Launch pad

Your first contact with the universe

NASA releases tantalising new information on Saturn, astronomers measure the size of our galaxy and there's more evidence for the existence of distant Planet Nine.

The Atacama Large Millimetre/ submillimetre Array (ALMA) captured the red carbon star U Antliae in the constellation of Antlia (the Pump) and its surprising multi-coloured layers of material, which give an indication of their motions.

The inner blue layer represents gas between the central star and Earth, which is steadily moving towards us. The red layer corresponds to material at the edge of these shells, shooting away from the star and away from our planet.