Stories indexed under: Astronomy

Total: 55   RSS feed

• International astrophysics reaches Milwaukee April 16, 2013 Trips to the South Pole usually require a lot of specialized equipment, but Nils Irland's packing list for his November 2012 visit included some items unusual even by those standards: a specially designed video camera, extra batteries, and lots and lots of data storage.
• Puzzle of how spiral galaxies get their arms comes into focus April 2, 2013 Despite their common morphology, how galaxies like ours get and maintain their characteristic arms has proved to be an enduring puzzle in astrophysics. How do the arms of spiral galaxies arise? Do they change or come and go over time?
• Universe in the Park takes astronomy to Wisconsin state parks Sept. 12, 2012 "I want to blow your mind, take you places you have never seen before. Do not hesitate to ask question. I will not bite."
• Transit of Venus a rare event June 1, 2012 On the evening of Tuesday, June 5, the planet Venus will cross the disk of the Sun in what astronomers call a "transit."
• Washburn telescope optics get 130-year checkup, cleaning May 10, 2012 Bit by bit over the last two decades, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's iconic Washburn Observatory has been restored to its original sheen.
• Astronomers discover how mysterious blue straggler stars stay young Oct. 19, 2011 Mysterious "blue stragglers" are old stars that appear younger than they should be: they burn hot and blue. Several theories have attempted to explain why they don't show their age, but, until now, scientists have lacked the crucial observations with which to test each hypothesis.
• Clocking the mosh pit of interstellar space Oct. 5, 2011 The space between the stars in the Milky Way and all other galaxies is full of dust and gas, the raw materials from which stars and planets are made.
• Astronomy technique could help assess deadly melanomas April 26, 2011 As a young graduate student with a passion for surfing, Andy Sheinis soaked up a lot of California sun.
• Curiosities: Why is Pluto not considered a planet? Nov. 15, 2010
• Curiosities: Why do stars appear to twinkle in the night sky? Nov. 1, 2010
• Curiosities: Why do some planets have rings? Oct. 18, 2010
• Stellar mosh pit, complete with crashing stars, resolves a mystery Dec. 23, 2009 For almost 50 years, astronomers have puzzled over the youthful appearance of stars known as blue stragglers.
• Scientists hope to mimic nature's dynamos Oct. 9, 2009 In the cosmos, all celestial objects - planets, stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies - have magnetic fields. On Earth, the magnetic field of our home planet is most easily observed in a compass where the needle points north.
• Historic Washburn Observatory prepares to reopen Sept. 3, 2009 The Washburn Observatory, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's gate to the heavens, will open later this month following a careful two-year renovation that preserved its hilltop charm and historic significance.
• Slide show: Starry Night Aug. 24, 2009
• Curiosities: How big is space? Aug. 17, 2009
• Curiosities: How many galaxies have humans discovered? Aug. 3, 2009
• 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.