The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute has invested nearly $110 million in the Giant Magellan Telescope, supporting its development and critical milestone toward completion. This investment advances scientific instrument development and enables scientists to explore some of the universe's most profound questions.
A reanalysis of 14 years of Hubble data suggests that Europa's water vapor plumes may not exist as previously thought. The study, led by SwRI scientists, found reduced confidence in the original findings, and improved information on neutral hydrogen atom emissions from Europa's surface.
The Subaru Telescope observed comet 3I/ATLAS after its closest approach to the Sun, revealing a lower carbon dioxide to water ratio than earlier space telescope observations. This finding indicates that the comet's chemistry is evolving over time.
An international collaboration of astronomers has achieved the most precise direct measurement to date of the expansion rate of the nearby Universe. The result shows a persistent mismatch between measurements based on the nearby Universe and predictions derived from the early Universe, known as the Hubble tension.
Scientists in Japan developed a high-resolution X-ray telescope using precision mirror-making technology, capable of distinguishing objects 3.5 mm wide from 1 km away. The telescope was tested on the ground using a unique evaluation system before launch on the FOXSI sounding rocket mission.
A team of researchers from Illinois and UChicago has developed a novel way to compute the Hubble constant using gravitational waves, improving accuracy over prior methods. The new method uses background gravitational-wave hum from merging black holes in distant galaxies to learn about the age and composition of the universe.
A Simon Fraser University researcher believes his team's new research may bring them closer to cracking the Hubble tension, a decades-old question about the universe's expansion rate. The theory centers on primordial magnetic fields, which could have accelerated recombination and affected the value of the Hubble constant.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured a cosmic fender bender, revealing two luminous clouds of debris from violent collisions between space rocks. The discovery offers insights into planet formation and asteroid composition, shedding light on the structure of asteroids crucial for planetary defense programs.
Astronomers at the University of Tokyo use time-delay cosmography to measure the universe's expansion rate, finding a result consistent with current-day observations. The method exploits gravitational lensing to improve models of cosmic expansion and potentially resolve the Hubble tension.
The Subaru Telescope's OASIS program has discovered a massive planet and a brown dwarf orbiting distant stars. These discoveries enable the upcoming Roman Space Telescope to test critical technologies for imaging Earth-like planets.
The Atacama Cosmology Telescope's sixth and final data release confirms the 'Hubble tension' and rules out extended cosmological models, providing new insights into the Universe's evolution and current state. ACT's observations offer a cleaner starting point for future research.
Dr. Taft Armandroff has been elected chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope Board of Directors, while Dr. Brian Schmidt has been appointed as vice chair. They will guide the next phase of construction for the observatory.
A team of astronomers used a novel imaging technique on a ground-based telescope to achieve the sharpest-ever measurement of a star's surrounding disk, revealing previously unseen structure. The breakthrough enables finer resolution than traditional methods and opens new discoveries about the universe.
A Northwestern University-led team of astronomers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to capture the most detailed glimpse yet of a doomed star before it exploded. The study reveals that massive red supergiants rarely explode due to thick clouds of dust, but JWST's new capabilities can pierce through the dust to spot these phenomena.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has joined the Giant Magellan Telescope's international consortium, strengthening US leadership in astronomy. The partnership brings over 600 years of combined experience in building powerful telescopes and invests $1 billion in the observatory.
Astronomers detected water ice and nitrogen in fragments torn apart from a Kuiper Belt analog, revealing the presence of volatile-rich material. The discovery sheds light on planet formation and the delivery of water to rocky planets.
Recent JWST observations revealed a new population of astronomical objects, known as black hole stars, which are emitting light predominantly at longer wavelengths. These objects, located extremely far away, have raised questions about galaxy evolution and the formation of stars on a massive scale.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the sharpest-ever picture of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, allowing astronomers to estimate its size and physical properties. The comet's solid, icy nucleus is estimated to be between 1,000 feet and 3.5 miles across.
Researchers have discovered a rare white dwarf remnant with a carbon signature, suggesting it formed from the merger of two stars. The high-mass white dwarf, WD 0525+526, has a thin atmosphere that allows carbon to reach its surface, providing insights into the early stages of stellar evolution.
The Gemini North telescope has detected the long-predicted companion star of Betelgeuse for the first time. The companion star is six magnitudes fainter than Betelgeuse and has an estimated mass of around 1.5 times that of the Sun, confirming the presence of a stellar companion orbiting the red supergiant.
Researchers suggest our galaxy might sit in a large, local void that makes the cosmos expand faster here than elsewhere. The 'sound of the Big Bang' supports this idea by distorting baryon acoustic oscillations, which provide a standard ruler for charting cosmic expansion history.
A team led by UChicago scientist Wendy Freedman has used the James Webb Space Telescope to find no evidence of tension in the Hubble Constant, resolving a decade-long conflict. The new data strengthens the Standard Model of the universe, suggesting that the Hubble Constant may not be the source of inconsistencies.
Roman Space Telescope successfully completes thermal vacuum test to ensure precise instrument temperatures. The telescope is set to connect major parts in November and complete final tests by the end of the year.
The Inouye Solar Telescope has begun analyzing the Sun with its new spectro-polarimeter, VTF, which can determine crucial properties of plasma flows and magnetic fields. The instrument offers unprecedented spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution to study the dynamic nature of our star.
A new study by the University of Oulu has directly observed the merger of star clusters in dwarf galaxies for the first time, shedding light on their formation. The observations confirm that compact star clusters form through the cannibalization of smaller globular clusters at the centers of these galaxies.
The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program has selected 24 outstanding astrophysicists for the 2025 class, providing up to three years of support at a U.S. institution. The fellowships aim to foster excellence and leadership in astrophysics by supporting innovative early-career researchers.
The Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) has arrived at its final home in Chile's Parque Astronómico Atacama after a six-week ocean voyage and trekking through the mountains. The telescope will study cosmic dawn, star and galaxy formation, and gravitational waves from the Big Bang.
The Euclid data release unlocks a treasure trove of information for scientists to study the universe's cosmic history and invisible forces. With its exceptional field of view, Euclid captures an area 240 times larger than the Hubble Telescope, delivering outstanding image quality in both visible and infrared light spectrum.
A team of researchers has found a stable trio of icy space rocks in the Kuiper Belt using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory. The Altjira system suggests that similar triples may exist, supporting a theory of solar system formation and the formation of Kuiper Belt objects.
The study reveals a dynamic ecosystem with diverse dwarf galaxies, unlike the Milky Way's smaller satellite system. Hubble's observations provide insights into how small-galaxy growth is affected by massive galaxies like Andromeda.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a cosmic bullseye, revealing eight visible rings and confirming a ninth using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The galaxy's unique ring structure was formed by a blue dwarf galaxy colliding with its center, creating a new generation of stars.
Researchers use Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer to observe active galactic nucleus, revealing dusty outflowing wind and radio jet feedback. The study provides new insights into AGN's interaction with host galaxies.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a panoramic view of the Andromeda Galaxy, unveiling hundreds of millions of stars and providing new clues to its evolutionary history. The galaxy's unique structural features, such as coherent streams of stars, suggest a more active recent star formation and interaction history than the Milky Way.
New measurements of the Hubble constant support a faster-than-expected Universe expansion rate, challenging current understanding of physics. A precise distance measurement to the Coma Cluster provides the foundation for this new result.
The Hubble Space Telescope has completed a comprehensive survey of the Andromeda galaxy, revealing its structure and evolution on a holistic scale. The observations provide insights into the galaxy's age, heavy-element abundance, and stellar masses, helping astronomers distinguish between competing scenarios of merger history.
Edwin Hubble discovered a new universe by analyzing the brightness of stars, revealing that our galaxy is just one of billions in the universe. His findings showed that galaxies move away from each other at faster speeds with greater distances.
The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a rare blue lurker star in the open cluster M67, which is spinning much faster than expected. The star's unusual behavior suggests it siphoned material from a companion star, leading to its high spin rate and unique evolutionary history as part of a triple-star system.
Astronomers have discovered a rare spiral-shaped galaxy hosting a young jet, challenging the conventional wisdom on quasar formation. The galaxy, J0742+2704, features a supermassive black hole and brilliant hot disks of swirling gas that can blast off jets of material.
NASA has successfully integrated its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's payload into the Roman spacecraft, paving the way for transformative cosmic observations. The telescope will undergo extensive testing to ensure proper function and performance in space.
Researchers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to study stars in a nearby galaxy with limited heavy elements. They found that some star-forming disks persist longer than predicted, allowing planets to form and grow bigger.
Northwestern University's expertise in AI and astrophysics enables the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools for the Giant Magellan Telescope. The partnership will enhance the telescope's capabilities to search for Earth-like planets, investigate energetic explosions, and explore galaxy-black hole relationships.
The Roman Space Telescope has successfully integrated its telescope, instruments, and spacecraft components at NASA Goddard. The observatory will focus cosmic light and send it to its instruments, revealing billions of objects in space and time.
Hubble's OPAL program has observed the four giant outer planets since 2018, providing long-term baseline data on their atmospheric changes. The observations have led to remarkable discoveries, including the measurement of Jupiter's wind speeds and Saturn's ring system colors.
The new Webb Space Telescope study confirms Hubble's expansion rate measurements, offering a crucial cross-check to address the mismatch in measurements. The discrepancy remains unexplained even by the best cosmology models, suggesting that our understanding of the universe may be incomplete.
Astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to study a quasar up close, revealing complex structures around a supermassive black hole. The observations show a mysterious L-shaped filamentary structure and small satellite galaxies falling into the black hole, offering insights into quasar formation and galaxy interactions.
Researchers have discovered unusual, Earth-size magnetically driven vortices generating dense, hydrocarbon haze at Jupiter's poles. The dark ovals hint at strong interactions between the planet's magnetic field and atmosphere.
Researchers discovered a class of unusually large and red galaxies, called Ultra-red Flattened Objects (UFOs), near the limit of Hubble's observable range. The James Webb Space Telescope's infrared capabilities allowed them to spot these 'dustier cousins' of the Milky Way.
The telescope will focus cosmic light and send it to Roman's instruments, revealing billions of objects in space. The assembly underwent rigorous tests simulating launch conditions, temperature control, and gas handling.
The study uses NASA's Hubble and James Webb space telescopes to observe the debris disk encircling Vega. The researchers find that the disk is surprisingly smooth, with no obvious evidence of large planets, challenging current theories about exoplanet systems.
A new study using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the presence of proplyds around brown dwarfs in the Orion Nebula. The team discovered 20 cool objects that are too small and cool to undergo hydrogen fusion, with two faint proplyds detected by Hubble previously.
Astronomers used the combined perspective of Hubble and New Horizons to study the atmosphere of Uranus, a proxy for similar planets beyond our solar system. The results suggest that exoplanets may be dimmer than predicted at partial phases, offering new clues to their potential habitability.
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is not as stable as initially thought, with observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope showing it jiggles like a bowl of gelatin. The GRS's size oscillates as it accelerates and decelerates, pushing against windy jet streams.
The European Southern Observatory's VISTA telescope has created the largest infrared map of the Milky Way, comprising over 200,000 images and covering an area equivalent to 8600 full moons. The dataset contains about 10 times more objects than a previous map released in 2012, including newborn stars, globular clusters, and brown dwarfs.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered that the blowtorch-like jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of a huge galaxy causes stars to erupt along its trajectory. The finding suggests that there is something missing from our understanding of how black hole jets interact with their surroundings.
A team of researchers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found more black holes than previously reported in the early universe. The new result sheds light on how supermassive black holes were created and can help scientists understand galaxy evolution.
A new study proposes that early dark energy could explain the formation of numerous bright galaxies in the early universe, resolving the 'Hubble tension' puzzle. The team modeled galaxy formation with a brief appearance of early dark energy, finding it fits observations and solves both puzzles.
The NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope successfully produced its first detailed maps of the Sun's coronal magnetic fields, a breakthrough in solar physics. This achievement enhances our understanding of space weather and its impact on Earth's technology-dependent society, which is crucial for safeguarding infrastructure.
Astronomers have detected two closely spaced supermassive black holes in the nearby universe using NASA's Hubble and Chandra telescopes. The black holes are fueled by infalling gas and dust, causing them to shine brightly as active galactic nuclei (AGN).
By combining data from Hubble and MAVEN, scientists measured the number and current escape rate of hydrogen atoms escaping into space, allowing them to extrapolate the history of water on Mars. The study found that atmospheric conditions change rapidly, with rapid releases of atoms at high altitudes.