Astronomy

Once thought to be unusual and rare, gravitational interactions between galaxies are now known to be quite common (especially in densely populated galaxy clusters) and are considered to play an important role in galaxy evolution. Here we can see two nearly identical spiral galaxies in Virgo, 90 million light-years distant, in the early stages of [...]

Today, June 30 2008, marks the 100th anniversary of the 1908 Tunguska event. In the early morning of 30 June, 1908, witnesses told of a gigantic explosion and blinding flash. Thousands of square kilometres of trees were burned and flattened. Fortunately, the gigantic blast is happened on unpopulated area in Tunguska, Siberia (now part [...]

On June 30th, NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft will reach the end of its four-year prime mission. The spacecraft is now begins its extended mission, which was approved in April of this year. On the next two-year mission, the spacecraft will address new questions and brings it closer to two of its most intriguing target: Titan and [...]

Aurora is caused when charged particles stream along the magnetic field of a planet and into its atmosphere. On Earth these charged particles come from the solar wind – a stream of particles that emanates from the Sun. Variations in the Sun control the frequency and intensity of these beautiful displays that can also herald [...]

Almost two years after introducing the category of dwarf planets, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly now decided on a name for transneptunian dwarf planets similar to Pluto. The name “plutoid” was proposed by the members of the IAU Committee on Small Body Nomenclature (CSBN), accepted by the Board of Division III, by the [...]

Summer solstice for this year will occur on June 20, 2008 at 23:59 UTC. During his event, the Sun appears to be directly overhead at noon for places situated at latitude 23.44° north, known as the tropic of Cancer. This event marks the beginning of summer in northern hemisphere and winter in southern hemisphere. The word [...]

According to estabilish concept, our Milky Way galaxy is a spiral structure with four major star-forming arms, called Norma, Scutum-Centaurus, Sagittarius and Perseus. In addition to arms, there are bands of gas and dust in the central part of the galaxy. Our sun lies near a small, partial arm called the Orion Arm, or Orion [...]