Galactic 鈥榲apour trails鈥 uncovered in giant cluster

20 September 2013

Astronomers have discovered enormous smooth shapes that look like vapour trails in a gigantic galaxy cluster. These 鈥榓rms鈥 span half a million light years and provide researchers with clues to a billion years of collisions within the 鈥済iant cosmic train wreck鈥 of the Coma cluster.

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Beyond the blinding starlight

11 March 2013

Study reveals chemical composites of exoplanet atmospheres 128 light years away. Scientists say techniques will 鈥渙ne day provide evidence of life beyond Earth鈥.

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Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 6217

Are we ready to meet ET?

05 March 2013

Once only science fiction, astronomers are now finding hundreds of planetary systems beyond our own. Given recent discoveries through space exploration, it is entirely feasible that we may soon discover the existence of extra-terrestrial life forms on other planets.

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Venus, Jupiter and the Moon viewed from Earth.

Your chance to meet the stars

30 November 2012

Experience a free night of stargazing in Cambridge to coincide with the BBC鈥檚 鈥淪targazing Live鈥 when it returns to our screens in January.

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An image of the star Gilese 581 (bottom of image), with an illustration of the debris disc superimposed to show its position.

Low-mass planets make good neighbours for debris discs

27 November 2012

Astronomers using the Herschel Space Observatory have detected massive debris discs around two nearby stars hosting low-mass planets. 探花直播discovery suggests that debris discs may survive more easily in planetary systems without high-mass planets.

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