I learned to use in astronomy. Although a bright moon...

Jupiter gives us Pluto in 2020 Bruce McClure in ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS | SPACE | April 1, 2020 Jupiter and Pluto stay close together on the sky’s dome throughout 2020. This year may well present the best Jupiter-Pluto alignment for centuries to come, with the first of the year’s 3 Jupiter-Pluto...

What is dark energy? Andy Briggs in SPACE | March 31, 2020 Dark energy is one of the great unsolved mysteries of cosmology. It’s now thought to make up 68% of everything in the universe. Illustration showing snapshots from a simulation by astrophysicist Volker Springel of the Max Planck...

Quasar tsunamis rip across galaxies EarthSky Voices in SPACE | March 27, 2020 Astronomers using the Hubble Telescope found that the region around a quasar’s black hole pushes out material at a few percent the speed of light. These quasar tsunamis wreak havoc on the galaxies in which the quasars...

Mizar and Alcor, famous double star Bruce McClure in ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS | BRIGHTEST STARS | March 25, 2020 Mizar and its fainter companion star Alcor are easy to spot in the Big Dipper’s handle. Mizar and Alcor. Image via F. Espenak/astropixels. Mizar and its fainter companion star Alcor...

The 13 Most Fascinating Astronomy Facts From Florida Tech's Astronomy Website Black Hole Depiction 1. Our Sun is one of over 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and the Milky Way is one of over 100 million galaxies in the universe. 2. The planet Saturn would float on water—it’s the...

UFO fans recognize abduction claims on Extraterrestrial Abduction Day: Winnipeg UFOlogist Sam Thompson, Global News | March 20, 2020 4:11 pm - Chris Rutkowski, Canada's foremost UFO expert. John Woods / The Canadian Press / File Although the world is in a serious health crisis with the...

What’s cool about Curiosity’s discovery of organic molecules on Mars Paul Scott Anderson in SPACE | March 19, 2020 The Curiosity rover has found organic molecules called thiophenes, which, on Earth, are associated with biological systems. Are they evidence for once-living microbes on Mars...

Have the first proteins been found in meteorites? Paul Scott Anderson in SPACE | March 17, 2020 Researchers say they’ve discovered the first complete proteins inside 2 meteorites. It’s tantalizing, since proteins play a key role in the cells of living creatures. But will the results hold up to...