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Breaking News

• 20 May 2015 in News: Supernova observed colliding with its companion star
• 20 May 2015 in News: Citizen-funded CubeSat ready to go solar sailing
• 20 May 2015 in News: Newly dedicated observatory to search for gravitational waves
• 23 May 2015 in News: Galaxy’s cannibalistic snacking habits revealed
• 22 May 2015 in News: WISE discovery of the most luminous galaxy in the universe

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  Newly dedicated observatory to search for gravitational waves

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  WISE discovery of the most luminous galaxy in the universe

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  The dreadful beauty of the Medusa Nebula

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  Supernova observed colliding with its companion star

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  Citizen-funded CubeSat ready to go solar sailing

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  Newly dedicated observatory to search for gravitational waves

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  WISE discovery of the most luminous galaxy in the universe

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Latest News

Galaxy’s cannibalistic snacking habits revealed

A team of Australian and Spanish astronomers have caught a greedy galaxy gobbling on its neighbours and leaving crumbs of evidence about its dietary past. Their successful and novel approach to investigating how galaxies grow is being used in a new program to further refine the best models of galaxy evolution. 

News Headlines

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  WISE discovery of the most luminous galaxy in the universe
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  Supernova observed colliding with its companion star
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  Citizen-funded CubeSat ready to go solar sailing
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  Newly dedicated observatory to search for gravitational waves
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  OSIRIS discovers balancing rock on comet 67P
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  Hubble catches a stellar exodus in action

Stories you might have missed

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  Geochemical process on Saturn’s moon Enceladus linked to life’s origin
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  Exo-asteroid debris shows how water reached Earth
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  NASA’s LRO moves closer to Moon’s mysterious South Pole

The Night Sky

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  See ringed planet Saturn at its best

  Often referred to as the Jewel of the Solar System, Saturn reaches opposition on May 23rd and is currently best placed for observation during 2015. Despite the planet's southerly declination, its glorious ring system is favourably tipped in our direction with the northern hemisphere on show. 
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  Venus’ late night show in May
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  Mercury’s best early evening twilight show for 2015
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  Comet Lovejoy’s May rendezvous with Polaris

Equipment

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  Orion StarBlast 62mm compact travel refractor

  Now that many of us are turning our thoughts to holidays, possibly to darker skies in foreign climes, Steve Ringwood appraises a versatile 62mm aperture, 4-element refractor that could fit in our carry-on luggage. 
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  3× four-element Barlow lens
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  Orion SkyQuest XX12g Dobsonian
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  Sky-Watcher Star Discovery 150P Newtonian

Picture This

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  The dreadful beauty of the Medusa Nebula

  Astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile have captured the most detailed image ever taken of the Medusa Nebula in the constellation of Gemini. As the star at the heart of this nebula made its transition into retirement, it shed its outer layers into space, forming this colourful cloud. 
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  OSIRIS discovers balancing rock on comet 67P
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  Hubble catches a stellar exodus in action
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  Ceres’ mysterious white spots resolved in latest Dawn images

Picture this

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Rosetta Mission News

• OSIRIS discovers balancing rock on comet 67P
• Rosetta keeps its distance from awakening comet
• Rosetta probe disoriented by comet dust
• OSIRIS detects water ice in the neck of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
• Rosetta begins listening for signs of life from comet lander

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