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Agence France-PresseJune 17, 2013 15:02

The deep-space telescope Herschel took its final bow on Monday, climaxing a successful four-year mission to observe the birth of stars and galaxies, the European Space Agency (ESA) said. The largest and most powerful infrared telescope in space, Herschel made over 35,000 scientific observations and amassed more than 25,000 hours of science data, it said. "Herschel has been turned off," ESA director general Jean-Jacques Dordain told journalists at the Paris Air Show. "It is not a surprise, it was expected, it was scheduled," he added.

Stellar brightness points to new class of stars

Agence France-PresseJune 12, 2013 10:31

An intriguing stellar cluster located 7,000 light years from Earth has prompted astronomers to create a new class of stars with "pulsating" brightness, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) said on Wednesday. Sky-watchers made the discovery over seven years of patient measurements of 3,000 stars in a cluster called NGC 3766, found in the constellation of Centaurus. Unexpectedly, 36 of these stars had tiny variations in their normal brightness, they found. The luminosity varied by just 0.1 percent, with the changes occurring at periods ranging from two to 20 hours.

In feat, telescope directly spots lightweight exoplanet

Agence France-PresseJune 3, 2013 12:06

Breaking new ground in the detection of planets beyond our solar system, European astronomers on Monday said they had recorded the most lightweight world to be discovered so far through direct observation. Hundreds of extra-solar planets have been found since 1995, but almost all of them have been discovered through inference -- by the way their gravitational pull affects their star's light or the star itself. The new discovery is a gas giant about four to five times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet of our solar system, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) said.

Astronomers' findings challenge theory on how stars' lives end

Agencia EFEMay 30, 2013 12:45

Berlin, May 30 (EFE).- An international team of astronomers is challenging the prevalent theory on how the lives of most stars end, the European Southern Observatory, or ESO, said. "Astronomers expect that stars like the Sun will blow off much of their atmospheres into space near the ends of their lives. But new observations of a huge star cluster made using ESO's Very Large Telescope have shown - against all expectations - that a majority of the stars studied simply did not get to this stage in their lives at all," the observatory said in a statement.

42 mn km saved Earth from dry, Venus-like fate

Agence France-PresseMay 29, 2013 16:01

Similar in size and often referred to as twin planets, Earth and Venus evolved from common origins into two contrasting worlds - one dry and inhospitable, the other wet and teeming with life. The reason has had science stumped, until now. Writing in the journal Nature on Wednesday, a Japanese research team said the answer was to be found in the planets' respective proximity to the Sun.

Planetary alignment peaks with celestial show this weekend

Thomson ReutersMay 24, 2013 23:58

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky this month, will be joined by tiny Mercury for a rare celestial show this weekend. Typically, Venus, the second-closest planet to the sun, and Jupiter, which orbits beyond Mars, are tens of millions of miles apart. But they have been cycling together while moving ever closer to each other this month, joined by the innermost planet Mercury.

Sun unleashes four potent solar flares

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 19:15

The Sun has unleashed four potent solar flares this week, marking the most intense activity yet this year and causing limited interruptions to high-frequency radio communications. One of them was classified as an X3.2 flare, with X-class flares being the most intense type, the US space agency said. "This is the strongest X-class flare of 2013 so far, surpassing in strength the two X-class flares that occurred earlier in the 24-hour period," NASA said of the flare that peaked at 0111 GMT Tuesday. A fourth X-class flare peaked at 0148 GMT on Wednesday, NASA said.

Australian sky-gazers witness 'ring of fire' eclipse

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 12:29

Sky-gazers were treated to an annular solar eclipse in remote areas of Australia on Friday, with the Moon crossing in front of the Sun to leave a "ring of fire" around its silhouette. The eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun but is too close to the Earth to completely cover the Sun, was seen in full across northern Australia, while Sydney saw a partial eclipse. "It was perfect," said Geoff Sims, who photographed the event from a remote spot in Western Australia.

Google+ trends: Australia's solar eclipse, Mother's Day

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 09:15

On Friday, May 10, Google+ users in Australia are sharing pictures and news of the most recent solar eclipse while those in the US and elsewhere are looking forward to Mother's Day.

Google+ trends: Australia's solar eclipse, Mother's Day

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 09:00

On Friday, May 10, Google+ users in Australia are sharing pictures and news of the most recent solar eclipse while those in the US and elsewhere are looking forward to Mother's Day.