Announcements

1 July 2008: A delicate ribbon of gas floats eerily in our galaxy. A contrail from an alien spaceship A jet from a black hole? Actually this image, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, is a very thin section of a supernova remnant caused by a stellar explosion that occurred more than 1,000 years ago. On or around 1 May 1006 A.D., observers from Africa to Europe to the Far East witnessed and recorded the arrival of light from what is now called SN 1006, a tremendous supernova explosion caused by the final death throes of a white dwarf star nearly 7,000 light-years away. The supernova was probably the brightest star ever seen by humans, and surpassed Venus as the brightest object in the night time sky, only to be surpassed by the Moon. It was visible even during the day for weeks, and remained visible to the naked eye for at …

26 May 2008: The conference Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2007 was held in Athens, Greece, from 8 to 11 October 2007. It aimed to bring together the producers of astronomical information (research scientists), public information officers (connected with large observatories and space missions), and mediators (science reporters and writers, staff members from museums, planetariums). The key topics of the meeting were: The International Year Astronomy 2009 (main theme) Case studies Communicating in the Web 2.0 / YouTube / MySpace / vodcasting mediascape Audiovisual & multimedia communication incl. tools and techniques Social impact and evaluation of astronomy communication Communication catering to special needs The proceedings of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2007 meeting is available online (check the links below).

26 May 2008: In this edition the contributions cover the full spectrum of astronomy communication from forefront technology to the fine art of communicating controversy. Three of the topics discussed in this issue deal with communicating contentious topics: the cases of the meteorite ALH 84001, the TMR-C1 "protoplanet" and the UK spacecraft Beagle 2 featured prominently in the media coverage of astronomy in 1996, 1998 and 2003 respectively. Two great articles examine the backstage drama and the media coverage of these remarkable stories thoroughly. There are many lessons to be learnt from these case studies. On the CAPj's website, www.capjournal.org, you will find the current issue in PDF format, a job bank, submission guidelines and back issues.

25 March 2008: Today, an updated version of the popular software has been released with, among other features, native support for Intel-based Macs. Another key update is a much improved support for embedding of descriptive information, so-called metadata, directly within the final image. Based on a updated version 1.1 standard for Astronomy Visualization Metadata, this information is stored in the standard manner like that used by digital cameras to record exposure information. The FITS Liberator is freely available for download from: http://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/fits_liberator/download_v22.html Version 2.2 of The ESA/ESO/NASA Photoshop FITS Liberator has been improved in several areas, some of which are: Universal Binary for Mac allows native CS3 operation on Intel-based systems Flip image checkbox allows image orientation to be selected on import. Root functions (x1/2, x1/3, x1/4, x1/5) now operate antisymmetrically about x=0. Version 1.1 of the Astronomy Visualization Metadata (AVM) standard is now fully supported. For more information see http://www.virtualastronomy.org The import …

7 March 2008: Less than one year after its launch, the Hubblecast HD video podcast (vodcast) series has become a tremendous success. It has just been awarded a position among the best new 25 video podcasts in 2007 by the Apple iTunes store. Hubblecast is the name for a series of free video podcasts that presents the latest news and beautiful images related with the science produced by the Hubble Space Telescope. Its target group is laypeople interested in astronomy and the amazing images from outer space. The "HD" stands for "High Definition", and is the standard format that can be watched on online movie players such as the AppleTV. However, Hubblecast HD can also be watched on any computer screen. Two other Hubblecast channels are available: "Hubblecast" which is low resolution and Hubblecast Full HD, using the 1080p format (1920 x 1080 pixels). It is easy to find Hubblecast HD in iTunes: …

25 February 2008: ESA/Hubble has started a collaboration with the University of Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Institute on the NBI Cast. The first collaboration has resulted in the episode "Our Cosmic Roots" about the most distant galaxies observed. NBI Cast is currently only available in Danish, but will soon be accessible in English also. ScienceXplorer HD / EnglishXplore the world of physics and astronomy by joining the researchers in their quest to discover the mysterious Universe, missions to Mars, in the arctic cold in Greenland, and in the world's largest particle accelerator in CERN. Produced by the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen.

21 February 2008: In this issue we marvel at the breathtaking images taken by astrophotographers from The "World at Night project", get insider tips from authors of two popular astronomy vodcasts, learn how to navigate the labyrinth of European Commission grants for education/outreach and much more. CAPjournal is a newcomer to the field, but we are very happy with the community feedback, which gives us an added incentive to continue. Between editions you can stay in touch through our website, www.capjournal.org, discussions on the papers, a job bank, back issues and the current issue of CAPjournal. Check out the full articles on: http://www.capjournal.org/issues/02/index.php

6 February 2008: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image of the galaxy NGC 1132 which is, most likely, a cosmic fossil – the aftermath of an enormous multi-galactic pile-up, where the carnage of collision after collision has built up a brilliant but fuzzy giant elliptical galaxy far outshining typical galaxies. In this Hubblecast, check why this elliptical galaxy has been intriguing the scientists and how it can help us understand more about the inner workings of the Universe.

17 December 2007: A powerful jet from a supermassive black hole is blasting a nearby galaxy, according to new data from NASA/ESA observatories. This never-before witnessed galactic violence may have a profound effect on planets in the jet's path and trigger a burst of star formation in its destructive wake. Known as 3C 321, the system contains two galaxies in orbit around each other. Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show both galaxies contain supermassive black holes at their centres, but the larger galaxy has a jet emanating from the vicinity of its black hole. The smaller galaxy apparently has swung into the path of this jet. This "death star galaxy" was discovered through the combined efforts of both space and ground-based telescopes. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope were part of the effort. The Very Large Array (VLA) in Socorro, New Mexico (USA), and the …

4 December 2007: These images show young and old white dwarf stars – the burned-out relics of normal stars – in the ancient globular star cluster NGC 6397. The image at left, taken by a ground-based telescope, shows the dense swarm of hundreds of thousands of stars that make up the globular cluster. The white box outlines the location of the observations made by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The image at top right, taken by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys, reveals young white dwarfs less than 800 million years old and older white dwarfs between 1.4 and 3.5 billion years old. The photo shows 12 of the 84 white dwarfs in the Hubble study. The blue squares pinpoint the young white dwarfs; the red circles outline the older white dwarfs. The Hubble researchers distinguished the younger from the older white dwarfs based on their colour and brightness. The younger white dwarfs are …

27 November 2007: Hubble astronomer Guido de Marchi showed the wonders of the Universe to hundreds of children at the inaugural International Space camp "Deepspace 2007" held near the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station in Australia. Young boy and girl scouts from 11 to 18 years travelled from across the vast continent of Australia in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of man's exciting foray into the frontiers of space. The highlight of Deepspace 2007 was Guido's evening talk and slide show of images, from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, taking the five hundred plus audience on a journey spanning eight billion years. His words and choice of images resulted in endless questioning that lasted on into the night. Following the talk scouts created their own artistic interpretation of the beautiful Hubble images in a dedicated space art workshop led by Anne Brumfitt. The theme of the camp was the celebration of all space …

8 November 2007: Do you ever look at the beautiful images from Hubble and wonder how they were made? What exactly happens after the faint light from distant objects is detected by Hubble? How are these cosmic photons captured in space transformed into the glorious colour images down here on your wall or on computer screen? If you want to find out then Hubblecast episode 10 is for you! In the latest Hubblecast we explore how Hubble images the Universe and how astronomers and image processing experts bring these images together to create the stunning celestial vistas we know and love. Sitting in its vantage point 600km above the Earth, Hubble is a window on the Universe. It has allowed us to peer into the stunningly beautiful cosmos, creating exquisite views of the Universe we live in. You too can have a go at making your own images, just Google "FITS Liberator".

26 October 2007: A new peer-reviewed journal released today by the IAU will provide astronomy communicators with important tools and innovative resources to communicate more effectively the workings of the Universe to the public. IAU President Catherine Cesarsky says "We are pleased to announce the first issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal. The IAU is strongly dedicated to improving the global level of astronomy education and outreach." The journal provides astronomy communicators with a mix of resources, opinion and information on how to communicate more effectively to the general public the workings of the Universe. As Pedro Russo, Editor-In-Chief of the journal, explains, the CAP journal has an important aim: "As the astronomy education and public outreach community expands globally, it becomes increasingly important to establish a community of science communication experts." President of IAU Commission 55 Communicating Astronomy with the Public, Ian Robson: "Astronomy has an innate appeal to …

25 October 2007: These sharp images taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveal at least five shells of stars surrounding a brilliant quasar at the heart of a giant elliptical galaxy. The image at left shows the quasar, known as MC2 1635+119, and its host galaxy [centre] against a backdrop of distant galaxies. In the image at top, right, the shells can barely be seen because of the bright light from the central quasar. The image at bottom, right, was enhanced to reveal details of the faint shells. In both right-hand images, the objects below and to the left of the shells are background galaxies. A foreground star resides at top, left. The shells have never been seen before in this galaxy, located about 2 billion light-years away. They are evidence that the giant galaxy clashed with another galaxy in the relatively recent past. The shells are similar to ripples forming in …

11 September 2007: The colourful, intricate shapes in these NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images reveal how the glowing gas ejected by dying Sun-like stars evolves dramatically over time. These gaseous clouds, called planetary nebulae, are created when stars in the last stages of life cast off their outer layers of material into space. Ultraviolet light from the remnant star makes the material glow. Planetary nebulae last for only 10,000 years, a fleeting episode in the 10-billion-year lifespan of Sun-like stars. The name planetary nebula has nothing to do with planets. They got their name because their round shapes resembled planets when seen through the small telescopes of the eighteenth century. The Hubble images show the evolution of planetary nebulae, revealing how they expand in size and change temperature over time. A young planetary nebula, such as He 2-47, at top, left, for example, is small and is dominated by relatively cool, glowing nitrogen …

23 August 2007: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures a rare view of the entire ring system of the planet Uranus, tilted edge-on to Earth. The rings were photographed with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on August 14, 2007. The edge-on rings appear as spikes above and below the planet. The rings cannot be seen running fully across the face of the planet because the bright glare of the planet has been blocked out in the HST photo (a small amount of residual glare appears as a fan-shaped image artifact, along with an edge between the exposure for the inner and outer rings). A much shorter colour exposure of the planet has been photo-composited to show its size and position relative to the ring plane. Earthbound astronomers only see the rings' edge every 42 years as the planet follows a leisurely 84-year orbit about the Sun. However, the last time the rings …

25 June 2007: The successful video podcast (vodcast) with cool news from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the Hubblecast, is now produced in Full High-Definition (Full HD) format. High-Definition is rapidly evolving into one of the leading video formats in the broadcasting market. This is the first time – to our knowledge – that a vodcast has been delivered in Full HD resolution and demonstrates the European Space Agency's dedication to maximising the return to European taxpayers on their initial investment in the telescope. The Hubblecast features the latest and coolest news and images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and is hosted by the enthusiastic young Dr. J – the nickname for Dr. Joe Liske, a German astronomer working at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO). The Hubblecast has been embraced by thousands of viewers in its first three months of its life, and is regularly ranked …

7 June 2007: The launch date for the fifth and final Servicing Mission to the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been officially set by NASA managers to 10 September 2008. During the 11-day flight, originally termed Servicing Mission 4, space shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts will repair and improve the observatory?s capabilities through 2013. Mission planners have been working since last fall, when the flight was announced, to determine the best time in the shuttle manifest to support the needs of Hubble while minimizing the impact on the International Space Station (ISS) assembly. The Hubble mission will also support an additional ?launch on need? flight. In the unlikely event a rescue flight becomes necessary, shuttle Endeavour is currently planned to lift off from Launch Pad 39-B at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. However, managers are constantly evaluating the manifest to determine the best mission options. Space Shuttle missions beyond the Hubble …

11 April 2007: ESA/Hubble VACANCY: Graphics design intern Duty Station: ESA/HubbleEuropean Southern ObservatoryKarl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2D-85748 Garching, Germany Duration: 3-6 monthsStart: as soon as possible Job Description:In the ESA/Hubble science communication office you will work with a small team of professional graphic experts and video animators to produce high-end science communication graphics for printed matter; TV and webpages.Read more at: http://www.spacetelescope.org/about_us Requirements: Preferably student in graphic design, 3D, new media or similar Good English Experience with some of the following: graphics design, illustration, 3D modeling and rendering, video editing, authoring, web design, Flash and Flash programming, layout, etc. Familiarity with some of the standard graphics software packages: Photoshop, CorelDraw, Cinema 4D, InDesign, Premiere, Encore, AfterEffects, Flash, DreamWeaver, etc. Good Communication skills Can work independently   Please send your CV in English and a few examples of your work to:Lars Lindberg ChristensenHead of CommunicationHubble European Space Agency Information CentrePhone: +49 89-3200-6306Email: lars@eso.org   N.B. ? Although …

7 March 2007: Now you can follow the latest and coolest news and images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope anytime, anywhere, for free! Just subscribe to the Hubblecast (see the links below). Hubblecast is a Vodcast produced by the ESA/Hubble team in Germany. A Vodcast is a short name for Video On Demand and casting, and is a term used for the online delivery of video clips content, often distributed via so-called RSS feeds. By starting to spread astronomical news using this new technology, we hope to reach and inspire an even broader range of the community, providing the most recent and interesting discoveries made by the "eyes" of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Video podcasts can be downloaded and watched from a portable media player (for example video iPods), and also with a computer as a file or a stream. All you need is iTunes, or a similar programme to play …