Astronomy & Astrophysics
Coverage of Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Nexus archive.
- One of the night sky’s brightest stars may have been hiding a secret
Astronomers have found clear evidence of a faint companion star, Betelgeuse B, orbiting the red supergiant Betelgeuse in Orion. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, researchers detected the companion, which is more massive than previously predicted, potentially explaining Betelgeuse’s unusual behavior and offering insights into its eventual supernova.
- Planned 1.7 million satellites ‘devastating’ for astronomy: Study
A study by the European Southern Observatory warns that 1.7 million planned satellites will have 'devastating consequences' for astronomy by brightening the night sky and disrupting telescopic observations. Researchers recommend limiting satellites to 100,000 to preserve ground-based astronomy, citing threats from projects like SpaceX's Starlink and Reflect Orbital's 50,000-mirror satellites.