Physical Sciences

New Astronomy Tool Peers Through the Heart of the Milky Way
This "first-light" field of stars observed byAPOGEE keys in on a large region in the disk of our galaxy towards the constellation Cygnus. Credit: P. Frinchaboy (Texas Christian University), J. Holtzman (New Mexico State University), M. Skrutskie (University of Virginia), G. Zasowski (University of Virginia), NASA, JPL-Caltech and the WISE Team.
First Electronic Optical Fibers with Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon are Developed
A bed of amorphous hydrogenated silicon wires that were prepared in the pores of optical fibers. The wires have been chemically etched out of the optical fiber to reveal them. Scale bar is 100 um. Inset: An array of amorphous hydrogenated silicon tubes deposited in an optical fiber. The optical fiber has been cleaved in half to reveal the array of tubes. The very thin glass walls of the fiber surrounding each tube are largely obscured. Scale bar is 5um. Credit: John Badding lab, Penn State University.
Stephen Benkovic Awarded the 2011 National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences
Stephen Benkovic Awarded the 2011 National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences
Evidence Is Found that Our Milky Way Galaxy is Destroying Its Dwarf-Galaxy Neighbors
An artist's impression of the four tails of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy (the orange clump on the left of the image) orbiting the Milky Way. Credit: Credit: Amanda Smith, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
Peculiar Cosmic Explosion on Christmas 2010 Continues to Intrigue Astronomers
Frame from animation that interprets the Christmas burst as the merger of a red giant and a neutron star. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Asteroid Video Captured by NASA's Swift Satellite
Starry sky with gray overlay.
Three New Planets and a Mystery Object Discovered Outside Our Solar System
Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin
Now There's an App for NASA's Swift Observatory
A screenshot showing the Swift app interface.
Record-Breaking Photo Reveals a Planet-sized Object as Cool as the Earth
Credit: Janella Williams
Keegan McCoy Receives USRA Education Award
John Nousek, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, and director of the Swift Satellite Mission Operations Center; Keegan McCoy; and Larry Ramsey, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, and Keegan's research supervisor.
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