Higher temperatures on the earth’s surface at higher latitudes cause an increase in the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas that plays an important role in global warming. Therefore higher temperatures are not just a consequence of climate change but also a cause of it, conclude climate researchers in an article published this week in …
Category: News items
Three-antenna linkup milestone for ALMA
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has passed a key milestone. Astronomers and engineers of the European Southern Observatory (SEO) have, for the first time, successfully linked three of the observatory’s antennas at the 5000-metre elevation observing site in northern Chile. Having three antennas observing in unison paves the way for precise images of the …
Back-up system HIFI passes first tests
The researchers responsible for the switch-on of HIFI can enjoy a peaceful Christmas Holiday: the back-up stystem of HIFI has passed the first tests. In order to be able to be back in business in January 2010 the electronic modules of HIFI’s back-up system are tested one by one. The past few weeks this was …
Utrecht University and SRON strengthen cooperation in space science
Utrecht University and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research have signed an agreement on cooperation in the fields of astrophysics and Earth and planetary science. The institues have been cooperating for years, but now tangible commitments have been made regarding joint research programmes. SRON will also contribute to the education activities of the Faculty of …
10 years XMM-Newton: a new view of the universe
ESA’s XMM-Newton, the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever launched, celebrates its tenth year in space on 10 December 2009. With the help of a hypersensitive reflection grating spectrometer developed by SRON, the telescope has dramatically changed our view of the most extreme parts of the universe. ESA’s XMM-Newton, the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever launched …
Distance to black hole no longer a secret
An international team of astronomers has accurately measured the distance from Earth to a black hole for the first time. Without needing to rely on mathematical models the astronomers came up with a distance of 7800 light years, much closer than had been assumed until now. The researchers achieved this breakthrough by measuring the radio …
Herschel spectroscopy: update
In november Herschel has been carrying out performance verification phase (PVP) observations using the PACS and SPIRE spectrometers. A Herschel update by ESA provides some fine examples of observational results for a variety of astronomical objects. Spectra from HIFI – fully operational again in january 2010 – have determined the presence of organic molecules in …
Herschel in TIME’s top ten
The Herschel space telescope ranks among the top ten of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2009, the magazine’s picks for the best new gadgets and breakthrough ideas of the year. The ‘Telescope for the Invisible Stars’ ranks 7th. ‘It’s no secret that space is cold,’ writes TIME in a comment on ESA’s Herschel space telescope. ‘But …
HIFI back in business early 2010
HIFI should be back in business soon! The international team that tackles the problems with the Dutch-led international space instrument is in full swing, adapting the operational procedures and internal software on the ground. These adaptations are made in order to prevent a recurrence of the unwanted voltage peak in the electronic system of HIFI, …
Consistent failure scenario for HIFI
The international team that investigates the problems with the Dutch space instrument HIFI on board the ESA space telescope Herschel has arrived at a complete and consistent failure scenario. A "chain of events" resulted in an overload in one of the power converters of the Local Oscillator Control Unit (LCU), which controls the signal artificially …
