astronomy

Planet in star system next door may have ocean: study

A rocky planet discovered in the "habitable" zone of the star nearest our Sun may be covered with oceans, according to a new study.
New Horizons delivers first images of icy world since Pluto flyby

The New Horizons space probe is bringing new images of a remnant of the early solar system, after its historic brush with Pluto last summer, reports ABC News.
Discoverer of Neptune's rings dies

Andre Brahic, one of the people who discovered the rings of Neptune, has died aged 73, his publisher says.
Ancient Babylonians 'first to use geometry'

Sophisticated geometry - branch of mathematics that deals with shapes - has been used at least 1,400 years earlier than previously thought, a study suggests.
Astronomers discover largest solar system

Astronomers discover the largest known solar system consisting of a large planet that takes nearly a million years to orbit its star.
5 bright planets to align visibly in the sky

It will be possible to see all the five bright planets align together in the sky for the first time in more than a decade.
Black holes can be spotted with backyard telescopes

For decades, astronomers observe the space around black holes for the occasional flare of light, signaling that a cosmic feeding is underway.
Advance in astronomy 'can help find other worlds'

The pull of gravity on a distant star can now be measured more accurately, shedding light on other worlds, say astronomers.
Canon develops 250 megapixel sensor

Electronics company Canon has developed a 250 megapixel sensor for use in digital cameras.
The Milky Way may be 50% bigger than previously thought (video)

A ring-like filament of stars wrapping around the Milky Way may actually belong to the galaxy itself, rippling above and below the relatively flat galactic plane. If so, that would expand the size of the known galaxy by 50% and raise intriguing questions about what caused the waves of stars.
See Venus and Jupiter dance together tonight

On Tuesday night, Jupiter and Venus will culminate a month-long dance with what astronomers say will be a dazzling display, appearing just a fraction of a degree apart from one another in the night sky--a show that some astronomers say could account for the "Star of Bethlehem" mentioned in the Bible reports CNN.
Black hole seen 'playing billiards'

Astronomers have witnessed two big blobs of plasma, shot into space by a black hole, cannoning into each other in a dramatic cosmic billiard-shot.