Institute of Astronomy

News and Press Releases

Highest-precision measurement of water in planet outside the solar system

Published on 22/07/2014 

Highest-precision measurement of water in planet outside the solar system

The discovery of water vapour in the atmospheres of three exoplanets includes the most precise measurement of any chemical in a planet outside the solar system, and has major implications for planet formation and the search for water on Earth-like habitable exoplanets in future.

Spectral ‘ruler’ is first standardised way to measure stars

Published on 25/06/2014 
Spectral ‘ruler’ is first standardised way to measure stars
 
A team of astronomers have created the first standardised set of measurement guidelines for analysing and cataloguing stars.

Astronomers create first realistic virtual universe

Published on 07/05/2014 

Tracking 13 billion years of cosmic evolution, astronomers have created the first realistic virtual simulation of the Universe.

A newly-developed computer simulation has created the first realistic version of the Universe, enabling researchers to understand how galaxies, black holes and other cosmic phenomena developed from shortly after the Big Bang to the present day.

Stellar Stuff - Gaia Live in Schools

Published on 24/03/2014 

An IoA, Cambridge-led outreach project is connecting over 2,200 pupils with the excitement of ESA’s Gaia mission through a Q&A session that will take place tomorrow with the discussion streamed live to schools throughout Europe.

Will Gaia discover habitable planets similar to the Earth? Is the Universe infinite? Could Gaia be hit by a piece of space debris as in the film Gravity? How many planets are there in the Milky Way?

Galactic gas caused by colliding comets suggests mystery ‘shepherd’ exoplanet

Published on 06/03/2014 

Latest research has uncovered a massive clump of carbon monoxide in a young solar system. The gas is the result of near constant collisions of icy comets – suggesting vast swarms of tightly packed comets in thrall to the gravitational pull of an as-yet-unseen exoplanet.