A Nobel Prize for the Dark Side

“Science today is about getting some results, framing those results in an attention-grabbing media release and basking in the glory.” —Kerry Cue, Canberra Times, 5 October 2011 On October 4, 2011 the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three astrophysicists for “THE ACCELERATING UNIVERSE.” Prof. Perlmutter of the University of California,…

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New Kid on the Block

M101 (NGC 5457), the Pinwheel Galaxy. Image credit: Donald E. Scott Sep 23, 2011 A new supernova explosion highlights the same old gravity problems. On August 24, 2011 astronomers from the Palomar Transient Factory discovered the first type 1A supernova seen in decades. Type 1A class stellar explosions (or, implosions)…

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Essential Guide to the EU – Introduction

The New Picture of Space Now more than ever, the exploration of our starry Universe excites the imagination. Never before has space presented so many pathways for research and discovery. New observational tools enable us to “see” formerly-invisible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the view is spectacular. Telescope images…

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