Astronomy news 2019

Here are some of the most significant astronomy news stories from 2019:

  1. Water vapor on Mars: NASA's Mars 2020 rover discovered evidence of seasonal water vapor on Mars, which could be a sign of microbial life.
  2. First image of a black hole: The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project released the first-ever image of a black hole, located at the center of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87).
  3. Exoplanet discoveries: Astronomers discovered thousands of exoplanets in 2019, including several potentially habitable worlds.
  4. New Horizons' flyby of Ultima Thule: NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew by the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule (also known as 2014 MU69), providing new insights into the formation of our solar system.
  5. Hubble Space Telescope's 28th anniversary: The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 28th year in orbit, continuing to make groundbreaking observations of the universe.
  6. Gravitational waves from a neutron star merger: Scientists detected gravitational waves from the merger of two neutron stars, providing new insights into the properties of these extreme objects.
  7. Asteroid impact risk: Astronomers discovered a large asteroid that could potentially impact Earth in the year 2880, highlighting the importance of asteroid tracking and mitigation efforts.
  8. The most distant object ever observed: Astronomers detected the most distant object ever observed, a galaxy located 13.4 billion light-years away, which provides a glimpse into the early universe.
  9. The discovery of a new type of star: Astronomers discovered a new type of star, known as a "blue straggler," which is a star that is much hotter and more massive than the Sun.
  10. The search for extraterrestrial life: NASA and other space agencies launched several missions to search for signs of extraterrestrial life, including the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the James Webb Space Telescope.
  11. The detection of organic molecules in space: Astronomers detected organic molecules, the building blocks of life, in the interstellar medium, providing new insights into the origins of life in the universe.
  12. The launch of the Parker Solar Probe: NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe, which is designed to study the Sun's corona and the solar wind.
  13. The discovery of a massive galaxy cluster: Astronomers discovered a massive galaxy cluster, known as SPT2349-56, which is one of the most massive galaxy clusters ever observed.
  14. The detection of gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger: Scientists detected gravitational waves from the merger of two binary black holes, providing new insights into the properties of these extreme objects.
  15. The launch of the Europa Clipper mission: NASA launched the Europa Clipper mission, which is designed to study Jupiter's icy moon Europa and its potential for hosting life.

These are just a few of the many exciting astronomy news stories from 2019. It was a year that saw significant advances in our understanding of the universe, from the detection of water vapor on Mars to the discovery of new types of stars and galaxies.