Stories indexed under: Astronomy

Total: 38   RSSRSS feed

  • From Earth to the universe to Capitol Square June 24, 2009 On Saturday, June 27, wonders from the far reaches of the universe will be brought down to Earth on the Capitol Square.
  • 'Planet Trek' offers chance to walk or bike scale model of solar system June 19, 2009 The University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Place and the Monona Terrace invite the public to Planet Trek Fest at Monona Terrace on Saturday, June 20.
  • 'Galileo Under Wisconsin Skies' to celebrate astronomy at UW-Madison June 8, 2009 "Galileo Under Wisconsin Skies," a series of special events presented by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Astronomy July 19-22, will commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope, the International Year of Astronomy and the renovation of Washburn Observatory at UW-Madison.
  • Space Place, MMSD plan celebration of 100 Hours of Astronomy March 31, 2009 Few areas of science enchant us as much as astronomy. We view the stars each night; we make connections between astronomy and many other scientific fields. Rarely, though, do we get a chance to explore the heavens through organized events.
  • Arthur D. Code, pioneering space astronomer, dies March 16, 2009 Arthur D. Code, whose lifelong love of the stars and the night sky led to a meteoric career in astrophysics, died in Madison, Wis., on March 11 after a long illness. He was 85.
  • Map of Wisconsin Antarctica’s IceCube telescope is Wisconsin-made March 3, 2009 When it’s completed in 2011, the South Pole neutrino observatory, Ice Cube, promises to open a new window on otherworldly events happening across the universe, such as colliding galaxies and black holes. In the meantime, though, it’s producing some decidedly down-to-earth results for Wisconsin. Since construction began in 2002, $77 million has been spent in the state to design, engineer and build IceCube components.
  • IceCube building goals exceeded at South Pole Feb. 25, 2009 As the 2008-09 Antarctic drilling season concludes, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is on track to be finished as planned in 2011.
  • Photo of WIYN at Kitt Peak Newly born twin stars show surprising differences June 18, 2008 The analysis of the youngest pair of identical twin stars yet discovered has revealed surprising differences in brightness, surface temperature and possibly even the size of the two.
  • Part of Milky Way infrared image Milky Way’s infrared portrait gives new view of galaxy June 3, 2008 Astronomers have obtained an entirely new perspective of our home galaxy: a complete mosaic portrait of the Milky Way in infrared light, a picture that when printed measures 180 feet long by 4 feet wide.
  • Image of supernova Astronomers witness the birth of a supernova May 21, 2008 An international team of astronomers, acting on a tip from a NASA satellite that serves as an early warning system for the most violent astronomical events, has caught a supernova in the act.
  • Photo of February calendar Curiosities: Why do we need leap days? Feb. 11, 2008 Leap days appear every four years or so, including this year, and they are needed because one orbit around the sun does not occur in an exact number of days, says Jim Lattis, director of UW Space Place, in the UW-Madison astronomy department.
  • Washburn Observatory to close for renovations Oct. 4, 2007 Washburn Observatory, which sits along Observatory Drive on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, will close at the end of October for remodeling and renovations.
  • This artist’s illustration depicts the jet of relativistic particles blasting out of Circinus X-1 Jets from neutron star rival those made by black holes June 27, 2007 A team of astronomers led by a UW-Madison scientist has found that neutron stars produce jets of energy and matter that rival those produced by black holes.
  • Space Place unveils nifty new exhibits Nov. 8, 2006 On Friday, Nov. 10, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Space Place will unveil three new exhibits about Wisconsin astronomers' explorations of the heavens.
  • ResearchChannel programs available to Charter Digital Cable subscribers Aug. 2, 2006 Subscribers to Charter Digital Cable now have access to University of Wisconsin-Madison programming on ResearchChannel as video on demand.
  • Physicists say multi-million dollar experiment advancing smoothly March 30, 2006 An international team of scientists led by the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab, today described early results from a $170 million project that seeks to better understand neutrinos, the elusive subatomic particles that have intrigued physicists for decades.
  • Giant optical telescope in South Africa comes online Sept. 1, 2005 Five years after breaking ground on a South African mountaintop near the edge of the Kalahari desert, astronomers today released the first images captured by the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), now the equal of the world's largest optical telescope and a prized window to the night skies of the southern hemisphere.
  • Countdown to new Space Place launch this weekend Aug. 23, 2005 Astronomy buffs of all ages are invited to celebrate the launch of Space Place, UW-Madison's astronomy outreach center, at its new Villager Mall location on Sunday, Aug. 28. Opening week activities continue through Thursday, Sept. 1 and are free and open to the public.
  • Galactic survey reveals a new look for the Milky Way Aug. 16, 2005 With the help of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, University of Wisconsin astronomers have conducted the most comprehensive structural analysis of our galaxy and have found tantalizing new evidence that the Milky Way is much different from your ordinary spiral galaxy.
  • UW-Madison instilling science literacy in South Africa July 12, 2005 In November, representatives from UW-Madison will attend the inauguration of the southern hemisphere's largest telescope, the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). UW-Madison is one of nearly a dozen international institutions that partnered with the South African government to build SALT, including universities in Russia, Poland, New Zealand, Germany and the United States.