The Gaia Revolution, a Rogue Black Hole, and a Starlink Update

junio 17, 2022

The Gaia Revolution, a Rogue Black Hole, and a Starlink Update

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Read news from the world of astronomy for the week of June 17, 2022.

The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a potential rogue black hole in the Milky Way. Plus, new images of nearby galaxies have revealed details in galactic evolution. And the latest Starlink satellites have gotten brighter, but they're still dimmer than the originals.

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Have We Found the First Rogue Black Hole in the Milky Way?

Hubble observations have revealed a stellar-mass compact object — a black hole or possibly a neutron star — wandering our galaxy.

Life and Death in Nearby Galaxies

New images of nearby galaxies and their surroundings reveal details in galactic formation and evolution — and puzzles that remain to be solved.

The Gaia Revolution: New Data and Strange Stars

Astronomers will use the newest data release from the Gaia mission to explore stellar tsunamis, Milky Way history, and more.

Newest Starlink Satellites Have Gotten Brighter Again

Changes to the design of Starlink satellite spacecraft have made them brighter again, though still dimmer than the original design.

Observing Highlights

This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 17 – 25

Spot the star at the end of the Big Dipper's handle. That's Alkaid. The brightest star upper left of the Sickle of Leo is Denebola. About one third of the way from Alkaid to Denebola is Cor Caroli, a lovely telescopic double.

June: Pre-dawn Planet-Palooza

Download this month’s Sky Tour podcast to find out where and when to spot a rare alignment of five planets in the sky before dawn.

Community

Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival

There’s no place quite like Bryce Canyon by day, and no time like a new moon in June to enjoy it by night. Astronomy festivals feature family-friendly daytime activities and ranger-led evening programs and constellation tours.