Space
'Assassin' Project Targets Neraby Supernovae in the Local Universe
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jan 08, 2015 12:51 PM EST
Many astronomers use powerful telescopes to target far-off objects in the distant universe. Now, though, one team is taking a different approach. They're using small telescopes to study a growing portion of the nearby universe all at once.
The new project is called the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN). Since it launched in May 2014, ASAS-SN has detected 89 bright supernovae, which is more than all other professional astronomical surveys combined.
"It's natural to be interested in our local neighborhood," said Krzysztof Stanek, one of the researchers, in a news release. "ASAS-SN is the only survey to study the local universe. Our early success proves that small telescopes can do big things, and the interest we've received from the astronomical community has quickly grown to the point that we need additional projects to cover other types of detection events besides supernovae."
ASAS-SN has spotted more than 250 cataclysmic variables, which are stars that vary dramatically in brightness. And because larger telescopes are too sensitive to capture details of bright, nearby events, this particular project is crucial to understanding what's happening in our galactic neighborhood.
In addition to the cataclysmic variables, ASAS-SN picked up two nearby tidal disruption events, which are extremely rare sightings of what happens when a black hole captures a portion of a nearby star.
The project could be huge when it comes to better understand what's happening in our local universe. In addition, the discoveries are made public online, which means amateur astronomers can also follow along and contribute.
The findings were presented at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
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NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
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First Posted: Jan 08, 2015 12:51 PM EST
Many astronomers use powerful telescopes to target far-off objects in the distant universe. Now, though, one team is taking a different approach. They're using small telescopes to study a growing portion of the nearby universe all at once.
The new project is called the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN). Since it launched in May 2014, ASAS-SN has detected 89 bright supernovae, which is more than all other professional astronomical surveys combined.
"It's natural to be interested in our local neighborhood," said Krzysztof Stanek, one of the researchers, in a news release. "ASAS-SN is the only survey to study the local universe. Our early success proves that small telescopes can do big things, and the interest we've received from the astronomical community has quickly grown to the point that we need additional projects to cover other types of detection events besides supernovae."
ASAS-SN has spotted more than 250 cataclysmic variables, which are stars that vary dramatically in brightness. And because larger telescopes are too sensitive to capture details of bright, nearby events, this particular project is crucial to understanding what's happening in our galactic neighborhood.
In addition to the cataclysmic variables, ASAS-SN picked up two nearby tidal disruption events, which are extremely rare sightings of what happens when a black hole captures a portion of a nearby star.
The project could be huge when it comes to better understand what's happening in our local universe. In addition, the discoveries are made public online, which means amateur astronomers can also follow along and contribute.
The findings were presented at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone