MISSION NEWS AS OF TUESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2018

+ XMM-NEWTON SPIES FIRST CLEAR X-RAY FLARES FROM MASSIVE STELLAR LIGHTHOUSE
In 2014, ESA's XMM-Newton spotted X-rays emanating from the massive star Rho Ophiuchi A and, last year, found these to ebb and flow periodically in the form of intense flares – both unexpected results. The team has now used ESO's Very Large Telescope to find that the star boasts a strong magnetic field, confirming its status as a cosmic lighthouse.
Read more: http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=60004

+ CHASING A STELLAR FLASH WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GAIA
Last year, ESA's Gaia mission helped astronomers make unique observations of Neptune's largest moon, Triton, as it passed in front of a distant star. This is a preview of the superb quality and versatility of the Gaia data that will be released in April.
Read more: Link


==================================================
KEEP IN TOUCH

+ SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY RSS
Subscribe to our RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed to get the latest updates delivered directly to your desktop.
Link

+ TWITTER
Follow the latest updates from ESA's science missions on Twitter @esascience
Link

+ CONTACT US
For questions related to your newsletter subscription or to the website Linkyou can reach us at: scitech.editorial@esa.int.

To unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time, follow the link here: Link

===================================================

This message and any attachments are intended for the use of the addressee or addressees only.
The unauthorised disclosure, use, dissemination or copying (either in whole or in part) of its
content is not permitted.
If you received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system.
Emails can be altered and their integrity cannot be guaranteed by the sender.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.