The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially launched the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a 10-year census of the southern sky that astronomers have anticipated for decades.
A team of astronomers recently completed an imaging survey with the Webb telescope. This program entailed a total of 65 hours of observation time with Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument and revealed never-seen-before details of the starburst galaxy, including its distended disk structure and millions of individual stars. Webb’s high-resolution imaging, specifically of the main plane of the galactic disk, has unlocked vital information for astronomers as they seek to uncover M82’s formation history. Additionally, the Webb data will help scientists understand the current processes occurring within the starburst galaxy.
Peering far into the distant, high-redshift universe, the James Webb telescope has discovered an abundance of small red galaxies known as the Little Red Dots. From their observations, astronomers believe that at least some of these galaxies may be home to growing supermassive black holes at their centers, objects which they believe are embedded in dense gaseous envelopes, an environment suitable for producing high-energy neutrinos.
Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have found something they never expected — ultraviolet light from a galaxy that existed just 1.4 billion years after the big bang. That galaxy contains tightly clustered young stars that produce ionizing light capable of transforming the opaque, neutral gas within and immediately around the galaxy, clearing our view. This suggests that similar galaxies in the early universe were responsible for clearing the neutral fog of hydrogen gas that once filled the cosmos.
Over 10 billion years in the past, an ultra-massive galaxy cluster lenses objects behind it. That has big implications for dark matter.
A new study suggests that a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto harbors a thin, delicate atmosphere that may have been created by volcanic eruptions or a comet strike.
Just 300 miles (500 kilometers) or so across, this mini Pluto is thought to be the solar system’s smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere bound by gravity, said lead researcher Ko Arimatsu of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
We’re having great success inspiring passion for science through the lens of astronomy for kids! BPAA’s STEAM Program for Kitsap Schools, led by our Programming Coordinator Eleanor Uuyek, is attracting lots of interest from teachers and students alike. You can help boost our programs, including planetarium shows and science education events for kids through Bainbridge Gives, Bainbridge Community Foundation’s Community Grants Cycle!
The Battle Point Observatory is once again collaborating with Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation to bring you two astronomy classes this summer. Classes will meet every second and fourth Saturday of the month starting on June 27 and ending on August 22.
The Kitsap Regional Library is kicking off their summer reading program this month, and the theme is Space! We’ll be hosting several tie-in events over the summer, starting with the launch party at the Bainbridge branch. Come find us on June 3rd from 2-6 for fun demonstrations and a solar telescope if the weather is good!
If there are clear skies: drop by at Battle Point Observatory for the following night sky events in June! Volunteer astronomers will be on hand to talk about what’s overhead. Feel free to bring your own telescope or binoculars, and layer up as it can get chilly after dark.