compiled by Arlene & David Kaplan

Metal Planet Orbits Its Star Every 7.7 Hours
Astronomers engaged in the sport of hunting exoplanets, or planets around other star systems have spotted a tiny world designated GJ 367 b with about half the mass of the Earth. Among the lightest exoplanets found to date, GJ 367 b zips around its parent star in a speedy…more

Ariel: Contract signed to build European planet telescope A €200m (£170m) contract has been signed with European industry to build the Ariel space telescope. The observatory will study planets around other stars to try to understand how these objects formed and how they have evolved through time…more

New NASA Telescope Will Provide X-Ray Views of the Universe A brand-new space telescope will soon reveal a hidden vision of the cosmos, potentially transforming our understanding of black holes, supernovas and even the nature of the universe itself. No, not that one. Much attention is being devoted this month to the James Webb Space Telescope…more

NASA Returns Hubble to Full Science Operations NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope team recovered the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on Monday, Dec. 6, and is now operating with all four active instruments collecting science. The team has still not detected any further synchronization message issues since monitoring began Nov. 1. The team will continue…more

How Do You Tell the World That Doomsday Has Arrived? One of the thus-far theoretical duties of the astronomer is to inform the public that something very big and horrible is about to happen: The sun will soon explode, a black hole has just wandered into Earth’s path, hostile aliens have amassed an armada right behind the moon. In the new Netflix film “Don’t Look Up,” a pair of astronomers…more

Space sleeping bag to solve astronauts’ squashed eyeball disorder Scientists have developed a hi-tech sleeping bag that could prevent the vision problems that some astronauts experience while living in space. In zero-gravity, fluids float into the head and squash the eyeball over time. It’s regarded as one of the riskiest medical problems affecting astronauts, with some experts concerned it could compromise missions to Mars…more

West Penwith recognized with Dark Sky Park designation An area of Cornwall scattered with ancient monuments has been officially recognized as one of the best places in the world to see the stars at night. West Penwith is now an International Dark Sky Park (IDSP) with minimal traces of light pollution. Cornwall Council encouraged a partnership between residents, businesses and councilors to achieve the nomination…more

Portsmouth astronomers create audio map of the universe Astronomers have created an audio map of the universe by assigning different sounds to bodies in space. The work is a joint project between the University of Portsmouth and the Newcastle University and has been carried out to allow people who are visually impaired to explore space and to help astronomers with their research. Astronomer Dr Nic Bonne, who is visually impaired himself, says they are often…more