Hubble spies close companion to Polaris
Posted: Wed, Jan 11, 2006, 5:52 AM ET (1052 GMT)
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope said this week that they have seen for the first time a small companion star to Polaris. The existence of the star, named Polaris Ab, had been inferred through a detection of a gravitational wobble in Polaris, a supergiant variable star 430 light-years from Earth. The dwarf companion star had not been seen before now, though, because it orbits two billion kilometers from Polaris, a separation of less than 0.2 arcseconds as seen from Earth. Astronomers plan to observe Polaris Ab over the next several years to plot its orbit and determine the mass of Polaris itself. The discovery makes Polaris a triple-star system; a more distant dwarf companion, Polaris B, was discovered over 200 years ago.
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope said this week that they have seen for the first time a small companion star to Polaris. The existence of the star, named Polaris Ab, had been inferred through a detection of a gravitational wobble in Polaris, a supergiant variable star 430 light-years from Earth. The dwarf companion star had not been seen before now, though, because it orbits two billion kilometers from Polaris, a separation of less than 0.2 arcseconds as seen from Earth. Astronomers plan to observe Polaris Ab over the next several years to plot its orbit and determine the mass of Polaris itself. The discovery makes Polaris a triple-star system; a more distant dwarf companion, Polaris B, was discovered over 200 years ago.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, November 4
Space42 Expands SAR Constellation
Aviation Week — 7:04 am ET (1204 GMT) Intuitive Machines to Acquire Lanteris Space Systems, Creating the Next-Generation Commercial, Civil, and National Security Space Prime
Intuitive Machines — 7:02 am ET (1202 GMT) As Florida doubles down on its support of space discovery, FIU takes a lead in exploring critical governance and security issues
Florida International Univ. — 7:01 am ET (1201 GMT) Why Do We Celebrate UCF Space Week? Because Discovery Starts Here
Univ. of Central Florida — 7:01 am ET (1201 GMT) MDA Space investing in $10 million in Maritime Launch Services
Canadian Press — 6:59 am ET (1159 GMT) |
