Astronomy Trek News: Stay Updated on Cosmic Discoveries

Astronomy PhD Student Discovers 17 New Worlds

Michelle Kunimoto is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Together with her supervisor Jaymie Matthews, she combs through millions of observations made by the Kepler satellite in search of new …

What Could Be Seen From Earth If Betelgeuse Did Blow Up?

James Miller

While they seem to be eternal, even stars have a lifespan. At the end of this lifespan they can die in several ways depending on their mass. Perhaps the most spectacular star death is the …

TESS Telescope Finds Its First Habitable Planet Around Red Dwarf

James Miller

Are we alone? This is a question that we have asked ourselves ever since we started studying space. At first there were our 7 heavenly neighbors in our solar system, and later hundreds of new …

Gargantuan Black Hole With 40 Billion Times Sun’s Mass Discovered

James Miller

A truly enormous black hole been discovered in the constellation Cetus with a mass equivalent to 40 billion times that of our sun. Put another way, this black hole is so enormous that its mass …

The Hazards Of Living Close To A Black Hole

James Miller

Could life exist on a planet orbiting a supermassive black hole? And if so what would existence on such a planet be like? Jeremy Schnittman, an astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in …

Densest Neutron Star Found Near To Black Hole Mass

James Miller

A massive neutron star only 30 kilometers across but with a mass 2.17 times that of the Sun has been discovered 4,600 light years away from Earth. MSP J0740+6620 is therefore the most massive neutron …

Asteroid 2019 OK Missed Hitting Earth By Just 40,000 Miles

James Miller

On July 25th, asteroid 2019 OK flew by Earth at a distance of only 40,000 miles (65,000 kms). Measuring around 330 feet (100 meters) wide, asteroids the size of 2019 OK are relatively common in …

Milestone Reached With 4,000 Exoplanets Discovered

James Miller

In June, exoplanet science reached a milestone with an astounding 4,000 planets discovered beyond our solar system. That’s a big leap forward considering the first confirmed detection of a world beyond our own star system …

Clay on Mars Finding Hints at Once Supporting Life

James Miller

NASA’s Curiosity rover has confirmed the existence of clay on Mars, suggesting that there was once water on the Red Planet. In August 2012, Curiosity landed on the surface of Mars with one of its …

Asteroid Apophis To Pass Within 19,000 Miles of Earth in 2029

James Miller

Asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass within 19,000 miles of the Earth’s surface on April 13, 2029, which is closer than some satellites currently orbiting our planet. Furthermore, the huge 1,500 feet long and 550 feet …