Cassini looks into the 245-kilometer (150-mile) wide crater Melanthius in this view of the southern terrain on Tethys. The crater possesses a prominent cluster of peaks in its center which are relics of its formation.
Notable here is a distinct boundary in crater abundance — the cratering density is much higher in […]

We’re now beginning to see widespread reaction to the International Astronomical Union’s newly-adopted planetary guidelines, from scientists, astronomers, and the general public. Some argue that the end result makes sense both logically and scientifically, given that Pluto’s characteristics tend to distance it from our more prominent planetary neighbors. Others staunchly oppose the verdict, incensed by […]

Big news came down the pike yesterday. For the first time ever, it was announced that scientists have directly detected the existence of dark matter - elusive particles thought to account for roughly a quarter of the universe’s mass under current cosmological models. There are still numerous, fundamental questions to tackle about a universe in […]

Artist’s concept of 2003 UB313. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Schaller (for STScI)
It appears that the festivities are getting rather interesting in Prague as astronomers attending the IAU’s XXVIth General Assembly continue trying to hammer out what exactly constitutes a planet. (See my previous entry for more details.)
Richard Fienberg, editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope […]

Under the new proposal being considered by the IAU, our solar system will include nine twelve planets, and that’s probably just the beginning. Credit: International Astronomical Union/Martin Kornmesser
I’m sure by now you’ve caught wind of the long-awaited news:
The world’s astronomers, under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), have concluded two years of […]

NASA is remembering pioneering astrophysicist James Van Allen, who died Aug. 9 at the age of 91.
“James Van Allen was one of the greatest and most accomplished American space scientists of our time and few researchers had such wide range of expertise in so many scientific disciplines,” said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. “NASA’s path of […]

M33 (NGC 598), spiral galaxy in Triangulum, is thought to be some 2.6 million light years distant — but that estimate may require further revision. Image credit: Adam Block / NOAO / AURA / NSF
Take a gander at today’s fascinating press release from Ohio State University:
An Ohio State University astronomer and his colleagues have […]