astronomy

Astronomers discover new distant dwarf planet beyond Neptune

An international team of astronomers including researchers from the University of British Columbia have discovered a new dwarf planet orbiting in the disk of small icy worlds beyond Neptune.

Jul 11, 2016

See the planet Mercury from Vancouver Monday morning

The planet Mercury will pass in front of the sun for the first time in a decade on Monday morning and UBC astronomers have set up a telescope viewing area for the public.

May 9, 2016

Astronomers use vanishing neutron star to measure space-time warp

In an interstellar race against time, astronomers have measured the space-time warp in the gravity of a binary star and determined the mass of a neutron star, just before it vanished.

Jan 8, 2015

‘Trojan’ asteroids in far reaches of Solar System more common than previously thought

UBC astronomers have discovered the first Trojan asteroid sharing the orbit of Uranus.

Aug 30, 2013

Star light, star bright

UBC astronomers have used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to discover new insights into the formation of the Milky Way.

Jul 18, 2013

Earth to Commander Chris

Student Eva Kwan keeps Canada’s favorite astronaut grounded

Apr 3, 2013 - by By Basil Waugh

The Cosmic microwave background (CMB) as observed by Planck. The CMB is a snapshot of the oldest light in our Universe, imprinted on the sky when the Universe was just 380,000 years old. It shows tiny temperature fluctuations that correspond to regions of slightly different densities, representing the seeds of all future structure: the stars and galaxies of today. (Credit: European Space Agency and the Planck Collaboration)

Planck space mission sheds light on the Universe

The Planck Space Telescope has produced the best map ever made of the most ancient light in the Universe, with help from a Canadian team led by University of British Columbia Prof. Douglas Scott and University of Toronto Prof. J. Richard Bond.

Mar 21, 2013

Construction begins on Canada’s largest radio telescope

$11M UBC-led CHIME project to attempt largest survey of observable universe

Construction is now under way in Penticton, B.C. on Canada’s largest radio telescope – and the first research telescope to be built in the country in more than 30 years.

Jan 24, 2013

UBC scientists part of three PhysicsWorld’s top 10 breakthroughs

UBC physicists and astronomers are part of three of the top four breakthroughs of 2012 in Physics World’s annual accounting of the greatest achievements in the field.

Dec 18, 2012

UBC scientists key contributors to ‘super-cool’ camera, built to reveal early life of stars

University of British Columbia scientists have helped build the world’s largest astronomy camera with an internal temperature colder than anything else in the Universe.

Dec 6, 2011

Astronomers unveil portrait of “super-exotic super-Earth:” Densest known rocky planet

An international team of astronomers today revealed details of a “super-exotic” exoplanet that would make the planet Pandora in the movie Avatar pale in comparison.

Apr 28, 2011

Astronomers confirm Einstein’s theory of relativity and accelerating cosmic expansion

University of British Columbia astronomer Ludovic Van Waerbeke with an international team has confirmed that the expansion of the universe is accelerating after looking at data from the largest-ever survey conducted by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Mar 25, 2010