Read article 'Observations link gamma-ray bursts to black hole formation'
Over recent years, astronomers have detected numerous short, intense bursts of gamma rays coming from all over the sky. For a brief instant, these flashes of radiation are more energetic than anything...
Read article 'NASA MAPs the microwave background'
NASA launched its Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) this summer. The experiment will measure the cosmic microwave background to one part in a million, with a sensitivity that is greater than 20 µK...
Read article 'Sky survey produces 14 million new results'
In June, two major survey collaborations released their data to the world’s astronomy community. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) released observations of some 14 million objects, including s...
Read article 'Astronomers benefit from particle physics detectors'
A new kind of X-ray polarimeter giving greatly improved sensitivity and based on methods developed for particle physics gives astronomers a new handle on X-ray measurement.
Read article 'Gamma-ray telescopes take shape'
Turning to unusual wavelengths, astronomers reveal new pictures of the universe. This article describes a major new gamma-ray window opening up soon in Southern Africa.
Read article 'Observations of cosmic ripples reveal more hints of the blueprint for the early universe'
April and May were exciting months for cosmologists, as new results brought them one step closer to unravelling the mysteries of the early universe.
Read article 'European network for astro-particle physics is formed'
Five European countries have pledged to collaborate on research into astroparticle physics. The Astro-Particle Physics European Coordination (APPEC) network was formed on 2 May in Paris. Its goals inc...
Read article 'Supernova supports negative pressure concept'
Images of a supernova 10 billion light-years from Earth give new weight to the theory of negative pressure (Einstein’s cosmological constant). The observations of the exploding star, made using ...
Read article 'Gamma-ray bursts are linked to star-forming regions'
At the Gamma Ray 2001 conference in Baltimore, Luigi Piro of the Istituto Astrofisica Spaziale in Rome presented new evidence linking gamma-ray bursts to dense regions of star formation. Gamma-ray bur...
Read article 'Keck heralds a new era for optical astronomy'
On the night of 12 March, the Keck interferometer in Hawaii began operations. It is currently the largest optical telescope in the world, with a resolution equivalent to that of a single telescope wit...
