A Middle Aged Sun?

(Photo credit YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images)

The Sun has likely already entered into a new unpredicted long-term phase of its evolution as a hydrogen-burning main sequence star — one characterized by magnetic sputtering indicative of a more quiescent middle-age. What this means for us astro-photographers is that there may be fewer and fewer sunspots and flares.  But I don't think we need to worry yet ...

See Forbes for the complete story.

Time Travel Not Likely - Pear Shaped Nucleus Says So! Maybe!

Physicists have confirmed the existence of a new form of atomic nuclei, and the fact that it’s not symmetrical challenges the fundamental theories of physics that explain our Universe.  For one, it means that time travel into the past is not possible.  However, the good news is that the discovery could help scientists solve one of the biggest mysteries in theoretical physics - where is all the dark matter?

Read the full story at Science Alert.

An ocean for Pluto and a thinner ice shell on Enceladus

NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI

Once, we thought Earth was the only planet with oceans. But now, we’re seemingly finding them everywhere in our solar system.

Complete story on Astronomy.com

Astronomy Photos on Flickr

Don't know why I didn't do this earlier ... to make it easier for everyone to view my Astronomy photos I've created a number of albums on Flickr so you can see them all without having to load each one separately on Astrobin.  Astrobin is the preferred site if you want detailed information about the images, but if you're just interested in viewing the loveliness, then Flickr is best.

Not all my photos have been uploaded yet.  The Messier Objects are the first set.  I'll be uploading the NGC (Nebulae, Galaxies), Comets and Planets in the coming days.

Photos on Flickr

A Surprise While Observing Gravity Waves - Dark Matter?

Physicists suggest we might have just found dark matter while detecting gravitational waves. 

For the complete story visit Science Alert

Caught SN2016coj!

Moon or not, the skies cleared nicely on Sunday evening and so I set up to image SN2016coj.  Being able to image a supernova in a year is a privilege, two in the same month is almost unheard of!
I've not imaged NGC4125 (a 10th-magnitude elliptical galaxy in Draco) before so I have nothing to compare against, but the word on the internet is that the supernova is very obvious.  Alas, as can be seen in the image, the supernova itself is almost brighter than the nucleus of the galaxy itself.  Here is the image I captured.

The forecast for the next week is not looking good, and the moon will be waxing large.  But if SN2016coj continues to brighten it may really make for a good image in the next couple of weeks.  If it starts to dim, so be it - I'll be able to compare it against earlier images.  

Another Supernova this month!

No sooner did I get a chance to image a supernova this year that I heard about another one. This time in NGC 4125, a 10th-magnitude elliptical galaxy in Draco. There are a fair amount of supernovae discovered in a single year, but I'm talking about ones bright enough to be imaged, or even visually observed (with a telescope of course).

With the cloudy skies returning, and then the moon getting in the way, it may be a challenge to image SN2016coj this month, but I will try.  Details on both of the supernovae can be found at
Sky and Telescope.

Supernova in M66 Captured

Well the clouds finally left the area and the sky was clear enough to attempt to capture the new supernova in galaxy M66.  Staying up into the wee hours of the morning on a week night when I need to be at work by 7:00 is not a great idea, but at this time of the year the skies don't get dark enough for imaging until about 10:30PM.  And, supernovas don't appear very frequently. 

So here's my image of Supernova 2016cok.  I plan to re-image the galaxy if possible in the coming weeks to see how the supernova fades.  Problem is that the moon will be making its reappearance and the galaxy is setting earlier and earlier each evening.  I was only able to take 12 subs this evening before it sank into my western tree line.

Barbie ... Star Trek ... You guessed it.

Barbie Gets Beamed Up For 'Star Trek' 50th Anniversary Collection

Credit: Mattel / CBS Consumer Products

Yes Star Trek fans, you can now get Barbie versions of Captain Kirk, Lt. Uhura and Mr. Spock.
My question is ... does that really look like Capt. Kirk?

More at:  Space.com

wo 1960s icons get mashed up as Mattel has created Barbie versions of James. T. Kirk, Spock and Nyota Uhura for the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek." - See more at: http://www.space.com/33093-star-trek-barbie-dolls-50th-anniversary.html#sthash.1macaxLi.dpuf

Supernova discovered in M66 - Galaxy in Leo

Image by Gianluca Masi, Ceccano Italy - May 29, 2016

A new supernova has been observed in M66, a galaxy in the constellation of Leo the Lion.  On 28 may 2016, the ASAS supernova survey discovered a possible supernova in the amazing Messier 66 spiral galaxy in Leo; the supernova nature was confirmed a few hours later, suggesting a type IIP object. Clouds made impossible to us to image it on the first night, but we had some clear skies the following one.

If the skies ever clear in Maryland I plan to image M66 and compare it to images I have from the past.  I should be able to distinguish the new star!

Has A Fifth Force Been Found?

Radioactive decay anomaly could imply a new fundamental force, theorists say.

Physicists at the Institute for Nuclear Research in Debrecen, Hungary, say this apparatus — an electron-positron spectrometer — has found evidence for a new particle.

A laboratory experiment in Hungary has spotted an anomaly in radioactive decay that could be the signature of a previously unknown fifth fundamental force of nature, physicists say – if the finding holds up.

For the complete see Nature.