Artist concept of Haumea, with the correct proportions of the main body and the ring. The ring is at a distance of 2287 kilometers from the center of the main body and is darker than the surface of the dwarf planet itself. Credit: IAA-CSIC/UHU

At the ends of the Solar System, beyond the orbit of Neptune, there is a belt of objects composed of ice and rocks, among which four dwarf planets stand out: Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Haumea. The latter is the least well known of the four and was recently the object of an international observation campaign which was able to establish its main physical characteristics. The study, led by astronomers from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia and published in Nature, reveals the presence of a ring around the planet.

Trans-neptunian objects are diff...

This is ultrasonic imaging of the forearm.
I8

New research has shown future wearable devices, such as smartwatches, could use ultrasound imaging to sense hand gestures. Computers are growing in number and wearable computers, such as smartwatches, are gaining popularity. Devices around the home, such as WiFi light bulbs and smart thermostats, are also on the increase. However, current technology limits the capability to interact with these devices. Hand gestures have been suggested as an intuitive and easy way of interacting with and controlling smart devices in different surroundings. For instance, a gesture could be used to dim the lights in the living room, or to open or close a window...

This artist’s rendering shows a large exoplanet causing small bodies to collide in a disk of dust. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

There’s no map showing all the billions of exoplanets hiding in our galaxy – they’re so distant and faint compared to their stars, it’s hard to find them. Now, astronomers hunting for new worlds have established a possible signpost for giant exoplanets. A new study finds that giant exoplanets that orbit far from their stars are more likely to be found around young stars that have a disk of dust and debris than those without disks. The study, published in The Astronomical Journal, focused on planets more than five times the mass of Jupiter...

Left: the nova system before eruption. Right: the nova system in outburst.
Credit: OGLE survey

University of Leicester contributes to best-ever results on a ‘new star’ in a nearby galaxy. Astronomers have today announced that they have discovered possibly the most luminous ‘new star’ ever – a nova discovered in the direction of one of our closest neighboring galaxies: The Small Magellanic Cloud.

Astronomers used Swift satellite observatory to help understand what was likely the most luminous white dwarf eruption ever seen. A nova happens when an old star erupts dramatically back to life...