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The astronomical community will be relieved to learn that, we understand, most astronomers working in Chile have been accounted for, and are safe and well , and that the observatories were not seriously damaged by the earthquake. Given the large number of UK scientists with first hand knowledge of Chile, we have been asked to draw attention to charitable appeals including the Red Cross and Save the Children
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Tuesday, 23 March 2010 12:36 |
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The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and the Institute of Physics (IOP) have responded to the statement by Lord Drayson, Minister of Science and Innovation, setting out reforms to the structure of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Response to restructuring of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (RAS PN 10/11)
Institute of Physics and Royal Astronomical Society press statement
Ref: RAS PN 10/11
Thursday 4th March 2010
For immediate release
Response to restructuring of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (RAS PN 10/11)
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and the Institute of Physics (IOP) have today, Thursday 4 March, responded to the statement by Lord Drayson, Minister of Science and Innovation, setting out reforms to the structure of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, President of the IOP, and Professor Andrew Fabian, President of the RAS, said: “We thank Lord Drayson for initiating this review to resolve the structural problems caused by the three disparate strands of science that STFC funds.
‘We have been particularly concerned about the way in which unforeseeable rises in international subscriptions due to the falling value of the pound have put extreme pressure on the funding available from STFC both for research grants and the running of UK-based facilities. Today’s announcement demonstrates that the problem has now been recognised and we look forward to seeing how it will be addressed. IOP and RAS trust that the Treasury will recognise the importance of science by taking responsibility for currency fluctuations.
‘The longer-term commitment to planning for our superb national facilities is really welcomed. Only through sustained investment and planning can researchers using national facilities like the Diamond Light Source, the Central Laser Facility and ISIS maximise the return on the investment which the UK has already made.
‘We are encouraged that Lord Drayson agrees that the grants should remain with STFC since this will also maximise the return on the UK’s investment in the overseas telescopes and accelerators used by the researchers in those fields, as the grants and international facilities can be managed most effectively together.
‘We now look forward to working with Professor Sterling in helping to ensure that STFC is able to deliver the very best science programme.
‘Looking at the science base as a whole, we remain concerned about the overall impact on science funding as the pressure on the public purse becomes increasingly acute. We urge that the government continues to recognise the value of investment in the science base and funds it accordingly.”
CONTACTS
Joe Winters
Senior Press Officer
Institute of Physics
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7470 4815
Mob: +44 (0)7946 321473
E-mail:
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Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
E-mail:
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of more than 36 000 and is a leading communicator of physics-related science to all audiences, from specialists through to government and the general public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics. Go to www.iop.orgThe Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others. See www.ras.org.uk
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 12:36 |
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This release summarises some of the astronomy and space science events taking place during March, particularly those with UK involvement. Highlights this month include the annual UK Space Conference and a public lecture on how impacts have shaped the Solar System.
SPACE AND ASTRONOMY DIGEST: MARCH 2010
ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY PRESS RELEASE
Ref.: RAS PN 10/10
Date: 26th February 2010
For immediate release
Issued by:
Dr Robert Massey
RAS Press and Policy Officer
E-mail:
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Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
SPACE AND ASTRONOMY DIGEST: MARCH 2010 (RAS PN 10/10)
This release summarises some of the astronomy and space science events taking place during March, particularly those with UK involvement. It is not intended to be fully comprehensive and dates and times may be subject to change.
9TH MARCH: RAS LUNCHTIME LECTURE: AN IMPACT CRATERING TOUR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
The latest Royal Astronomical Society public lecture will take place at 1 p.m. on the 9th of March, in the RAS lecture theatre in Burlington House, London. Dr Emily Baldwin, Website Editor for Astronomy Now magazine, will explain how impacts have shaped the planets and moons of the Solar System, from the giant craters on Mercury (including the latest results from the MESSENGER spacecraft) and the Moon to the temporary scars that appeared on Jupiter in 2009.
CONTACT
Robert Massey
(details above)
12TH MARCH: RAS SPECIALIST DISCUSSION MEETING: WAVES AND TURBULENCE IN SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL PLASMAS
Solar-terrestrial physicists will gather at the Royal Astronomical Society on the 12th of March for a special meeting to discuss the waves and turbulence that appear in the plasmas (ionised gases) associated with the Sun, the solar wind, the terrestrial magnetic field and the ionosphere region of the Earth’s atmosphere. The scientists will hear and present the latest results in the field, comparing theory and observation to gain a better collective understanding of the often dramatic interaction between our home planet and our nearest star.
Bona fide members of the media who wish to attend this meeting should present their credentials at the reception desk of the RAS for free admission.
CONTACT
Robert Massey
(details above)
12TH MARCH: RAS SPECIALIST DISCUSSION MEETING: STARBURSTS NEAR AND FAR
A starburst galaxy is one where stars are forming at an exceptionally high rate. On the 12th of March, astronomers will gather at the Geological Society of London for a special meeting to consider starbursts and their impact on their host galaxies and the material around them. The conference will bring together scientists from the UK and overseas who will present the latest research into these intriguing objects.
Bona fide members of the media who wish to attend this meeting should present their credentials at the reception desk of the RAS for free admission.
CONTACT
Robert Massey
(details above)
24TH-28TH MARCH: UK SPACE CONFERENCE, CHARTERHOUSE SCHOOL, SURREY
The 2010 UK Space Conference (UKSC 2010) will take place from the 24th to the 28th of March at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey. The Conference will bring together members of the UK space community including students, young professionals, leading academics, institutions, organisations and commercial ventures. Delegates will take part in events including lectures, panel discussions and a careers fair.
Beyond the conventional speakers, debates and discussion sessions, the conference aims to include a wide range of activities, attracting a large population base and inspiring young people to take a greater interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The highlight of the meeting is the Sir Arthur Clarke awards ceremony which recognises exceptional individual and group achievement in the space community, from science and engineering to media and outreach.
CONTACT
Dave Wright
E-mail:
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Tel: +44 (0)151 281 1134
MARCH’S NIGHT SKY
Information on stars, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena is available from the Sky Notes section of the British Astronomical Association (BAA) website.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Tuesday, 23 March 2010 12:29 |
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Around a quarter of the globular star clusters in our Milky Way galaxy are invaders from other galaxies, according to a team of scientists from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. In a paper accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Swinburne astronomer Professor Duncan Forbes has shown that many of our galaxy’s globular star clusters are actually foreigners - having been born elsewhere and then migrated to our Milky Way. Image: NASA / The Hubble Heritage Team / STScI / AURA
ALIEN INVADERS PACK THE MILKY WAY
ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY PRESS RELEASE (PN 10/09)
Date: 23rd February 2010
(Forwarded from Swinburne University of Technology)
For immediate release
ALIEN INVADERS PACK THE MILKY WAY (RAS PN 10/09)
Around a quarter of the globular star clusters in our Milky Way galaxy are invaders from other galaxies, according to a team of scientists from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. In a paper accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Swinburne astronomer Professor Duncan Forbes has shown that many of our galaxy’s globular star clusters are actually foreigners - having been born elsewhere and then migrated to our Milky Way.
“It turns out that many of the stars and globular star clusters we see when we look into the night sky are not natives, but aliens from other galaxies,” said Forbes. “They have made their way into our galaxy over the last few billion years.”
Previously astronomers had suspected that some globular star clusters, which each contain between 10000 and several million stars were foreign to our galaxy, but it was difficult to positively identify which ones.
Using Hubble Space Telescope data, Forbes, along with his Canadian colleague Professor Terry Bridges, examined globular star clusters within the Milky Way galaxy.
They then compiled the largest ever high-quality database to record the age and chemical properties of each of these clusters.
“Using this database we were able to identify key signatures in many of the globular star clusters that gave us tell-tale clues as to their external origin,” Forbes said.
“We determined that these foreign-born globular star clusters actually make up about one quarter of our Milky Way globular star cluster system. That implies tens of millions of accreted stars – those that have joined and grown our galaxy – from globular star clusters alone.”
The researchers’ work also suggests that the Milky Way may have swallowed up more dwarf galaxies than was previously thought.
“We found that many of the foreign clusters originally existed within dwarf galaxies - that is ‘mini’ galaxies of up to 100 million stars that sit within our larger Milky Way.
“Our work shows that there are more of these accreted dwarf galaxies in our Milky Way than was thought. Astronomers had been able to confirm the existence of two accreted dwarf galaxies in our Milky Way – but our research suggests that there might be as many as six yet to be discovered.
"Although the dwarf galaxies are broken-up and their stars assimilated into the Milky Way, the globular star clusters of the dwarf galaxy remain intact and survive the accretion process."
“This will have to be explored further, but it is a very exciting prospect that will help us to better understand the history of our own galaxy.”
Forbes’ research was carried out in Canada as part of an Australian Research Council International Fellowship.
IMAGE AND CAPTION
A Hubble Space Telescope image of the typical globular cluster Messier 80, an object made up of hundreds of thousands of stars and located in the direction of the constellation of Scorpius. The Milky Way galaxy has an estimated 160 globular clusters of which one quarter are thought to be ‘alien’. Image: NASA / The Hubble Heritage Team / STScI / AURA
MEDIA CONTACTS
Crystal Ladiges
Press Office
Swinburne University of Technology
Tel: +61 3 9214 5064
Mob: +61 416 174 880
E-mail:
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Dr Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307 / 4582
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
E-mail:
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognises outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 21:03 |
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A team of astronomers, led by Dr. Wouter Vlemmings at Bonn University, has used the MERLIN radio telescope network centred on the Jodrell Bank Observatory to show that magnetic fields play an important role during the birth of massive stars. The scientists report their work in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (Image: Tobias Maercker)
Massive stars’ magnetically controlled diets
Royal Astronomical Society Press Release RAS PN 10/08
18th February 2010
For immediate release
Massive stars’ magnetically controlled diets (RAS PN 10/08)
A team of astronomers, led by Dr. Wouter Vlemmings at Bonn University, has used the MERLIN radio telescope network centred on the Jodrell Bank Observatory to show that magnetic fields play an important role during the birth of massive stars. Magnetic fields are already known to strongly influence the formation of lower-mass stars like our Sun. This new study reveals that the way in which high-mass and low-mass stars form may be more similar than previously suspected. The scientists report their work in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Massive stars, more than 8 times the mass of the Sun, are crucial to the formation of other stars, planets and even life. Though rare, they dominate the content and evolution of the interstellar material in the Galaxy and are responsible for the production of heavy elements such as iron. However, the question of how massive stars are formed has proved extremely difficult to answer. The role of magnetic fields in particular has been a topic of great debate. Many scientists thought that radiation and turbulence would be the more dominant factors, and hence their formation process would be significantly different from that of less massive stars such as our Sun.
"While magnetic fields have been observed in the clouds of molecular hydrogen from which stars form, observations close to massive stars have up to now been in short supply," says Vlemmings. “If the formation of massive stars is similar to their lighter counterparts, we should be able to detect the strong magnetic fields needed to both produce the jets and stabilize the disks associated with them.”
For the first time, Wouter Vlemmings and his collaborators have managed to observe the 3-dimensional magnetic field structure around the disk of the massive newly forming star (or protostar) Cepheus A HW2. At a distance of 2300 light years from the Sun, Cepheus A is one of the nearest regions where massive stars form and earlier observations of this region revealed the presence of a disk from which the gas falls on to HW2. In their new observations, the astronomers have found that the magnetic field is surprisingly regular and strong, implying that it is controlling how the matter is transferred through the disk to feed the growing embryonic star.
"Our new technique allows us for the first time to measure the 3D structure of the magnetic field around a massive protostar. We can see that its structure is surprisingly similar to how we think the field looks when much smaller stars form," adds co-author Huib Jan van Langevelde, director of the Joint Institute for Very Long BaseIine Interferometry in Europe (JIVE).
To determine the magnetic field structure, the researchers used the MERLIN telescope array to observe radio waves (with a wavelength of approximately 5 cm) that are amplified by methanol molecules. These methanol molecules, the simplest of the alcohol compounds, are found in regions surrounding the massive disk around HW2, which extend over a region 10 times the size of our Solar System. Such regions are called masers, because they amplify microwave radiation in the same way a laser amplifies light radiation. Even though a strong magnetic field produces only a very weak signature in the signal from the methanol molecules, this amplification is strong enough to make the new work possible.
These new observations will be a cornerstone of one of the first major scientific legacy projects to be carried out with the new e-MERLIN radio telescope network. e-MERLIN is a major upgrade to the MERLIN network that made it 10 times more sensitive. The legacy project, of which Dr. Vlemmings is one of the lead scientists, will use the unique capabilities of the upgraded network to reveal both the magnetic field and the immediate surroundings of many massive protostars of different ages.
FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACTS
Dr. Wouter Vlemmings
Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Germany
E-mail:
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Tel: +49 228 733670 / 733658
Dr. Huib Jan van Langevelde
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
E-mail:
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Tel: +31 521 596524
Dr Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
E-mail:
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Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
IMAGE
Image caption: Artist’s impression of the young massive star Cepheus A HW2. The narrow collimated jet originates from the embryonic star which lies at the centre of the image, hidden within a surrounding dust disc and larger disc of gas. The white lines indicate the 3-dimensional magnetic field structure along which material falls onto the slowly rotating discs. Credit: Tobias Maercker
NOTES FOR EDITORS
MERLIN
The Multi-Linked Radio Interferometer Network (MERLIN: http://www.merlin.ac.uk), operated from Jodrell Bank Observatory, is an array of seven radio telescopes distributed around the United Kingdom, with separations of up to 217km. MERLIN is operated by the University of Manchester as a National Facility of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council.
THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 20:55 |
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The February digest of space and astronomy events. This month sees the latest mission to the International Space Station, the launch of a European Space Agency satellite that will study polar ice and the annual meeting of the British Geophysical Association. (Image: Cryosat-2 in orbit. Credit: ESA / P. Carril)
SPACE AND ASTRONOMY DIGEST: FEBRUARY 2010
Royal Astronomical Society Press Release
Ref: RAS PN 10/06
Date: 1st February 2010
For immediate release
SPACE AND ASTRONOMY DIGEST: FEBRUARY 2010 (RAS PN 10/06)
This release summarises some of the astronomy and space science events taking place during February, particularly those with UK involvement. It is not intended to be fully comprehensive and dates and times may be subject to change.
5TH-6TH FEBRUARY: EUROPEAN ASTROFEST 2010
European Astrofest 2010, one of the largest gatherings of amateur astronomers in Europe, will take place on the 5th and 6th of February in Kensington Conference and Events Centre, west London. The two day conference and trade exhibition attracts thousands of participants and features speakers from across the astronomical world.
7TH FEBRUARY: LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR
At 0439 EST (0939 GMT) on the 7th February, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is set to launch on a two week mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, designated STS-130, will continue the construction of the ISS, delivering a third connecting module, the Italian-built Tranquility node and the seven-windowed cupola control room. The six astronauts on board Endeavour will attach the new components over the course of three spacewalks.
CONTACT
Katherine Trinidad
NASA HQ
Tel: +1 202 358 1100
E-mail:
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9TH FEBRUARY: RAS LUNCHTIME LECTURE: IN SEARCH OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
At 1300 GMT on the 9th of February space scientist Dr. Jim Wild of the University of Lancaster will give a public lecture at the Royal Astronomical Society, where he will discuss the northern lights or aurora borealis. Dr Wild will explain how they originate in the dynamic electromagnetic relationship between the Earth and the Sun, and how this has a direct impact on many areas of human life.
CONTACT
Dr Robert Massey
(details below)
9TH FEBRUARY: LAUNCH OF SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY
The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission is scheduled to launch on the 9th of February, atop an Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida. The satellite observatory, part of the ‘Living with a Star’ programme, will make some of the most detailed observations ever of the Sun, imaging its surface and studying solar magnetic activity in an effort to better understand the nature of our nearest star.
CONTACTS
Don Savage
Goddard Space Flight Center
Tel: +1 301 286 8982
E-mail:
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Nancy Neal-Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center
Tel: +1 301 286 0039
E-mail:
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12TH FEBRUARY: RAS SPECIALIST DISCUSSION MEETING: MASS LOSS AND GALAXY EVOLUTION
On the 12th of February, astronomers will gather at the Royal Astronomical Society in Burlington House, London, to discuss the latest research on the loss of mass from the most massive stars and how this affects the subsequent chemical evolution of the galaxies they reside in. Delegates will consider the quest to understand the entire mass-loss history of stars including stellar winds and supernova events.
Bona fide members of the media who wish to attend this meeting should present their credentials at the reception desk of the RAS for free admission.
CONTACT
Dr Robert Massey
(details below)
11TH-12TH FEBRUARY: BRITISH GEOPHYSICAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING: NEW ADVANCES IN GEOPHYSICS: MAGMA EMPLACEMENT AND STORAGE IN THE EARTH’S CRUST
The annual meeting of the British Geophysical Association (BGA) will take place on the 11th and 12th of February at the Geological Society, Burlington House, London. Bringing together leading geophysicists from across the world, the BGA meeting will discuss advances in our understanding of the role of magma in shaping the surface of the Earth.
Bona fide members of the media who wish to attend this meeting should present their credentials at the reception desk of the Geological Society for free admission.
CONTACT
Dr Robert Massey
(details below)
25TH FEBRUARY: LAUNCH OF CRYOSAT 2
The European Space Agency (ESA) mission Cryosat-2 is set to launch on the 25th of February using a Dnepr rocket vehicle (a converted SS-18 missile) to take off from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. Cryosat-2 replaces the original Cryosat mission that was destroyed in a launch failure in October 2005. In a three year mission, Croysat-2 will be used to study the natural and human-driven changes in the thickness of Earth’s polar ice sheets and sea ice.
CONTACT
ESA Media Relations, Paris
Tel: +33 1 5369 7299
E-mail:
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FEBRUARY’S NIGHT SKY
Information on stars, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena is available from the British Astronomical Association (BAA).
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Issued by:
Dr Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
E-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 17:04 |
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An international team led by astronomers at the University of Hertfordshire have discovered what may be the coolest sub-stellar body (a brown dwarf) ever found outside our own solar system. The team's findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The images above show the cool brown dwarf SDSS1416B and its warmer companion brown dwarf SDSS1416A (the left image is from the UKIRT telescope and the right image from the Subaru telescope).
ASTRONOMERS DISCOVER COOL STARS IN NEARBY SPACE (RAS PN 10/05)
Royal Astronomical Society press release
Ref: RAS PN 10/05
Date: 28th January 2010
An international team, led by astronomers at the University of Hertfordshire have discovered what may be the coolest sub-stellar body ever found outside our own solar system. Using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) in Hawaii, a discovery has been made of an object which is technically known as a brown dwarf. The team's findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
What has excited astronomers are its very peculiar colours, which actually make it appear either very blue or very red, depending on which part of the spectrum is used to look at it.
The object is known as SDSS1416+13B and it is in a wide orbit around a somewhat brighter and warmer brown dwarf, SDSS1416+13A. The brighter member of the pair was detected in visible light by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. By contrast, SDSS1416+13B is only seen in infrared light. The pair is located between 15 and 50 light years from the solar system, which is quite close in astronomical terms.
"This looks like being the fourth time in three years that the UKIRT has discovered made a record breaking discovery of the coolest known brown dwarf, with an estimated temperature not far above 200 degrees Celsius,” said Dr Philip Lucas at the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics.
“We have to be a bit careful about this one because its colours are so different than anything seen before that we don't really understand it yet. Even if it turns out that the low temperature is not quite record breaking, the colours are so extreme that this object will keep a lot of physicists busy trying to explain it.”
SDSS1416+13B was first noticed by Dr Ben Burningham of the University of Hertfordshire as part of a dedicated search for cool brown dwarfs in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS). The object appeared far bluer at near infrared wavelengths than any brown dwarf seen before. A near infrared spectrum taken with the Japanese Subaru Telescope in Hawaii showed that it is a type of brown dwarf called a T dwarf, which has a lot of methane in its atmosphere, but with peculiar features including a big gap at certain wavelengths.
Dr Burningham soon noticed that a previously observed brighter star (SDSS1416+13A) which appears close by in the UKIDSS discovery image was also a brown dwarf. Team member Dr Sandy Leggett, of the Gemini Observatory, then used the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope to investigate SDSS1416+13B at longer wavelengths. She measured its colour at mid-infrared wavelengths, which are thought to be the most reliable indicator of temperature, and found that it is the reddest known brown dwarf at these wavelengths by some margin. Comparison with theoretical models of the brown dwarf atmospheres then provided a temperature estimate of about 500 Kelvin (227 degrees Celsius).
"The fact that it is a binary companion to a warmer brown dwarf that also has an unusual spectrum is helping us to fill in some gaps in our understanding", says Dr Burningham. "It seems likely that both brown dwarfs are somewhat poor in heavy elements. This can be explained if they are very old, which also fits with the very low temperature of the faint companion."
Too small to be stars, brown dwarfs have masses smaller than stars but larger than gas giant planets like Jupiter. Due to their low temperature these objects are very faint in visible light, and are detected by their glow at infrared wavelengths. They were originally dubbed "brown dwarfs" long before any were actually discovered, to describe the idea of bodies that were cooler, fainter and redder than red dwarf stars, with the colour brown representing the mix of red and black.
CONTACTS
Dr Ben Burningham
University of Hertfordshire
Tel: +44 (0)1707 285179
Mob: +44 (0)7815 122383
E-mail:
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Dr Sandy Leggett
Gemini Observatory
Tel: +1 808-974-2604
E-mail:
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Dr Philip Lucas
University of Hertfordshire
Tel: +44 (0)1707 286070
Mobile: +44 (0)7951 630957
E-mail:
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Dr Andy Adamson
Joint Astronomy Centre
Tel: +1 808 969 6511
E-mail:
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Dr Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307
Mobile: +44 (0)794 124 8035
E-mail:
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Helene Murphy
Press Office
University of Hertfordshire
Tel: +44 (0)1707 284095
Mob: +44 (0)7951 630957
E-mail:
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IMAGES AND CAPTIONS
1. UKIRT UKIDSS near infrared image of SDSS1416+13AB (left panel) and the Spitzer+UKIDSS image at mid-infrared wavelengths (right panel).
2. Subaru near infared spectrum of SDSS1416+13B, taken with the IRCS spectrograph. The almost total absence of light at wavelengths between 1.7 and 2.5 microns is apparent. This causes the very blue near infrared colour.
FURTHER INFORMATION
NOTES FOR EDITORS
ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others. For more information see http://www.ras.org.uk
THE UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
The University of Hertfordshire is an ambitious and entrepreneurial university. It offers excellence in teaching, learning and research and puts students at the heart of its activities. It is a model of a 21st century university, international, business-facing and business-like in its approach – making it distinctive in an ever changing higher education environment.
The University of Hertfordshire is one of the region’s largest employers with over 2,700 staff and a turnover of £205 m. With a student community of 23,000, including more than 2,000 international students from over eighty five countries, the University has a global network of over 160,000 alumni. For more information, please visit, www.herts.ac.uk
A LIGHT YEAR
One light year is the distance travelled by light in a year. It corresponds to roughly 10 thousand billion kilometres or 6 thousand billion miles.
INFRARED LIGHT
Infrared wavelengths are longer wavelengths than light waves. They are typically measured in microns, also called micrometres. One micron is one millionth of a metre, one 10000th of a centimetre, or one 25000th of an inch.
UKIRT
The world's largest telescope dedicated solely to infrared astronomy, the 3.8-metre (12.5-foot) UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) is sited near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, at an altitude of 4194 metres (13760 feet) above sea level. It is operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre in Hilo, Hawaii, on behalf of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council.
UKIRT's technical innovation and privileged position on the high, dry Mauna Kea site have placed it at the forefront of infrared astronomy since its opening in 1979. UKIRT now spends most of its time surveying the sky for the UKIDSS sky survey but it continues to undertake a variety of smaller science projects covering all areas of astronomy.
SUBARU
The Subaru telescope is Japan's premier optical-infrared telescope operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Located on Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii, the telescope, with an effective aperture of 8.2 m, is also one of the world's largest and most technologically advanced telescopes. Through the open use program astronomers throughout the world have access to Subaru and its excellent image quality.
SPITZER
The Spitzer Space Telescope is a space-borne, cryogenically-cooled infrared observatory capable of studying objects ranging from our Solar System to the distant reaches of the Universe. Spitzer is the final element in NASA's Great Observatories Program, and an important scientific and technical cornerstone of the Astronomical Search for Origins Program.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 16:58 |
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Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have detected a stellar mass black hole much farther away than any other previously known. The newly discovered black hole is in the spiral galaxy NGC 300, about six million light years away from the Sun. With a mass of about twenty times that of the Sun, it is also the second most massive stellar mass black hole ever found and it is entwined with a star that will soon become a black hole itself. The team of scientists will publish their findings about this intriguing system in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (The image above is an artist's impression of the system. Credit: ESO / L. Calçada)
BLACK HOLE HUNTERS SET NEW DISTANCE RECORD
Royal Astronomical Society Press Release
Ref: RAS PN 10/04 (FORWARDED)
Date: 26th January 2010
Black Hole Hunters Set New Distance Record
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have detected a stellar mass black hole much farther away than any other previously known. The newly discovered black hole is in the spiral galaxy NGC 300, about six million light years away from the Sun. With a mass of about twenty times that of the Sun, it is also the second most massive stellar mass black hole ever found and it is entwined with a star that will soon become a black hole itself. The team of scientists will publish their findings about this intriguing system in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The stellar mass black holes [1] found in the Milky Way weigh up to ten times the mass of the Sun and are certainly not to be taken lightly, but outside our own Galaxy, they may just be minor league players. With the new discovery, astronomers have now found three black holes with masses more than fifteen times that of the Sun, all of which are in galaxies outside our own.
The newly announced black hole lies in a spiral galaxy called NGC 300, six million light-years from Earth. “This is the most distant stellar mass black hole ever weighed, and it’s the first one we’ve seen outside our own galactic neighbourhood, the Local Group,” says Paul Crowther, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Sheffield and lead author of the paper reporting the study. The black hole’s curious partner is a Wolf–Rayet star, which also has a mass of about twenty times as much as the Sun. Wolf–Rayet stars are near the end of their lives and expel most of their outer layers into their surroundings before exploding as supernovae, with their cores imploding to form black holes.
In 2007, an X-ray instrument aboard NASA’s Swift observatory scrutinised the surroundings of the brightest X-ray source in NGC 300 (discovered earlier with the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton X-ray observatory). “We recorded periodic, extremely intense X-ray emission, a clue that a black hole might be lurking in the area,” explains team member Stefania Carpano from ESA.
Thanks to new observations performed with the FORS2 instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have confirmed their earlier hunch. The new data show that the black hole and the Wolf–Rayet star dance around each other in a diabolic waltz, with a period of about 32 hours. The astronomers also found that the black hole is stripping matter away from the star as they orbit each other.
“This is indeed a very ‘intimate’ couple,” notes collaborator Robin Barnard. “How such a tightly bound system has been formed is still a mystery.”
Only one other system of this type has previously been seen, but other systems comprising a black hole and a companion star are not unknown to astronomers. Based on these systems, the astronomers see a connection between black hole mass and galactic chemistry. “We have noticed that the most massive black holes tend to be found in smaller galaxies where ‘heavy’ chemical elements are less abundant,” says Crowther [2]. “Bigger galaxies that are richer in heavy elements, such as the Milky Way, only succeed in producing black holes with smaller masses.” Astronomers believe that a higher concentration of heavy chemical elements influences how a massive star evolves, increasing how much matter it sheds, resulting in a smaller black hole when the remnant finally collapses.
In less than a million years, it will be the Wolf–Rayet star’s turn to go supernova and become a black hole. “If the system survives this second explosion, the two black holes will merge, emitting copious amounts of energy in the form of gravitational waves as they combine [3],” concludes Crowther. However, it will take some few billion years until the actual merger, far longer than human timescales. “Our study does however show that such systems might exist, and those that have already evolved into a binary black hole might be detected by gravitational wave observatories like LIGO or Virgo [4].”
CONTACTS
Professor Paul Crowther
University of Sheffield, UK
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 4291
Mob: +44 (0)7946 638 474
E-mail:
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Stefania Carpano
ESTEC, ESA
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-71-5654827
E-mail:
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Dr Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
E-mail:
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Dr. Henri Boffin
ESO
Karl-Schwarzschild-str. 2
85748 Garching
Germany
Phone: +49 89 3200 6222
Fax: +49 89 320 23 62
E-mail:
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FURTHER INFORMATION
This research is presented in a letter to appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (NGC 300 X-1 is a Wolf–Rayet/Black Hole binary, P.A. Crowther et al.). A preprint of the paper will be available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1001.4616 from 0100 GMT on Wednesday 27th January.
The team is composed of Paul Crowther and Vik Dhillon (University of Sheffield, UK), Robin Barnard and Simon Clark (The Open University, UK), and Stefania Carpano and Andy Pollock (ESAC, Madrid, Spain).
NOTES FOR EDITORS
[1] Stellar mass black holes are the extremely dense, final remnants of the collapse of very massive stars. These black holes have masses up to around twenty times the mass of the Sun, as opposed to supermassive black holes, found in the centre of most galaxies, which can weigh millions or even billions of times as much as the Sun. So far, around 20 stellar mass black holes have been found.
[2] In astronomy, heavy chemical elements, or “metals”, are any chemical elements heavier than helium.
[3] Predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space and time. Significant gravitational waves are generated whenever there are extreme variations of strong gravitational fields with time, such as during the merger of two black holes. The detection of gravitational waves, never directly observed to date, is one of the major challenges for the next few decades.
THE EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY (ESO)
ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research.
ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope (VLT), the world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory, and VISTA, the largest survey telescope in the world. ESO is the European partner of the revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.
THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
IMAGES AND ANIMATIONS
A – The black hole inside NGC 300 X-1 (artist’s impression)
This artist’s impression depicts the newly discovered stellar mass black hole in the spiral galaxy NGC 300. The black hole has a mass of about twenty times the mass of the Sun and is associated with a Wolf–Rayet star; a star that will become a black hole itself. Thanks to the observations performed with the FORS2 instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have confirmed an earlier hunch that the black hole and the Wolf–Rayet star dance around each other in a diabolic waltz, with a period of about 32 hours. The astronomers also found that the black hole is stripping matter away from the star as they orbit each other. How such a tightly bound system has survived the tumultuous phases that preceded the formation of the black hole is still a mystery.
Credit: ESO / L. Calçada
B — NGC 300 X-1 in the spiral galaxy NGC 300
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) have detected a stellar mass black hole much further away than any other previously known. With a mass about twenty times that of the Sun, this is also the second most massive stellar mass black hole ever found. The newly announced black hole lies in a spiral galaxy called NGC 300, six million light-years from Earth.
This image composite shows the spectacular spiral galaxy NGC 300 as seen in an image from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), as well as the position of the stellar mass black hole in the galaxy in an image obtained with the FORS2 instrument on the VLT.
Credit: ESO / Digitized Sky Survey 2 / P. Crowther
C – NGC 300 X-1 in the spiral galaxy NGC 300
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) have detected a stellar mass black hole much further away than any other previously known. With a mass about twenty times that of the Sun, this is also the second most massive stellar mass black hole ever found. The newly announced black hole lies in a spiral galaxy called NGC 300, six million light-years from Earth.
This image obtained with the FORS2 instrument on the VLT is centred on the position of the black hole. The image covers a field of view of about 2x2 arc minutes, or about 4000 light-years at the distance of NGC 300. The image is based on data obtained through a wide B filter and two narrow-band filters centred on 500 nm and H-alpha.
Credit: ESO / P. Crowther
D — The surroundings of NGC 300
This wide field image, from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, shows the area around the spiral galaxy, NGC 300, six million light-years from Earth.
The field of view is about 2.92x2.94 degrees.
Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2
A — Artist’s impression (animation)
This artist’s impression depicts the newly discovered stellar mass black hole in the spiral galaxy NGC 300. The black hole has a mass about twenty times the mass of the Sun and is associated with a Wolf–Rayet star; a star that will become a black hole itself. Thanks to the observations performed with the FORS2 instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have confirmed an earlier hunch that the black hole and the Wolf–Rayet star dance around each other in a diabolic waltz, with a period of about 32 hours. The astronomers also found that the black hole is stripping matter away from the star as they orbit each other. How such a tightly bound system has survived the tumultuous phases that preceded the formation of the black hole is still a mystery.
Credit: ESO / L. Calçada
B — Zoom in onto the stellar black hole NGC 300 X-1 (animation)
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) have detected a stellar mass black hole much further away than any other previously known. With a mass twenty times that of the Sun, this is also the second most massive stellar mass black hole ever found. The newly announced black hole lies in a spiral galaxy called NGC 300, six million light-years from Earth.
This video zooms in onto the position of the system containing the stellar mass black hole, and finishes with an artist’s impression of the system.
Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/ P. Crowther/ L. Calçada
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 10:19 |
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The notes from the January 2010 Astronomy Forum are now available.
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Monday, 22 March 2010 21:29 |
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For the first time, two astronomers have explained the diversity of galaxy shapes seen in the universe. The scientists, Dr Andrew Benson of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Dr Nick Devereux of Embry-Riddle University in Arizona, tracked the evolution of galaxies over thirteen billion years from the early Universe to the present day. Their results appear in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (Image illustrating the Hubble Sequence appears above: Ville Koistinen)
HOW GALAXIES CAME TO BE: ASTRONOMERS EXPLAIN HUBBLE SEQUENCE
Royal Astronomical Society Press Release
EMBARGOED UNTIL 0001 GMT, 12th January 2010
Ref: RAS PN 10/03
Date: 8th January 2010
HOW GALAXIES CAME TO BE: ASTRONOMERS EXPLAIN HUBBLE SEQUENCE (RAS PN 10/03, EMBARGOED)
For the first time, two astronomers have explained the diversity of galaxy shapes seen in the universe. The scientists, Dr Andrew Benson of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Dr Nick Devereux of Embry-Riddle University in Arizona, tracked the evolution of galaxies over thirteen billion years from the early Universe to the present day. Their results appear in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Galaxies are the collections of stars, planets, gas and dust that make up most of the visible component of the cosmos. The smallest have a few million and the largest as many as a million million (a trillion) stars.
American astronomer Edwin Hubble first developed a taxonomy for galaxies in the 1930s that has since become known as the ‘Hubble Sequence’. There are three basic shapes: spiral, where arms of material wind out in a disk from a small central bulge, barred spirals, where the arms wind out in a disk from a larger bar of material and elliptical, where the galaxy’s stars are distributed more evenly in a bulge without arms or disk. For comparison, the galaxy we live in, the Milky Way, has between two and four hundred thousand million stars and is classified as a barred spiral.
Explaining the Hubble Sequence is complex. The different types clearly result from different evolutionary paths but until now a detailed explanation has eluded scientists.
Benson and Devereux combined data from the infrared Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) with their sophisticated GALFORM computer model to reproduce the evolutionary history of the Universe over thirteen billion years. To their surprise, their computations reproduced not only the different galaxy shapes but also their relative numbers.
“We were completely astonished that our model predicted both the abundance and diversity of galaxy types so precisely”, said Devereux. “It really boosts my confidence in the model”, added Benson.
The astronomers’ model is underpinned by and endorses the ‘Lambda Cold Dark Matter’ model of the Universe. Here ‘Lambda’ is the mysterious ‘dark energy’ component believed to make up about 72% of the cosmos, with cold dark matter making up another 23%. Just 4% of the Universe consists of the familiar visible or ‘baryonic’ matter that makes up the stars and planets of which galaxies are comprised.
Galaxies are thought to be embedded in very large haloes of dark matter and Benson and Devereux believe these to be crucial to their evolution. Their model suggests that the number of mergers between these haloes and their galaxies drives the final outcome – elliptical galaxies result from multiple mergers whereas disk galaxies have seen none at all. Our Milky Way galaxy’s barred spiral shape suggests it has seen a complex evolutionary history, with only a few minor collisions and at least one episode where the inner disk collapsed to form the large central bar.
“These new findings set a clear direction for future research. Our goal now is to compare the model predictions with observations of more distant galaxies seen in images obtained with the Hubble and those of the soon to be launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)”, said Devereux.
CONTACTS
Dr Andrew Benson
California Institute of Technology
Tel: +1 626 407 4953
Mob: +1 626 319 0158
E-mail:
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Dr Nicholas Devereux
Embry-Riddle University
Arizona
Tel: +1 928 777 3715
Mob: +1 928 273 9069
E-mail:
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Dr Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)7734 3307
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
E-mail:
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IMAGES AND CAPTIONS
http://astronomy.pr.erau.edu/GalaxyEvolution/GalaxyEvolution.jpgThe image shows some of the galaxies generated by the computer model. The yellow objects are most distant and therefore appear as they were 13 billion years ago, whilst those closer are seen as they looked more recently. Image: A. Benson (University of Durham), NASA / STScI
http://astronomy.pr.erau.edu/GalaxyEvolution/Hubble_sequence_photo.pngA figure illustrating the Hubble sequence. On the left are elliptical galaxies, with their shapes ranging from spherical (E0) to elongated (E7). Type S0 is intermediate between elliptical and spiral galaxies. The upper right line of objects stretch from Sa (tightly wound spiral) to Sc (loosely wound spiral). The lower right line shows the barred spirals that range from the tightly wound SBa to loosely wound SBc types. Image: Ville Koistinen
FURTHER INFORMATION
NOTES FOR EDITORS
THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 16:43 |
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