I’m often asked about the space probes that are leaving the solar system, never to return. There are five of them: Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 – all launched in the 1970s – and New Horizons, which began its journey to Pluto and beyond in 2006.
Once in a while, our planet reminds us of its awesome power by releasing a little of the magma that permeates its mantle in a volcanic eruption.
Ask almost anyone which planet has rings around it, and you’ll get the answer “Saturn”, especially if they’ve ever viewed it through a telescope. But not many people know that the other gas giants in our Solar System – Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune – also have rings, although they’re much fainter than those of Saturn.
One of the most enduring mysteries of astronomy and space science is something that’s come to be universally known as the ‘Wow! signal’.
Every year, I receive a celestial birthday present. No, it’s not because of any secret insider connection with the universe, but a simple coincidence that on the day in question – 14 December – Earth ploughs through a swarm of dusty particles, which results in a shower of bright meteors.
Researchers are studying gravitational lenses to find out what dark matter is made of.
The new Huntsman Telescope can see deep into the darkness where faint celestial structures hide.