Japanese supply ship

approaching the International Space Statio

 Moon and Venus over

Switzerland

Astronomy in the news

January 24, 2011

 Work by Texas astronomers, supermassive

black hole in the galaxy M 87 is even bigger than thought, about 6

billion solar masses

Astronomy in the news? 

January 26, 2011

Last Space Shuttles coming up, future of

NASA

Astronomy in the news? 

January 28, 2011

John Mather, winner of Nobel Prize in Physics

for study of cosmic background radiation, visiting department today.

Chief Scientist for James Webb Space Telescope that will probe first

stars and galaxies

Astronomy in the news?

January 31, 2011

 New National Geographic program on The

Known Universe starring ex-Texan Andy Howell

Astronomy in the news? 

February 2, 2011

NASA will announce new planet discoveries

by the Kepler Satellite this afternoon. The goal is to find Earth-size

planets. Local astronomers Bill Cochran and Michael Endl are deeply

involved

Astronomy in the news? 

February 7, 2011

Kepler satellite discovers 1235 new exo-planet

candidates eclipsing 997 host stars. Briefing this morning by Bill

Cochran, local member of Kepler team. One system with 6 planets

packed within about the orbit of Venus. Another with the first “rocky”

planet, density of 9 gm per cubic centimeter, maybe like Mercury, but 2

to 3 times Earth mass. 54 planet candidates in “habitable zone” that

could support liquid water, and hence maybe life.  Movie:

http://kepler.nasa.gov/images/videos/KeplerUpdate-Jan2011-180.mov