Free Republic

WILLIAMS BAY, Wis. -- After more than 100 years of operation, the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, is closing. Owned by the University of Chicago, the observatory is slated to cease operations Oct. 1 “Unfortunately, operating Yerkes no longer makes sense for the university from a programmatic or cost standpoint," said David Fithian, U of C's executive vice president, in a statement. "Drawing to a close our operations there is the first step in a collaborative process to determine the ultimate disposition of the buildings and property. We currently have no specific plans nor have we approached any potential...

An Indian theoretical physicist who questioned the existence of black holes and thereby challenged Stephen Hawking of Britain at last feels vindicated. But he is sad. Abhas Mitra, at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai, was perhaps the first and the only scientist who had the guts to openly challenge Hawking of Cambridge University who is regarded by many as the modern-day Einstein. For over 30 years Hawking and his followers were perpetuating the theory that black holes -- resulting from gravitational collapse of massive stars -- destroy everything that falls into them preventing even light or information...

A new discovery is casting doubt on the idea that a type of star explosion shines with equal brightness wherever it occurs in the universe. The finding could have implications for estimates of the size of the cosmos. Type-1a supernovae are typically used as standard indicators of distance in the vast expanse of the universe. But the discovery of a Type-1a supernova more massive than was thought possible could force astronomers to rethink their ideas about the luminous objects, scientists reported today. ... It was thought that all Type-1a supernovae emit equal amounts of light at their peak and fade...