Astronomy

A generative AI impression of a circumstellar disc surrounding a free floating planet. Though not bound to any star, these solitary giant planets appear to possess discs similar to the one that formed the planets around our Sun. Planets without stars may not be so lonely after all. New research led by astronomers at the University of St Andrews suggests that free-floating giant planets—those adrift in interstellar space—can host their own miniature planetary systems. Using the unparalleled infrared vision of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the team studied a sample of eight young, isolated planetary-mass objects with masses five to ten times that of Jupiter. Though not bound to any star, these solitary giants appear to possess dusty circumplanetary discs—structures similar to the o...

Exploding stars come in different types, and these different types of supernovae show astronomers different things about the cosmos. There's a scientific appetite to find more of them and boost our knowledge about these exotic events. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope should be able to feed that appetite. The Roman is due to launch in about two years, and will make its way to its station at the Sun-Earth L2 orbit. After commissioning, it'll begin operations. One of its three primary surveys is the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey. In that survey, the powerful space telescope will image the same section of sky beyond the Milky Way every five days for two years. The team behind the Roman will stitch these scenes together into one comprehensive movie, a sort of cosmic cinema. T...

Armagh Observatory and Planetarium marked a remarkable milestone this week, 230 years of daily weather observations, with readings taken every single day since 14 July 1795. To celebrate the occasion, the Observatory hosted a special gathering at its historic meteorological enclosure (“MET cage”) on Monday 14 July at 10 am, followed by a Family Fun Day at the Planetarium. 230 Years of Weather Recording 14 July 2025 Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Armagh CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com Meteorological measurements at Armagh began in December 1794, with an unbroken sequence of daily weather readings starting in July 1795, making this one of the longest continuous climate records in the British Isles. “Reaching 230 years of uninterrupted weather records is an extraordinary achievement,” said Dr Ker...

The extraordinary Ring Nebula (Messier 57), showing off its multilayered form. Image: Bob Fera. Messier 57, more famously known as the Ring Nebula, graces the constellation Lyra as one of the finest planetary nebulae in the night sky. A true summer showpiece, it’s remarkably easy to locate and observe—even through modest instruments as small as 80mm (about three inches) in aperture. As June nights fall, M57 rises swiftly in the east, already standing 50 degrees above the horizon by the time twilight yields to what little darkness midsummer offers. By mid-month, it culminates overhead, shining steadily through the warm season’s haze. Though its appearance is striking, the Ring Nebula’s small apparent size—just 86 by 62 arcseconds—can be a slight letdown for those using binoculars. Its comp...