Discipine of Physics
Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology
| School of Mathematics & Physics Discipine of Physics Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology |
The Optical and X-ray Astronomy group has a 1 metre telescope and
extensive support facilities at the Canopus Hill Observatory
approximately 12 km from Hobart. From time to time use is made of
national facilities including the Anglo Australian Telescope and the Current research in the group includes the study of gravitational microlensing events as part of the worldwide PLANET collaboration and the study of X-ray pulsars and black hole accretors. |  |
| Small Rocky Planet Discovered in our Galaxy The PLANET collaboration announced on Jan 26th in the Journal Nature the discovery of
a low mass planet orbiting a cool distant star. With a mass of only 5 times
the mass of Earth and a surface temperature similar to that of Neptune
this discovery represents the lowest mass planet ever found,
and the class of cool rocky/ice worlds.
This discovery lends support to current theories of how our solar system formed.
More... |
| Created: September 2009 by Tammy Riley Last modified: September 2009 © Copyright School of Mathematics & Physics, University of Tasmania Australia, 2009 |