08.05.10: Does Type Ia Supernova Formation Need Revision?

An artist’s conception of a traditional Type Ia supernova in the making.
    A key measurement device used by modern astrophysicists may also hold an elusive mystery. It has been long known that a Type Ia supernova occurs when a white dwarf accretes in-falling material from a binary companion, grows past the Chandrasekhar limit of 1.4 solar [...]

16.03.10:Relativity Triumphant over Bizarre Binary.

 
   For years, a unique binary system has plagued Einsteinian physics. DI Herculis (DI Her) is a seemingly innocuous binary star about 2,000 light years distant. Type B stars each about five times the mass of our Sun, these stars are in a mutual orbital embrace about 0.2 A.U. apart. Visually, the system is at [...]

LIGO: A Quest for Gravity Waves.

LIGO, Livingston. (All Photos by Author).

  We had to go there… last month’s NASA Tweetup at the Johnson Spaceflight Center saw us undertake the great American road trip from Astroguyz HQ north of Tampa, Florida, to Houston on the other side of the Gulf of Mexico and back. Ever the opportunists, we scoured the route for [...]

Astro-Challenge: Groombridge 34; a Nearby Red Dwarf Pair!

Sure, everyone’s heard of Alpha Centauri, but have you ever heard of… Groombridge 34? We came across this little known binary red dwarf pair while perusing Burnham’s Celestial Handbook last month during our write up for M31. Also in the constellation Andromeda, Groombridge 34 is a unique system; a pair of red dwarf flare stars [...]

06.11.09:A New Type of Supernova?

Astronomers at  the University of California at Berkley may have added a new type of supernova to the list. Typical type I supernovae consist of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf accreting matter from a companion star until a runaway reaction occurs, while type II supernovae involve a collapse of a star perhaps nine times as massive [...]

AstroEvent of the Week: January 19th-25th, 2009: Will EE Cephei Fade?

Light Curve models of EE Cephei during the 2003 event. (Credit: Simostronomy).
Variable star observing stands as a key area that amateur astronomers can still make a significant contribution. Either via imaging or visual observation, its fun to know that you are doing some of the grunt work of science and not just [...]