Thirty years ago the Hubble Space Telescope began snapping photos of distant stars, providing a time machine that has taken astronomers back to when the universe was less than a billion years old.
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Articles on Astronomy
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We asked astronomers: are we alone in the Universe? The answer was surprisingly consistent
The Conversation33.5 MB (download)
'I think that we will discover life outside of Earth in my lifetime. If not that, then in your lifetime,' one astronomer told us.
Leap years were devised in Julius Caesar’s time, to fix the pesky problem that Earth’s year isn’t exactly 365 days. But 15 centuries later, our calendars were still slightly askew.
More than 70% of the Universe is made of ‘dark energy’, the mysterious stuff even stranger than dark matter
The Conversation17.1 MB (download)
Today on the podcast, we explore what we know about dark energy, believed to be responsible for the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe.
The Earth’s shadow does not cause the Moon’s phases.
We’re not sure how the rings work or how they formed, but there are a few theories.
This observation means astronomers can now develop and test theories that explain how high-mass stars gain their mass.
Astronomy and astrology do not agree on the dates of the zodiac constellations.
Why isn’t there an endless variety of planets in the universe? An astrophysicist explains why planets only come in two flavors.
An upgrade for the Australia Telescope Compact Array will enable major new discoveries about the universe
The Dish in Parkes is scanning the southern Milky Way, searching for alien signals
The Conversation50.7 MB (download)
Today we hear about the Parkes radio telescope's role in the search for alien life. Our guide is the irrepressible John Sarkissian, the scientist who's had his eye on The Dish since childhood.
NASA scientists have discovered a new planet orbiting around a nearby star that is in a habitable zone. But does this planet have liquid oceans that can support life?
A big year ahead for some of the meteor showers this year. Here’s your 2020 guide on when and where to look to catch nature’s fireworks.
On December 26 a solar eclipse will be visible from northern Australia, southern Asia and parts of the Middle East.
Sometimes it is difficult to take a photograph of an exoplanet because the star illuminating it is too bright. Now there is a new ‘deluminator’ telescope that can block out the extra light.
‘The size, the grandeur, the peacefulness of being in the dark’: what it’s like to study space at Siding Spring Observatory
The Conversation, CC BY54.3 MB (download)
Three hours north-east of Parkes lies a remote astronomical research facility, unpolluted by city lights, where researchers are trying to unlock some of the biggest questions about our Universe.
Many people are still upset that Pluto was demoted from being a planet. But definitions of various celestial objects are fairly fluid. So whether it is an asteroid or moon or planet is up for debate.
There is a massive black hole in the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Measurements of star orbits near this black hole suggest that there may be a second companion black hole nearby.
A determined approach to improving diversity will also lead to better science.
Astronomers using a new technique to hunt black holes found one 70 times as heavy as the Sun
Top contributors
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Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland
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Senior Curator (Astronomy), Museums Victoria and Honorary Fellow at University of Melbourne, Museums Victoria Research Institute
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Associate Professor in Astronomy, Monash University
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University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona
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Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Astrophysics, University of Sydney
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Pro Vice-Chancellor Flagship Initiatives, Swinburne University of Technology
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Professor, University of Sydney
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Professor, School of Science, Western Sydney University
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John Curtin Distinguished Professor (Radio Astronomy), Curtin University
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Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University
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Lecturer in Astronomy, Nottingham Trent University
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Dean of Science, University of California, Santa Cruz
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Associate professor, The University of Western Australia
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Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology
