Astronomy

Artist impression of the Big Bang. Image NASA/HST One of the most significant challenges to the Big Bang hypothesis that emerged recently concerns the abundance of the element lithium. Lithium abundance is a cornerstone prediction of the Big Bang theory. If the universe had once been extremely dense and hot, fusion reactions within such conditions would have produced a specific, albeit small, amount of lithium. This limited amount is due to the fact that most lithium would have been consumed in subsequent fusion reactions. According to the theory, we should find roughly five lithium atoms for every 10 billion hydrogen atoms — a tiny fraction, but still detectable. However, for decades, astronomers have known that this prediction presents a substantial problem. Through spectroscopic analys...

The Athena lunar lander (IM-2) has been declared dead after it failed to stick the landing on the surface of the Moon. The second commercial lander launched by Texas-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines attempted to reach the lunar surface on March 6th. However, it ended up in a crater near the lunar south pole, where it then fell on its side. The company confirmed that the mission was dead this morning in a statement. Per that statement, Intuitive Machines declared that while the lander was no longer operational, the mission was not a total write-off:"[T]he IM-2 mission lunar lander, Athena, landed 250 meters from its intended landing site in the Mons Mouton region of the lunar south pole, inside of a crater. This was the southernmost lunar landing and surface operations ...

Fig 1: Sketches of the Orion Nebulae, on display in the Armagh Planetarium. It takes a good telescope to see deep into space, but it takes a Great Telescope to change how we see the entire universe. In 1845 such a telescope was built by the 3rd Earl of Rosse, in the grounds of his castle in the town of Birr, County Offaly. He didn’t build it alone however; he was inspired by earlier instruments, such as the 4-foot reflector made by Sir William Herschel. That telescope had been so powerful that it helped Sir Herschel discover a new planet for the first time in thousands of years. He was also aided by more recent developments, such as the new technology employed by Thomas Grubb in his 15-inch telescope he built for Armagh Observatory in 1834.   The Great Telescope used a 6-foot mirror to gat...

M108 and M109 in Ursa Major are fine galaxies of dissimilar appearance that are curiously somewhat overlooked. Early spring sees the return of the galaxies, monumental rotating structures of many millions of gravitationally bound stars amid interstellar dust and gas that span tens of thousands or more light years in diameter. They’re not termed ‘island universes’ for nothing! The constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is prime galaxy country, with five Messier-designated gems leading its pack of outstanding targets. Messier 109 (NGC 3992) is a fine face-on barred spiral galaxy which imagers will find irresistible. Image: Ron Brecher. Messier 108 (NGC 3556) and 109 (NGC 3992) understandably take a back seat to the majesty of Messier 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, and the peerless pairing ...