A new study led by Michigan State University suggests there may be fewer galaxies further out in the universe than previously expected. The research used simulations to examine galaxy formation in the early universe and found that the number of faint galaxies could be as low as ten times larger than initially thought.
A collaborative project between Caltech and the Weizmann Institute of Science observed a unique radiation spike in ultraviolet range, supporting a giant companion model for white dwarf explosions. The findings highlight the importance of ultraviolet-range observations in understanding type Ia supernovae.
NASA has developed a new technology to protect the James Webb Space Telescope from contamination, using Molecular Adsorber Coating (MAC) panels. The MAC panels capture outgassed molecular contaminants in the vacuum chamber, preventing them from affecting sensitive instrument components.
A team of astronomers using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope discovered the brightest galaxy yet found in the early universe. The galaxy, CR7, contains massive blue stars - the first generation of stars that forged the heavy elements necessary for life.
NGC 6503, a 30,000-light-year-long galaxy, is located at the edge of the 150-million-light-year-wide Local Void. The Hubble Space Telescope image showcases its vibrant colors and swirling spiral arms.
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will survey the entire Southern Hemisphere's sky, collecting 30 terabytes of data nightly. The telescope aims to map 20 billion galaxies and observe supernovae, offering stringent tests on dark matter and dark energy.
Astronomers have combined telescopes across the Earth to create the Event Horizon Telescope, which will take detailed images of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The South Pole Telescope has joined the EHT, bringing a two-to-three times increase in resolution to study black holes and test Einstein's the...
A new space-based system combines a super-wide field-of-view telescope with a high-efficiency laser to track and deorbit centimeter-sized space debris. The system, proposed by RIKEN scientists, could remove most of the debris within five years of operation.
Researchers at UC Irvine will investigate the behavioral impairments of rodents attributed to space radiation exposure, aiming to understand the underlying causes of these deficits. The study aims to inform efforts to minimize the effects of solar and galactic cosmic radiation on the central nervous system.
Scientists confirm an underground saltwater ocean on Ganymede, estimated to be 60 miles thick and buried under a 95-mile crust of ice. This discovery could open up possibilities for life beyond Earth and is made possible by the unique capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
UTEP has secured a $5 million contract with NASA to explore space safety through collaborations with faculty and students. The partnership will focus on human space exploration and provide hands-on experiences for students.
The $344 million Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope will utilize cameras designed by a UK university consortium led by Queen's University Belfast to observe the Sun's surface in unprecedented detail. The telescope aims to address fundamental questions in contemporary solar physics.
Researchers aim to gauge the effect of space and space travel on interest in STEM subjects among school children. A three-year project will involve gathering views from pupils, teachers, and space scientists to understand what inspires young people to participate in STEM.
Astronomers successfully observed a 'fast radio burst', a brief flash of radio waves, in real-time using the Parkes telescope. The event was detected up to 5.5 billion light years away and suggested the presence of a magnetic field nearby.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the sharpest large composite image of the Andromeda galaxy, revealing over 100 million stars in a 61,000-light-year-long stretch. This panoramic view provides unprecedented insights into the galaxy's structure and evolution.
Astronomers witness billowing clouds of gas towering above and below the plane of our galaxy, driven by a titanic eruption in the galactic core. The Hubble Space Telescope measures velocity and composition of the mystery lobes, revealing unique information about the expanding gas.
The MATROSHKA experiment found that doses of cosmic radiation inside the International Space Station were lower than those recorded by astronauts' personal dosimeters. In open space, the overestimation was even higher, exceeding 200%.
A team of astronomers successfully measured the passing of a super-Earth in front of a nearby Sun-like star using a ground-based telescope. The detection bodes well for characterizing dozens of super-Earths revealed by upcoming surveys.
Scientists at RIT and NASA are exploring a new type of space telescope using swarms of particles controlled by laser to form large-aperture lenses. This concept could lead to unprecedented resolution and detail in astrophysical imaging and remote sensing.
Astronomers have successfully detected a super-Earth's transit using a ground-based telescope, marking the first time this has been done. The transit occurred in front of a bright Sun-like star and demonstrates that small planets can be characterized with existing facilities.
Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center tested a 'tripod' supporting the James Webb Space Telescope's secondary mirror in a successful deployment. The system was designed to unfurl in space to 8 meters long and was tested using the Pathfinder backplane structure.
The Thirty Meter Telescope has launched the THINK Fund, a $1 million annual initiative to support Hawaii Island students in STEM disciplines. The fund will provide scholarships and grants for STEM education initiatives, with a focus on improving opportunities for Native Hawaiian students.
The ICESat-2 satellite will measure the elevation of Earth from space to track changes in ice-covered poles, forests and ocean surfaces. The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument will time how long light travels from the satellite's lasers to Earth's surface.
A series of articles published in New Space journal suggest that ordinary citizens can take short trips to the edge of space without significant health effects. The research also identifies potential challenges and risks associated with human commercial spaceflight.
The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope withstood 116 days of extremely cold temperatures, simulating conditions found in space. The successful test ensures the telescope will function correctly at its final destination one million miles away from Earth.
A new paper by University of New Hampshire scientists warns that cosmic rays pose a significant threat to future manned deep-space exploration. The study finds that extremely low densities and magnetic field strengths in the solar wind create hazardous radiation levels that limit allowable days for astronauts behind spacecraft shielding.
Case Western Reserve University astronomers will study the outskirts of spiral galaxy M101 using Hubble Space Telescope data. The research aims to determine how galaxies form over time, with findings that could challenge current understanding of galaxy formation.
Jason Budinoff's project uses additive manufacturing to create fully functional imaging telescopes with a reduced number of components. The technology enables the production of complex geometries and mitigates risks associated with traditional manufacturing methods.
The Planck Telescope's most detailed map of the cosmic microwave background contains features that challenge the standard model of cosmology. By processing the data differently and including other effects, scientists have found that several anomalies disappear, but others may still persist.
Researchers used the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to discover high-energy gamma rays emitted by an exploding star. The surprising finding dispels the notion that classical nova explosions lack the power to produce such radiation.
Novae are sudden, short-lived brightenings of stars caused by thermonuclear explosions on white dwarf surfaces. NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected gamma-rays from these events, showing they release up to 100,000 times the annual energy output of the sun.
A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope measured water vapour in the atmospheres of three gas giants, finding levels one-tenth to one-thousandth that predicted by standard theory. This discovery raises questions about exoplanet formation and highlights challenges in searching for water on Earth-like planets.
The Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) mission aims to study dark energy, the mysterious form of energy that accelerates the universe's expansion. ATLAST would also detect signatures of life in the atmospheres of Earth-like planets and resolve stars in distant galaxies.
Researchers detected striking similarities between a recent gamma-ray burst and the expected features from the first stars in the universe. The ultra-long burst is thought to be caused by an explosion from a blue supergiant star, providing evidence for this class of objects.
A team of astronomers from RIT helped analyze data showing two elliptical galaxies coalescing in a dense galaxy cluster. The study reveals rare insights into elliptical galaxy mergers and finds a string-of-pearl star formation structure with 19 young blue clusters.
Astronomers at Yale University have discovered seven previously unseen dwarf galaxies using a novel telescope that can detect low-surface-brightness objects. The finding suggests the possibility of a new class of galaxies in space, with potential implications for dark matter and galaxy evolution.
Scientists detect a split-second burst of radio waves from the Arecibo telescope, marking the first time such an event has been recorded using an instrument other than the Parkes radio telescope. The finding suggests that these mysterious pulses are truly of cosmic origin and may be caused by exotic astrophysical objects.
Researchers found that fruit flies' Toll pathway failed to respond to a fungal infection in space, while the Imd pathway remained robust. This knowledge may help NASA develop countermeasures for astronauts' weakened immune systems during long-duration space missions.
The International Space Station's third annual research conference recognized three notable technology applications in 2013. The SPHERES-Slosh investigation demonstrated improved spacecraft designs by simulating fluid movement in microgravity, while a laser communication system was tested for high-speed transmission between the space s...
Researchers have discovered a rapidly moving gas streamer blocking X-rays from the galaxy's nucleus, indicating a significant decrease in radiation. This phenomenon may regulate the growth of both the supermassive black hole and its host galaxy.
Scientists have observed a gamma-ray burst from a huge explosion that occurred shortly after the Big Bang, with light traveling 12.1 billion years before detection. The event, known as GRB 140419A, released more energy in 10 seconds than our sun's expected lifespan.
A new type of Digital Zenith Telescope prototype has been developed in China, utilizing CCD camera and high-precision tiltmeter to improve efficiency and accuracy. The instrument can measure the deflection of the vertical and variations of the local plumb line, with single-observation accuracy up to 0.15-0.3
The Solar Ultraviolet Imager and Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors have completed integration with the GOES-R spacecraft, enabling it to observe sun and space weather. This development enhances the prediction capabilities of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, aiding in understanding and mitigating space weather impa...
Researchers have discovered five new debris disks around young stars in the Hubble archive, providing insights into planetary system formation and evolution. The disks are composed of dust particles formed from asteroid collisions and offer a glimpse into the early solar system.
Using spatial scanning, astronomers can now measure the distance of stars up to 10,000 light-years away with enhanced accuracy. This new technique is expected to provide insight into dark energy and refine estimates of the universe's expansion rate.
The James Webb Space Telescope's Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) is now complete with the installation of its four science instruments, including NIRSpec. This instrument will help scientists unlock the history of our universe by analyzing light from distant objects and revealing their chemical composition, mass, distance, ...
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of Mars-bound comet Siding Spring, revealing two jets of dust emanating from the nucleus. This observation will help astronomers determine the direction of the nucleus's pole and axis of rotation.
The James Webb Space Telescope features a primary mirror composed of 18 smaller lightweight mirror segments, each with precise actuators to align and shape the mirror. The segments are designed to work together as one giant mirror, capturing light from distant galaxies and stars in space.
A new Cooperative Research Centre will use lasers to track and remove space debris in low orbits around the Earth. The initiative aims to reduce collision risks for satellites, space stations, and spacecraft.
Astronomers have witnessed the first-ever breakup of an asteroid into as many as 10 smaller pieces using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The discovery suggests that sunlight may be responsible for this type of disintegration, which is a subtle effect known as YORP torque.
The Australian National University-led Cooperative Research Centre for Space Environment Management will track space debris, improve predictions of space debris orbits, and predict potential collisions in space. The center aims to reduce the rate of debris proliferation and remove debris using ground-based lasers.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of SN 2014J, a Type Ia supernova discovered in the galaxy M82. The observations will help refine distance measurements to these explosions, which are essential for understanding the accelerating expansion of the universe.
A team of researchers has identified a giant gas cloud in the Milky Way galaxy, shaped like a long filament and about 50,000 times the mass of our sun. The discovery was made using the High Elevation Antarctic Terahertz telescope, which detects atomic carbon and is located at Ridge A in Antarctica.
The James Webb Space Telescope is nearing completion, with all 18 primary mirror segments and four science instruments delivered to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The telescope will be the most powerful space telescope ever built, capable of observing distant objects in the universe.
Astronomers plan observations of supernova SN 2014J with NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and other space missions. The event provides an opportunity to study how interstellar dust affects its light.
A team of astronomers discovered a primordial galaxy, Himiko, seen at 800 million years after the Big Bang. The observations using Hubble and ALMA revealed intense star formation, but puzzlingly low metal content, challenging current star formation theories.
Astronomers have detected clear evidence of clouds in the atmosphere of GJ 1214b, a super-Earth exoplanet, using data from the Hubble Space Telescope. The findings suggest that high-altitude clouds blanket the planet, hiding information about its composition and behavior.
The final three of 18 primary mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope have arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The mirrors, built by Ball Aerospace, will form a 6.5-meter-diameter primary mirror when integrated with a stable structure.
The Hubble Space Telescope observed a 'light echo' phenomenon as RS Puppis variable star pulsed, measuring its distance to 6,500 light-years with high accuracy. The star's fluctuations and reflected light allowed astronomers to narrow down the distance using light echoes.
The Solar Ultra-Violet Imager (SUVI) is a new telescope that will observe the sun in extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, identifying active regions, solar flares, and eruptions. This will improve space weather forecasting, enabling earlier warnings for potential impacts on Earth's power grids, communication systems, and orbiting satellites.