Top 10 space stories of 2012 Astronomy Magazine
Updated: 2012-12-29 00:47:25
CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's Universe Astronomy
, CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's Universe
CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's Universe Astronomy
CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's Universe Astronomy
CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's Universe Astronomy
CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's Universe Astronomy
It’s Christmas come early at Galaxy Zoo, with a healthy dose of everything that an astronomer would want under the tree – observing time. We didn’t get everything we asked the telescope allocation committees for, but we did get plenty to keep us busy well into the New Year. 2013 will see the following telescopes [...]
A new partnership between scientists from US institutions and CERN could improve results from neutrino experiments around the world. The scientists hope to use equipment at CERN to gain a more precise understanding of the process of creating a neutrino beam.
Some of the biggest black holes in the Universe may actually be even bigger than previously thought, according to a study using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Space telescopes have greatly advanced our understanding of the universe, but they have also surfaced some new and puzzling problems. Recently scientists gained insight into a mismatch between theory and observation uncovered by space telescope research by using a ground-based X-ray technology that grew out of particle physics.
This composite image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 3627, located about 30 million light years from Earth.
When we launched the new Galaxy Zoo in September we also launched our ‘galaxify‘ tool, which allows you to write in an alphabet of Galaxy Zoo galaxies. Since that time you have created 320,000 messages, all written in galaxies! 18,468 contained the word ‘love’ and only 218 contain ‘hate’. 302 contained ‘marry me’ (5,853 contain swear words). Here’s the top [...]
CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's Universe Astronomy
The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment achieved a significant milestone this week.
The US Department of Energy on Monday granted Critical Decision 1 approval to the first phase of LBNE, which includes construction of a beamline at Fermilab and a near-surface far detector at the Sanford Lab in Lead, South Dakota. One of the largest proposed neutrino experiments in the world, LBNE will send neutrinos generated at Fermilab through 800 miles of earth to the South Dakota detector.
Many have speculated about which theorists the Nobel Committee might honor for the prediction of the Higgs boson, but it was the experimentalists involved in the search for the particle who received recognition today. 
Decay channels are the possible transformations a particle can undergo as it decays.
When a particle decays, it does not break into smaller bits; its energy does. Even fundamental particles—so named because they are the basic building blocks of matter that cannot be broken into smaller parts—can decay. Many particles in the Standard Model exist for only a limited time before decaying.
When a particle decays, it transforms into collections of less massive particles whose combined energy adds up to the energy of the original particle.
In its infancy, the universe was made of nearly equal parts matter and antimatter. Yet matter overwhelmingly dominates today. Scientists design experiments that examine the conditions of the early universe to investigate why.
An international collaboration of scientists proposed to build one such project, a particle collider that would specialize in creating B mesons, in Italy over the next several years. However, last week the Italian government withdrew funding for the project, citing the country's weakened economic state.
NGC 922 was formed by the collision between two galaxies - one seen in this image and another located outside the field of view.
About 5 billion years ago the universe underwent a crucial transition. The gravitational tug that pulled together the matter in the universe was overwhelmed by a different, repulsive phenomenon. As a result, the universe began to expand at an accelerating rate.
Scientists have given that phenomenon a name: dark energy. However, they can say with confidence only what it does, not what it is, where it comes from, or why it’s pushing galaxies apart at an ever more rapid speed.
CURRENT ISSUE THE MAGAZINE Current Issue Next Issue Back Issues Digital Editions Preview the Magazine Special Issues E-mail Newsletter About the Magazine Subscribe , Renew or Give a Gift Subscriber Benefits Trips Tours Advertise Advertiser Links Sweepstakes Press Room Contact Us COLUMNISTS Bob Berman Glenn Chaple Tony Hallas David H . Levy Erika Rix Stephen James O'Meara NEWS OBSERVING Astronomy News Liz and Bill's Cosmic Adventures Dave's Universe videos StarDome Plus Intro to the Sky Astronomy for Kids Urban Skies Astronomy Myths The Sky this Week The Sky this Month Star Atlas Ask Astro Astro Imaging Constellation Observing Glossary EQUIPMENT Products Reviews How To MULTIMEDIA Picture of the Day Reader Photo Gallery Videos Podcasts Wallpaper COMMUNITY Why Join Local Group Blog Dave's
As long as there are big data surveys, there will be data artifacts. Our corner of Astronomy is no exception: although the vast majority of images in SDSS and CANDELS are of high quality and therefore of high scientific value, poor quality images do still exist. The Galaxy Zoo team has worked hard to remove [...]
Almost a decade remains before the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope sees first light, and construction has yet to begin on most of the telescope’s hardware. Even so, astrophysicists are already developing methods for analyzing the rush of data LSST will produce. In a survey this large and this advanced, data management is just as important as cameras and mirrors.