The galaxy Centaurus A is home to a firestorm of new star formation triggered by shockwaves from a past collision and merger with another galaxy. Hubble's image reveals the birth of vibrant blue star clusters and compresses hydrogen gas clouds.
Researchers have found that galaxies previously thought to be dead and devoid of star formation are actually still producing new stars. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists observed individual young stars and clusters in four galaxies, revealing an average star-formation rate of one sun every 10,000 years.
The discovery of blue stragglers in the Milky Way's hub suggests that the galaxy stopped making stars billions of years ago. The findings provide new constraints for models of the star-formation history of the bulge.
The Hubble Space Telescope has observed the historic variable star V1, which helped confirm the size of the universe and its expansion. The observations, conducted in collaboration with amateur astronomers, provide new insights into the properties of Cepheid variables and their role in measuring distances to galaxies.
The Giant Magellan Telescope will be built with seven 8.4-meter primary mirrors and is expected to begin science operations in northern Chile in 2019, allowing astronomers to study dark matter and dark energy. The telescope's resolving power will be larger than any other ever built, enabling groundbreaking discoveries about the universe.
Astronomers at UC Berkeley are using the Green Bank radio telescope to search for signals from advanced civilizations on 86 Earth-like planets identified by Kepler. The team aims to detect signals that could be indicative of life, scanning a range of frequencies including the water hole, a canonical place to look for intentional signals.
A recent study by Schepens Eye Research Institute found that a bioptic telescope on one lens of glasses used for low vision driving may not prevent the wider view of the road with the second eye. The study, published in May 2011 Archives of Ophthalmology, suggests that individuals wearing such telescopes can detect targets in the area ...
Asteroid Scheila unexpectedly brightened with short-lived plumes after being struck by a smaller asteroid, according to data from NASA's Swift satellite and Hubble Space Telescope. The collision created a crater 1,000 feet across and ejected over 660,000 tons of dust.
Two unique types of mirrors, Primary and Secondary EDUs, have arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The mirrors will work together to observe distant galaxies and unexplored planets. The Primary mirror is composed of 18 hexagonal segments, while the Secondary mirror directs light from the Primary mirror to Webb's instruments.
Astronomers have never seen a gamma-ray burst as bright and long-lasting as GRB 110328A, which is believed to be associated with a massive black hole. The unusual blast likely arose when a star wandered too close to the central black hole of its galaxy.
The James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield is a complex system of five layers, each less than half the thickness of paper, working together to create an effective SPF of 1,000,000. The sunshield unfurls like a giant beach umbrella to protect the telescope and instruments from solar heat and light.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have recalculated the universe's expansion rate with unprecedented accuracy, ruling out an alternate theory on dark energy. The new measurement reduces uncertainty by 30% and solidifies understanding of cosmic ingredients.
The Hubble Space Telescope has detected a compact galaxy made of blue stars 480 million years after the Big Bang, providing best insights yet into the universe's birth and evolution.
Astronomers have found the most distant galaxy candidate yet seen, about 13.2 billion light-years away, in ultra-deep imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope. The study reveals a rapid build-up of early galaxies around 480 million years after the Big Bang, with a tenfold increase in star birth rate over 170 million years.
The Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) PS1 telescope has discovered ten Kuiper Belt residents, ranging in size from 180 to 300 miles, and is expected to find a whole range of objects including dwarf planets and comets.
Gravitational lensing distorts the view of very distant galaxies, making them harder to detect and study. The distortion can be as much as an order of magnitude, potentially boosting the number of visible galaxies by up to 10-30.
Astrophysicists can now obtain accurate answers to the mystery of accelerating universe expansion thanks to a calibrated Pan-STARRS telescope. The telescope's performance was fine-tuned at many individual wavelengths, allowing for consistent information about supernovae.
Astronomers used Hubble Space Telescope to observe eight massive stars in Small Magellanic Cloud, finding five without large neighbors and three in tiny clusters. The study suggests that giant stars can form randomly across the universe, including in isolation.
CSIRO has upgraded a radio telescope at the University of Sydney, boosting its sensitivity and bandwidth to three times more than before. The upgrade demonstrates Australia's technological capabilities and will inform the design of the country's own ASKAP telescope.
A European team of astronomers has confirmed that the UDFy-38135539 galaxy is the most remote object identified so far in the Universe. By analyzing its light's redshift, they found that it was seen just 600 million years after the Big Bang, providing valuable insights into the era of reionisation and galaxy formation.
NASA has formed a single systems engineering organization for its James Webb Space Telescope, combining Northrop Grumman's expertise with NASA's mission-level decision-making. The new team aims to streamline communication and decision-making, reducing costs and meeting the launch goal with minimal risk.
Astronomers tracked a bizarre X-shaped object, dubbed P/2010 A2, for five months using Hubble. The object is expanding slowly and retained its X-shape even as the debris field expanded, revealing details about asteroid collisions.
The James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield has successfully completed launch depressurization tests, validating its flight design. The tests, conducted in vacuum chambers, simulated the rapid change in air pressure during launch and proved that the stowed sunshield will retain its shape and allow trapped air to escape safely.
Three NASA Goddard Space Flight Center employees, Matt Greenhouse, Randy Kimble, and Alexander Moiseev, received the 2010 Robert H. Goddard Award for Science for their outstanding work in sciences at NASA Goddard. The award recognizes their exceptional achievements in developing instrumentation and analysis methods for premier astronom...
The Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) is being tested in a simulated environment at RAL to prepare for its delivery to NASA. The instrument will enable astronomers to study the first light of the early Universe and form planets around distant stars.
The ISIM structure passed extreme cryogenic temperature tests without cracking, with thermal contraction and distortion measured to be within the design requirement. The unique composite laminate and bonding technique used in its construction were successfully tested, ensuring the telescope's instruments remain in precise locations.
Astronomers measure velocity and composition of 'star guts' from nearby supernova Supernova 1987A using Hubble Space Telescope observations. The study reveals the deposition of energy and heavy elements into the host galaxy, including elements necessary for life on Earth.
Two Iowa State University astronomers are using Spitzer Space Telescope data to study big cool-temperature stars and dusty disks. The telescope is also identifying regions within the Milky Way that are forming intermediate-mass stars.
A $2.4 million NSF grant will enable NJIT physicist Philip R. Goode to develop a new adaptive optics system, allowing for better study of sunspots and space weather. The improved optics will increase the distortion-free field of view, enabling researchers to study larger areas of the sun.
Dr. Hawarden's pioneering work on passive cooling techniques led to the design of larger, more efficient infrared space telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope. His approach has significantly improved the lifetime and performance of these instruments.
The European Space Agency has received tiny microshutters, as small as human hair, which will focus the infrared camera on specific targets to the exclusion of others. These microshutters are a key component in the James Webb Space Telescope's ability to observe distant stars and galaxies.
Researchers used a technique called spectro-astrometry to observe protoplanetary disks in great detail, distinguishing between gas and dust distributions. They discovered that hydrogen gas is incorporated into the star through accretion, which can occur violently or smoothly, depending on the star's magnetic field.
A team of researchers discovered that a supermassive black hole at the center of the most massive local galaxy, M87, is displaced from its expected location. The finding suggests that supermassive black holes may be commonly offset from their host galaxy centers due to previous mergers or interactions with jets.
A NIRCam engineering test unit has arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to undergo a year-long testing process. The unit, built by Lockheed Martin, will simulate the flight unit's functions before the actual instrument is integrated into the James Webb Space Telescope.
Astronomers discovered a runaway star in the Large Magellanic Cloud's 30 Doradus Nebula, with a speed of over 400,000 km/h. The star is estimated to be around 10 times hotter than the Sun and has been ejected from its home cluster through dynamical interaction.
Researchers have discovered a massive cloud of cosmic gas and dust collapsing in on itself, which could help solve the mystery of massive star formation. The CSIRO radio telescope detected two types of molecules indicative of collapse, suggesting the gas is falling at an incredibly high rate.
The James Webb Space Telescope's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument is a key tool for identifying colors and objects in the cosmos. With its micro-electromechanical system, NIRSpec can analyze light from deep space to help scientists determine the age, chemical composition, and distances of faint galaxies.
Researchers have made direct measurements of the size and brightness of regions of star-birth in a very distant galaxy using the APEX telescope. The galaxy is so bright due to massive dust grains heated by starlight, revealing star formation at a rate equivalent to about 250 Suns per year.
Researchers have observed a warm core at the center of the Great Red Spot, with temperatures varying by up to 3 degrees compared to surrounding areas. This temperature difference affects wind velocities and cloud patterns in Jupiter's belts and zones.
The Hubble Multi-Cycle Treasury Program will survey the first third of cosmic time, observing over 250,000 distant galaxies to understand galaxy formation and evolution. The project aims to study the earliest stages in the formation of supermassive black holes and find distant supernovae important for understanding dark energy.
The James Webb Space Telescope's five-layer sunshield was subjected to a series of tests using a 1/3-scale model to verify its ability to block and redirect solar heat. The experiments aimed to match computer models with test data, ensuring accurate thermal performance predictions for the full-size sunshield.
The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully polished its first primary mirror segment to meet the required prescription at operational cryogenic temperatures. This achievement sets the stage for a successful polishing process for the remaining 18 flight mirror segments.
The first antenna of the Australia Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope has received its first radio signals, paving the way for further development. The successful test demonstrates the feasibility of ASKAP's innovative design and sets a promising stage for the future telescope's scientific discoveries.
A study led by Queen's University astronomer Terry Bridges reveals that up to a quarter of the Milky Way's star clusters are foreign, originating from other galaxies. The research suggests six additional dwarf galaxies may exist within the galaxy beyond the two previously confirmed.
The TDRS K-L program has successfully completed its Critical Design Review and Production Readiness Review, paving the way for the assembly of the K and L satellites. The new spacecraft will provide critical communication services to NASA missions, including the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope.
The James Webb Space Telescope's five-layer sunshield has passed its critical design review, certifying its design meets mission requirements. The sunshield will absorb and deflect solar light to keep the telescope operating at cryogenic temperatures.
Dr Andrew Benson and Dr Nick Devereux's research reveals the evolutionary history of the universe, explaining galaxy shapes and numbers. Their 'Lambda Cold Dark Matter' model suggests that dark matter haloes drive galaxy evolution, with elliptical galaxies resulting from multiple mergers.
NASA is developing a primary mirror for the James Webb Space Telescope to study the formation of the universe and its solar system. The mirror will be tested at extreme temperatures to simulate space conditions, with data from three different sizes of segments collected during this test.
The new Hubble image showcases over 12 billion years of cosmic history, from star birth to galaxy assembly. The image combines multiple colors to reveal details about galaxy distances and stellar populations.
Astronomers using Hubble Ultra Deep Field have discovered the most distant galaxies in the universe, dating back 13 billion years. The findings provide key insights into the formation of galaxies and the early universe.
A team of astronomers has detected a population of compact and ultra-blue galaxies from 13 billion years ago, just 600 to 800 million years after the Big Bang. The newly found objects are crucial for understanding the evolution of the first stars and galaxies.
The Herschel Space Observatory has revealed thousands of newly discovered galaxies in their early stages of formation, providing a detailed view of the universe up to 12 billion years ago. The images are helping astronomers detect distant galaxies that would have been impossible to discover with current ground-based telescopes.
The MIRI detectors will enable the Webb telescope to observe the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe, allowing scientists to study the formation and evolution of the cosmos. The new video showcases the technology behind MIRI and its potential for groundbreaking discoveries.
Scientists have measured magnetic fields in the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst for the first time using a specialized camera on a telescope. This breakthrough observation opens up the study of magnetic fields in these cosmic events, potentially changing our understanding of their role in powering and collimating gamma-ray bursts.
The University of Utah has celebrated the 'first light' of its new research telescope at 9,600 feet elevation on Frisco Peak. The 32-inch reflecting telescope took initial pictures on Oct. 15 and will be used for scientific observations starting next spring.
A UCLA-led study confirms Pallas, the second-largest asteroid, is a protoplanet due to its unique shape and color variation. The research reveals a dynamic surface with areas of dark and light, indicating internal changes, similar to those found on planets.
The James Webb Space Telescope's Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) has arrived at NASA Goddard for testing, featuring four scientific instruments and a critical cryogenic structure. The ISIM will undergo rigorous qualification testing to ensure its ability to survive space and extreme cold.
A team led by Professor Stephen Eikenberry captured the first images of the cosmos using a UF-designed camera/spectrometer attached to the Gemini South telescope in Chile. The instrument, FLAMINGOS-2, will enable accurate tracking of black hole growth and evolution over 4 billion years.
The CSIRO has chosen 10 major science projects for its Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, which will tackle astrophysical issues and advance the field of astronomy. The projects include a deep survey for star-forming galaxies and a survey for galaxies containing neutral hydrogen gas.
The NRL's Large Area Telescope has made significant discoveries about cosmic rays and high-energy particles. The telescope detected an excess of electrons striking its surface, leading scientists to suggest that a nearby pulsar could be the source sending these particles towards Earth.