The discovery of four double quasars offers insights into galaxy formation and the evolution of supermassive black holes. Quasars are brilliant beacons that can outshine entire galaxies, and their proximity in merging galaxies provides a unique window into the early universe.
The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program has awarded fellowships to 24 postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in astrophysics. The selected researchers will focus on three broad scientific questions: How does the universe work?, How did we get here?, and Are we alone?
Researchers studied 304 developing stars and found that gas-clearing by a star's outflow may not be as important in determining its final mass. The team's results indicate cavities in the surrounding gas cloud do not grow regularly, suggesting another process gets rid of excess gas.
Scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a distant planet, GJ 1132 b, that may have lost its atmosphere but regained a second one. The team believes the current atmospheric hydrogen is being slowly released through volcanic processes to form a new atmosphere.
Astronomers have discovered a secondary atmosphere on GJ 1132 b, rich in hydrogen and hydrocarbons, which is believed to be replenished by volcanism and tidal heating. The new findings provide insights into the exoplanet's geology and offer a window into its interior.
A wayward comet-like object has been spotted near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans, orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. The object shows signs of comet activity, such as a tail, outgassing, and an enshrouding coma of dust and gas.
Astronomers used Hubble and Gaia data to analyze the positions and velocities of stars in NGC 6397, finding strong evidence for invisible mass in the dense central regions. The bulk of this unseen mass is likely made up of stellar-mass black holes, rather than white dwarfs or neutron stars.
Researchers from RIT and Green Bank Observatory used Hubble Space Telescope images to analyze the Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302) and Jewel Bug Nebula (NGC 7027), shedding light on nebula formation processes. The study confirmed that the Butterfly Nebula was ejected only about 2,000 years ago, with its S-shaped iron emission possibly even ...
Researchers used Hubble's imagery to wind back the clock on a supernova remnant, pinpointing its age and centre. The study found that light from the blast arrived at Earth 1700 years ago, during the decline of the Roman Empire.
Astronomers have traced the speedy shrapnel from a nearby supernova blast to calculate its location and time, yielding an estimated explosion age of 1,700 years ago. The researchers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and analyzed visible-light observations made 10 years apart.
The discovery uses a deep residual neural net trained on real data to uncover warped and stretched images of distant galaxies. The new lenses provide astronomers with targets to measure fundamental properties of the Universe, including the Hubble constant.
The Roman Space Telescope will enable new science in astrophysics by imaging an area 100 times larger than Hubble with the same crisp sharpness. It could reveal new insights into star formation during the universe's youth and galaxy clustering, as well as study the early universe and cosmic dawn.
The Hubble imaging Probe of Extreme Environments and Clusters (HiPEEC) survey investigates how star clusters form and evolve during galaxy mergers. The study reveals large and rapid variations in star cluster properties, with the most massive clusters formed towards the end of the merger phase.
A new study using multi-messenger astronomy has estimated the radius of a typical neutron star to be around 11.75 kilometers and provided a novel calculation of the Hubble constant, which indicates the rate of universe expansion. The researchers' analysis combined gravitational-wave signals and electromagnetic emissions from neutron st...
Researchers used combined signals from binary neutron star mergers to study ultra-dense matter and constrain the Hubble constant. The analysis, led by Tim Dietrich, provided new insights into neutron star equation of state and expansion rate of the Universe.
Astronomers observing a dark vortex on Neptune noticed it change direction by August 2020, doubling back to the north. A smaller dark spot, possibly a fragment of the giant vortex, was also spotted near its larger cousin in January this year.
Astronomers use a novel spectrograph to measure the redshift of GN-z11, a ancient galaxy located 13.4 billion light years away, marking it as the farthest detectable galaxy in the universe. The team's precise measurement improves the accuracy of the galaxy's distance by a factor of 100.
A new $1 million Federal Government grant will enable a major upgrade to the Murchison Widefield Array, giving the giant radio telescope greater power to process signals from distant outer space. The upgrade will allow researchers to detect finer frequency and time observations, improving their ability to study the universe.
Astronomers have measured the motion of a massive Jupiter-like planet in an unlikely orbit around a double star, sparking questions about its formation and evolution. The discovery offers evidence that such oddball orbits are possible and may hold clues to the mysterious Planet Nine in our solar system.
The Inouye Solar Telescope has released its first image of a sunspot, revealing striking details of the sunspot's structure. The image achieves a spatial resolution about 2.5 times higher than ever previously achieved, showing magnetic fields as small as 20 kilometers on the surface of the Sun.
The Stingray nebula has faded precipitously over the past two decades due to a temperature drop in its central star, SAO 244567. Researchers have observed unprecedented changes in the nebula's structure and brightness, with the oxygen emission dropping by nearly 1,000 times between 1996 and 2016.
The Stingray Nebula, a young planetary nebula, has faded significantly over the past 20 years, losing its bright colors and shape. Its rapid dimming is likely connected to the cooling of its parent star, which has reduced ultraviolet ionizing radiation.
Researchers have overcome a major limitation of stratospheric balloon payloads by creating an ultralight dewar that can cool large telescopes to near absolute zero. The breakthrough enables scientists to explore the cold universe and see faint signals from distant galaxies.
Astronomers detected near-infrared emission 10 times brighter than predicted, challenging conventional theories of short gamma-ray bursts. The observations suggest the possibility of a massive magnetar being formed after the merger of two neutron stars.
A new telescope, Outrigger, will be built at the Green Bank Observatory to pinpoint the locations of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) in far-off galaxies. The telescope will work with the existing CHIME telescope to triangulate FRB locations and provide insights into their nature.
The ULLYSES program aims to create a comprehensive dataset for understanding star formation and its impact on planet habitability. The Hubble Space Telescope will observe over 300 stars across eight regions, capturing their spectral templates to inform research on stellar evolution and planetary chemistry.
A team of scientists from Northern Arizona University reviewed the Spitzer Space Telescope's legacy in Nature Astronomy, documenting its groundbreaking discoveries about comets, stars, exoplanets, and distant galaxies. The papers also suggest targets for the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of the Great Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365, showcasing hundreds of baby stars and dusty sites of future stellar nurseries. The PHANGS survey, conducted jointly with ALMA in Chile, aims to understand how galaxy environments influence star formation.
The Spitzer Space Telescope made significant discoveries in the solar system during its 16-year mission, providing a never-before-possible look at the universe. New papers catalog these findings and offer guidance for future scientists studying exoplanets and planet formation.
Hubble observed SN 2018gv in February 2018 to precisely measure the universe's expansion rate. The supernova serves as a 'milepost marker' to calculate galaxy distances and fundamental values needed for measuring space expansion.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a crisp new image of Jupiter's storms, revealing a bright white plume traveling around the planet at 350 miles per hour. The Great Red Spot, currently an exceptionally rich red color, is shrinking in size and appears to be interacting with surrounding clouds.
The Giant Magellan Telescope will utilize revolutionary optical technologies to transform humanity's view and understanding of the universe. The NSF grant enables the prototyping and testing of advanced optics, including adaptive secondary mirrors and phasing testbeds, to achieve diffraction-limited imaging.
Astronomers used NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and VLT to map dark matter distribution in galaxy clusters. The data showed unexpected lensing effects 10 times stronger than expected, hinting at a missing ingredient in current theories.
Astronomers have discovered a discrepancy between theoretical models and Hubble observations of galaxy clusters, suggesting a potential gap in our understanding of dark matter. The study used unprecedentedly detailed observations to map the distribution of dark matter on small scales.
Astronomers used the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) telescope to scan a patch of sky known to include at least 10 million stars. The study found no technosignatures, or signs of powerful radio emissions that could indicate intelligent life.
The CHARA Array, the world's largest optical interferometer, has received $7.1 million to fund a new mobile telescope and expand its open-access program for scientists. The new telescope will increase the array's diameter to over one kilometer and provide the highest resolution of any instrument in the world.
A team of scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has mapped the immense envelope of gas surrounding the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The study reveals a layered structure with two main shells of gas, and sheds light on the fuel for future star formation and outflows from supernovae.
Hubble Space Telescope images reveal comet NEOWISE's intact nucleus and intricate coma structure. The telescope's high resolution allows for the detection of dust and gas jets emanating from the nucleus, providing valuable insights into the comet's composition and behavior.
Researchers discovered that the unexpected dimming of supergiant star Betelgeuse was most likely caused by an immense amount of hot material ejected into space, forming a dust cloud that blocked light from about a quarter of the star's surface. The resulting dust cloud led to the star returning to normal brightness in April 2020.
New observations by Hubble reveal a massive dust cloud formed when superhot plasma was unleashed from an upwelling of a large convection cell on the star's surface, blocking light from about a quarter of Betelgeuse's surface.
A team led by astrophysicist Allison Youngblood used the Hubble Space Telescope to view Earth as if it were an exoplanet, capturing ultraviolet signals of ozone in its atmosphere. The study demonstrates a proof-of-concept for detecting biosignatures of life on distant planets.
Astronomers used Hubble Space Telescope to detect ozone in Earth's atmosphere, simulating conditions for future exoplanet observations. The study aims to develop models of Earth's spectrum as a template for categorizing atmospheres on extrasolar planets.
Researchers found that Dome A's unique combination of high altitude, low temperature, and stable atmosphere makes it an attractive location for optical and infrared astronomy. This location could lead to sharper images and the detection of fainter objects, overcoming a major challenge in Earth-based astronomy: atmospheric turbulence.
A new study by a University of Oregon physicist estimates the age of the universe at 12.6 billion years using a refined distance-calculation technique. The approach recalibrates a distance-measuring tool known as the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation independently of Hubble's constant.
The Roman mission's ground system has successfully completed its preliminary design review, meeting all requirements for science operations. The new data system will enable scientists to conduct sweeping cosmic surveys, yielding a wealth of new information about the universe, including insights into dark matter and dark energy.
The latest Hubble image of Saturn reveals small atmospheric storms in the planet's northern hemisphere, with pronounced banding visible. The ringed planet's atmosphere is mostly hydrogen and helium, with seasonal changes due to increased sunlight also producing a reddish haze.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of a young star surrounded by a disk that casts a huge, 200-light-year-long shadow. The shadow's movement was initially thought to be caused by planet warping the disk, but further observation revealed it was actually flapping like wings.
Astronomers have discovered 25 debris disks around young stars, revealing evidence of planets in nearly all cases. The high-resolution images were obtained using the Gemini Planet Imager and show a variety of shapes and sizes of stellar systems during their prime planet-forming years.
Researchers have found unprecedented levels of complexity and rapid changes in jets and gas bubbles blasting off from the centers of two young planetary nebulas. Hubble's multi-wavelength observations are helping to converge on an understanding of the mechanisms underlying these chaotic fireworks.
A new study using international radio telescope data reveals galaxies are nearer than predicted, exacerbating a discrepancy in the Hubble Constant measurement. This finding bolsters the need to revise the standard cosmological model of the Universe.
A team of European researchers used Hubble Space Telescope to study the early Universe, finding no evidence of Population III stars. The discovery suggests that galaxies must have formed much earlier than previously thought, supporting the idea that low-mass galaxies are responsible for reionisation.
Astronomers have measured the Fermi Bubbles, two enormous outflows of high-energy gas emanating from the Milky Way, using the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper telescope. The findings refine our understanding of these mysterious blobs and provide new opportunities to study the galaxy's central region.
Researchers have successfully detected gamma rays from the Crab Nebula using a next-generation telescope, shedding new light on supernovae and dark matter. The prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope promises to enhance imaging detail over larger field of view across the sky.
A three-year study of Westerlund 2, a massive young star cluster, reveals that the material surrounding stars near the centre is mysteriously devoid of dense clouds of dust. This is caused by the brightest stars eroding and dispersing the discs of gas and dust of neighbouring stars.
Astronomers found that stars in the cluster's periphery have planet-forming dust clouds, while those near the center lack them. The observations suggest that location plays a crucial role in planet formation, and massive stars may alter disk properties, making it harder for planets to form.
The collaboration provides new insights into Jupiter's turbulent weather, including the association of lightning outbreaks with specific cloud structures. The team maps lightning flashes onto optical images, revealing a three-way combination of clouds and clear regions that facilitate convection and energy release.
The Gemini North telescope has collected some of the highest resolution images of Jupiter ever obtained from the ground, complementing Hubble observations to reveal details about Jovian weather. The images show that lightning strikes and giant storm systems are formed in large convective cells over deep clouds of water ice and liquid.
The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged the breakup of comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS), revealing approximately 30 fragments on April 20 and 25 pieces on April 23. The comet's fragmented appearance changes substantially between the two days, sparking debate among researchers about the cause of fragmentation.
The Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled a breathtaking portrait of a firestorm of starbirth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. This iconic image, nicknamed the 'Cosmic Reef,' showcases the telescope's enduring legacy and transformative impact on modern astronomy.
Astronomers analyze archival Hubble data to reveal possible explanation for Fomalhaut b's disappearance: a massive dust cloud produced in a collision between two large bodies orbiting the nearby star Fomalhaut. The team suggests this event may have occurred only every 200,000 years.