Feeding a baby star through a whirlpool in space

An international research team, led by Chin-Fei Lee at Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA, Taiwan), has detected a pair of spiral arms in an accretion disk around a protostar (baby star), using the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA). Interestingly, these spiral density enhancements make the disk appear like a “space whirlpool.” … Read more

The irresistible pull – when massive stars collide

All neutron stars are magnetic, but some are more magnetic than others. The latter, so-called magnetars, are the strongest magnets in the Universe. The reason for their exceptionally large magnetic field is most probably that they formed in supernovae of already highly magnetized stars. But how do these massive stars acquire their large magnetic field? … Read more

Massive filaments fuel the growth of galaxies and supermassive black holes

An international group of scientists led by the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research have used observations from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile and the Suprime-Cam at the Subaru telescope to make detailed observations of the filaments of gas connecting galaxies in a large, distant proto-cluster … Read more

New telescopes to help students reach for the stars

Budding astronomers from across the Canberra region now have greater access to high-quality telescopes, thanks to the expansion of a unique facility at The Australian National University’s (ANU) Mount Stromlo Observatory. The McNamara-Saunders Astronomical Teaching Telescope 2 (MSATT 2) is designed for students in Years 9 to 12. Its construction follows the success of MSATT … Read more