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This blog collects articles from ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ Astronomy and Astrophysics group, ranging from advice on home observing, through the history and nature of night sky objects, to accounts of our own research and the life of ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ Astronomers.

We aim to update this blog on a monthly basis from October 2024

Giant planets that developed early in a star system’s life could solve a mystery of why spiral structures are not observed in young protoplanetary discs, according to a new study by University of ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ astronomers.

A ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ press release on work led by our Sahl Rowther.

In the early years of the Cold War and the Space Race, the scientific community began to raise concerns that in the rush to be the first nation to reach certain milestones, irrevocable damage could be done to the Solar System... so what have we learnt and what haven't we learnt from the race to the Moon.

Our Catriona MacDonald writes for ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ's Habitability Global Research Priority programme. Reblogged from the Habitability GRP.

The newly-launched SDSS-V will continue the path-breaking tradition set by the survey's previous generations, with a focus on the ever-changing night sky and the physical processes that drive these changes, from flickers and flares of supermassive black holes to the back-and-forth shifts of stars being orbited by distant worlds. The project’s consortium includes the University of ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ, which will lead an observational survey of all stars within 325 light years of the Earth - encompassing 350,000 systems, many of which are likely to host planetary systems.

An astro press release from ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ's press office focussing on research led by our Prof. Boris Gänsicke.

In 793CE, monks writing the recorded of dragons in the skies above northern England. While the streaks of fire they witnessed were likely the result of a meteor shower or aurorae, they weren’t the first or the last to see dragons in the night sky. Dr Elizabeth Stanway from ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ’s Astrophysics research group looks at some of the other legends, myths and stories linking dragons and space.

Originally posted on ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ's Knowledge Centre

University of ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ astronomers are warning that orbital debris posing a threat to operational satellites is not being monitored closely enough, as they publish a new survey finding that over 75% of the orbital debris they detected could not be matched to known objects in public satellite catalogues.

A press release from ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ Newsroom, highlighting work led by our Prof Don Pollaco, Dr Paul Chote and PhD researcher James Blake.

University of ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ astronomers have shown that water vapour can potentially be detected in the atmospheres of exoplanets by peering literally over the tops of their impenetrable clouds.

A ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ Newsroom Press Release focussing on research led by our Dr Matteo Brogi and Dr Siddharth Gandhi

From Gallifrey to Tatooine, planets with multiple suns feature widely in science fiction, but there are currently only ten real ‘circumbinary’ planets identified by space scientists. Dr David Armstrong from ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ’s Astrophysics research group considers what we know about planets with two stars – and asks if life could exist there.

Originally published on ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ's Knowledge Centre

Exploring habitability, on our own world and beyond, is a research priority for the University of ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ and an interest for ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ's Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability. Our Ares Osborn explores one aspect of this topic - growing food on Mars.

Originally published on ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ Knowledge Centre