Princeton scientists restore Cold War-era satellite as teaching tool

Cold War-era satellite dish, restored by Princeton scientists, becomes teaching tool .

Two Princeton University scientists set out four years ago to restore a Cold War-era radio satellite near the Jersey Shore that had become immobilized by rust, infested by wasps and enmeshed in weeds. Now, the fully functional satellite — which can be operated from Princeton's Jadwin Hall — is open to Princeton students, amateur radio enthusiasts and the public as it sweeps the skies for signals from orbiting satellites and astrophysical objects such as dying stars.

In the mysterious Blue Ring Nebula, scientists see the fate of binary stars .

A team of scientists investigated the mysterious Blue Ring Nebula and concluded that it is the product of a star collision.

Bakos: Perspective on the hunt for extrasolar planets .

Gáspár Bakos, Princeton University assistant professor of astrophysical sciences, brings his research on exoplanets and small telescopes together with a network of six, fully automated telescopes he developed that scan the sky every night for planets outside Earth's solar system — with 41 planets and counting discovered so far.

Astrophysicist Greene studies the bright side of black holes .

Princeton astrophysicist Jenny Greene is accustomed to working in remote places. But she always brings back what she learns to share with others. In addition to her research and teaching at Princeton, she mentors undergraduates, gives talks at amateur astronomy clubs, and inspires New Jersey state prison inmates to love algebra.

WMAP project completes satellite operations .

After nine years of scanning the sky, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) space mission has concluded its observations of the cosmic microwave background, the oldest light in the universe. The spacecraft not only has given scientists their best look at this remnant glow, but also firmly established the scientific model that describes the history and structure of the universe.

Stargazing with strangers: Peyton Observatory offers guided viewings .

The Peyton Observatory on Princeton University's campus opens its doors monthly for informal viewings of the night sky. On a recent, clear summer night, over two dozen strangers visited for their turn to glimpse distant planets, neighboring galaxies and other celestial bodies.

Planet WASP-12b is on a death spiral, say scientists .

A Princeton-led team of astrophysicists has found that the extrasolar planet WASP-12b is spiraling in toward its host star and will be destroyed in less than 3 million years.