Astronomy

Multi-wavelength images of the SNR HB9, the H II region G159.2+3.3, and the surrounding area. Credit: Li et al., 2024. Chinese astronomers have performed multi-wavelength observations of a galactic supernova remnant known as HB9. Results of the observational campaign, published August 9 on the preprint server arXiv, shed more light on the remnant's properties and its possible physical connection with a nearby region of ionized atomic hydrogen (H II region). Supernova remnants (SNRs) are diffuse, expanding structures resulting from a supernova explosion. They contain ejected material expanding from the explosion and other interstellar material t...

The idea of terraforming Mars, making its atmosphere and environment more Earth-like for human settlement, goes back decades. During that time, many proposed methods have been considered and put aside as “too expensive” or requiring technology well in advance of what we have today. Nevertheless, the idea has persisted and is often considered a part of long-term plans for establishing a human presence on Mars. Given the many plans to establish human outposts on the Moon and then use that infrastructure to send missions to Mars, opportunities for terraforming may be closer than we think. Unfortunately, any plans for terraforming Mars suffer from unresolved hurdles, not the least of which are the expense, distance, and the need for technologies that don’t currently exist. Triggering a greenh...

A Perseid meteor from 2015. Image: Alan Tough. The annual Perseid meteor shower has been underway since last month and it predicted to reach its usual eagerly-anticipated maximum early next week, on 12 August between 13h and 16h UT. The Perseids is the year’s most popular meteor shower and one of the major highlights on the observing calendar, with many astronomical societies and keen individuals having made plans for trips to observe this special spectacle from a dark-sky site  The Perseids are active from 17 July to 24 August, with cameras of the UK Meteor Network having already recorded activity. In particular, a dazzling Perseid fireball, estimated at magnitude –4.4, was just recently captured, on the night of 1/2 August at 01:19 UT (see image). A Perseid fireball recently captured, o...

Thanks to an accidental discovery, researchers at the University of British Columbia have created a new super-black material that absorbs almost all light, opening potential applications in fine jewelry, solar cells and precision optical devices. Professor Philip Evans and PhD student Kenny Cheng were experimenting with high-energy plasma to make wood more water-repellent. However, when they applied the technique to the cut ends of wood cells, the surfaces turned extremely black. Measurements by Texas A&M University's department of physics and astronomy confirmed that the material reflected less than one per cent of visible light, absorbing almost all the light that struck it. Instead of discarding this accidental finding, the team decided to shift their focus to designing super-black ...