New NCN-OPUS grant for asteroid research
UAM Institute of Astronomical Observatory received funding in the OPUS13 National Science Center competition in the amount of about 700 000PLN. As part of the project, a new classification of the asteroids will be created based on their surface properties … Continued
The first observation of radiation from colliding neutron stars – the sources of gravitational waves
Gravitational waves, travelling disturbances of space-time predicted by the theory of general relativity, were discovered 2 years ago by LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory). On the 17 August 2017 an international team of astronomers, including dr. Michał Michałowski from … Continued
Haumea – the first dwarf planet with rings
The presence of a ring around Haumea, a dwarf planet located beyond Neptune, is reported online this week in Nature. This discovery opens up new avenues of research in the trans-Neptunian region. Of the four known dwarf planets (Pluto, Eris, … Continued
OSIRIS-REx flyby near Earth
On 2017-09-21 we have observed a NASA OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on its journey to the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (101995) Bennu during a gravitational assist maneuver near the Earth. This little dot visible in the center of the image above is a … Continued
Asteroid Day – 30 June 2017
Asteroid Day is an annual global event, held on the anniversary of the 30 June 1908 Siberian Tunguska explosion. On 6 December 2016 The United Nations proclaimed that Asteroid Day will be celebrated on 30 June every year. More details … Continued