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supernova

Latest News

Hubble Observes Spectacular Supernova Time-Lapse

The NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope has tracked the fading light of a supernova in the spiral galaxy NGC 2525, located 70 million light years away. Supernovae like this one can be used as cosmic tape measures, allowing astronomers to calculate the distance to their galaxies. Hubble captured these images as Read more…

By Sinead Mackle, 4 months4 months ago
Astronomers

How Iron Keeps Us Safe

Have you ever been worried about the impact of an asteroid wiping out human life? Well, I have some disturbing news for you: there is another possibility involving the explosion of a massive star that gives rise to a gamma-ray burst (called by astronomers simply a GRB), when the star ends its life producing a black hole.

By Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, 2 years2 years ago
Comets and Asteroids

As written by the students: Observing Asteroids

The Observatory and Planetarium has welcomed school students to visit for work experience. A previous Astronote described our work with the Faulkes Telescope Project. Below is an account written by three of our work experience students in 2018 March, based on the work done at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium by them and three other students.

By Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, 3 years ago
Other Galaxies

Supernova in the Cigar Galaxy

Once again, astronomers around the world are investigating a stellar explosion, a supernova, in M82, a galaxy 12 million light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Although supernovae are awesomely destructive, this event is far, far too distant to cause any danger at all to our planet.   Discovered Read more…

By Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, 7 years7 years ago
Stars

How Far Away is the Farthest Star?

Looking up in to the night sky it’s not difficult to see why the ancient Greeks believed that all the stars in the night sky were fixed on a celestial sphere revolving around the Earth and other planets. From our view on Earth the stars appear to be at a Read more…

By Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, 8 years6 years ago
Stars

6 Theories about the Star of Bethlehem

What was the Star of Bethlehem? Recorded only in the Gospel of Matthew, this mysterious celestial object is said to have heralded the Nativity. For millennia stargazers have wondered what it may have been.     Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod Read more…

By Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, 9 years5 years ago
Stars of NGC 3603. This is a “starburst region” : a cosmic factory where stars form frantically from a nebula’s extended clouds of gas and dust. Located 22 000 light-years away from the Sun, this is the closest region of this kind known in our galaxy. (Image credit: ESO)
Stars

What are the stars?

A clear night sky is a thing of beauty and wonder. Thousands of scattered stars twinkle in the darkness. What are the stars? How do they live and die? Could an exploding star cause disaster on Earth? Over the past century or so astronomers have by observation and calculation established Read more…

By Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, 9 years9 years ago
Stars

Will Betelgeuse bring doom in 2012?

The giant star Betelgeuse will soon perish in a titanic explosion. Could this happen in the mythical “doomsday” year of 2012? Could dying Betelgeuse take us with it? “Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!” was the chant which summoned the obnoxious ghost played by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s 1988 movie. Keaton’s character Read more…

By Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, 10 years10 years ago
RSS Intergalactic Craic
  • The Safest Dinner Party of 2020
    For the last episode of Season 1, Heather and Courtney suggest their ideal astronomy guests to a dinner party. They cover some of humanity's greatest astronomical achievements as well as discuss some of the rumours surrounding a particular famous astronomer's party behaviour! Need Some Space?
  • Turning Back The Clock - The History of AOP
    Join Heather and Special Guest Host Dr Rok Nezic as they delve into the archives and discuss the history of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium through their favourite objects. Clocks, books, instruments and rooms, they've got it all covered, and they have a bit of craic along the way.
  • Vampires, Zombies and... Bowties? Oh My!
    This week Intergalactic Craic has some added spook for your Autumn. Vampire stars, zombie stars and spooky nebulae will all be discussed by Courtney and Heather. Need Some Space?
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Welcome to Astronotes

Hello and welcome to Astronotes, the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium’s official blog. Here you will find the latest news and views from all those who work in our organisation, from the fascinating worlds of astronomy and space exploration. We hope you will come here to learn what is hot and exciting, profound or even weird from worlds beyond ours . So that's the introduction out of the way, now on with the Universe!

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