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Tag Archives: cosmology

New, older age for the universe

By Stephen Ornes / April 4, 2013

This map shows the energy left over from shortly after the Big Bang, as mapped by the Planck space telescope. The average background temperature is about 2.7 degrees above the coldest possible temperature (known as absolute zero). Red spots are slightly warmer, while blue spots are slightly cooler. Astronomers hope this map can help them learn more about the history of the universe.

Telescope peers back to see the first light after the Big Bang

Posted in Space | Tagged absolute zero, age of the universe, astronomy, astrophysics, Big Bang, cosmic background radiation, cosmology, energy, European Space Agency, George Efstathiou, getinvolved, inflation, Matthew Kleban, New York University, Planck space telescope, radiation, Richard Easther, temperature, University of Auckland, University of Cambridge, waves

Supertiny satellites launched

By Sid Perkins / March 6, 2013

Cordell Grant, an aerospace engineer at the University of Toronto in Canada, assembles one of his team’s nanosatellites. These are the smallest space telescopes ever sent into Earth orbit. Credit: Johannes Hirn (Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto)

Researchers are building simple, miniature satellites to bring down their costs and expand their availability

Posted in Technology & Engineering | Tagged aerospace engineer, astronomy, Canada; Kieran Carroll, Canada; orbiting telescope, cosmology, exoplanet, Gedex, getinvolved, Hubble Space Telescope, infrared, Mississauga, nanosatellites (nanosats); Cordell Grant, Ontario, Orbit, satellites, sensors, space shuttle, stars, telescope, topstories, University of Toronto, wavelengths

Twinkle, twinkle oldest stars

By Stephen Ornes / November 21, 2012

Blazars are bright galaxies that send high-powered radiation jets directly toward Earth. They can be used to detect the light in the universe left over from every star that ever shone. In this image, the blazars are shown as green dots; the Milky Way glows orange in the middle. Credit: NASA, DOE, Fermi LAT Collaboration

Astronomers find traces of ancient light in the activity of bright, distant galaxies

Posted in Space | Tagged astronomy, astrophysics, Big Bang, blazar, cosmic fog, cosmology, Fermi telescope, galaxy, gamma rays, getinvolved, Kavli Institute, light, optics, photon, photons, radiation, star, telescope, topstories, University of Texas at Austin, Volker Bromm