The Soft X-ray focusing Telescope (SXT) onboard Astrosat successfully saw its first light on Oct. 26, 2015, after the camera door was opened at 06:30UT. The telescope's mirrors were aligned perfectly to image a single point, and data quality is excellent.
The James Webb Space Telescope's Integrated Science Instrument Module has begun its final cryogenic test at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The test, which will last several months, aims to ensure the instruments are ready for flight and can withstand the extreme temperatures they will encounter in space.
The discovery of over 250 dwarf galaxies at z=6-8 provides strong evidence that faint dwarf galaxies were responsible for cosmic reionization. The team's analysis determined that the smallest and most abundant galaxies in the study were vital to the process.
A new theoretical study suggests that only eight percent of potentially habitable planets will ever form in the universe, while the bulk of those planets - 92 percent - have yet to be born. This conclusion is based on an assessment of data collected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Kepler space observatory.
The Pathfinder telescope has completed its first super-cold optical test, achieving significant breakthroughs in cryogenic alignment and testing of primary mirror segments. This test demonstrated the ability to optically test and align the telescope at -400 degrees Fahrenheit, simulating operating temperatures for the L2 Lagrange point.
Scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have produced new maps of Jupiter, capturing its winds, clouds, storms, and atmospheric chemistry. The observations revealed a rare wave just north of the planet's equator and a unique filamentary feature in the Great Red Spot.
Astronomers have discovered fast-moving wave-like features in the debris disc of star AU Microscopii, which could be a sign of something unusual. The ripples are racing away from the star at speeds of up to 40,000 kilometers per hour, making them unlike anything ever observed before.
Astronomers have discovered unexplained wave-like structures in the dusty disk surrounding the young star AU Mic, moving at speeds of up to 22,000 miles per hour. The features, resembling ripples in water, are unlike anything ever observed or predicted and may provide valuable clues about planet formation.
The Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled a small section of the expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago. The Veil Nebula, covering six full moons on the sky, is composed of wisps of gas that were once a star 20 times more massive than our sun.
The deployable tower assembly (DTA) is a crucial component of the James Webb Space Telescope, enabling its instruments to be separated from the spacecraft bus and sunshield after launch. This allows the sunshield to unfurl and shade the telescope and instruments from radiant heat and stray light.
Researchers found nearly 10 times more faint, early galaxies than previously detected in deep Hubble surveys. They used a new statistical method to parse out signals from noise in the images.
A team of Caltech researchers detects a galaxy called EGS8p7, which is more than 13.2 billion years old, making it the farthest galaxy ever found. The detection challenges our understanding of the universe's evolution, particularly reionization.
Astronomers have found a similar percentage of newborn stars with specific masses in young clusters of the Andromeda galaxy compared to our own. This study, utilizing Hubble images and citizen scientist contributions, helps interpret distant galaxy light and understand star formation history.
The James Webb Space Telescope's flight backplane has arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, marking a significant step towards the telescope's 2018 launch. The backplane will hold the telescope's 18 hexagonal mirrors and instruments steady while observing deep space.
A new study suggests that rogue supernovas that explode in deep space were likely kicked out of their galaxies at high speeds and then ejected into space by the gravitational pull of a binary black hole. The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, used data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to trace 13 h...
Scientists use archived data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to study 13 unusual exploding stars, known as supernovae. These young stars were ejected from their galaxies at high speeds, and astronomers believe that supermassive black holes in merging galaxies played a key role in their ejection.
The sunshield on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is the largest part of the observatory, separating a warm sun-facing side from a cold environment to protect sensitive infrared instruments. The precise unfolding of the five-layer sunshield must be accurate within a few centimeters to maintain alignment and operate effectively.
Astronomers have discovered a self-regulating cycle between black holes, jets, and newborn stars in giant elliptical galaxies. The process, observed using Hubble Space Telescope data, controls the rate of star formation by heating and cooling gas halos around these galaxies.
Astronomers have detected a self-regulating cycle of star births within elliptical galaxies, with black holes controlling the rate of gas cooling and star formation. The unique capabilities of space telescopes like Hubble allowed researchers to directly observe 'showers' of star formation linked to galaxy jets.
Astronomers confirm exoplanet orbiting far from its central star using gravitational microlensing, opening new discovery space for long-period orbits. The Uranus-sized planet is about 370 million miles from its parent star, with a host star about 70% as massive as our Sun.
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.
Astronomers have discovered a colossal cloud of hydrogen dispersing from the warm, Neptune-sized planet Gliese 436b. The enormous gaseous tail is about 50 times the size of its parent star and may offer clues on how hot super-Earths form around other stars.
Astronomers have discovered a massive cloud of hydrogen, dubbed 'The Behemoth,' evaporating from a warm Neptune-sized planet orbiting a nearby star. The phenomenon may help explain the existence of Hot Super-Earths and provide insights into how planets lose their outer layers.
Astronomers use Hubble Space Telescope to uncover the early formative years of quasars, finding that galaxy collisions and mergers drive their peak activity. The observations reveal the transitional phase in the merger-driven black hole scenario, providing new insights into the universe's brightest objects.
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.
The discovery of a stratosphere on WASP-33b offers insights into the planet's composition and formation. The presence of titanium oxide in the atmosphere indicates temperature inversion, similar to Earth's ozone layer.
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.
Astronomers have captured the most detailed view of star formation in a distant galaxy using ALMA's Long Baseline Campaign. The observations reveal giant versions of the Orion Nebula producing thousands of new stars, with clumps of star formation visible down to 200 light-years.
Two of Pluto's moons, Nix and Hydra, wobble unpredictably due to a constantly shifting gravitational field created by the double planet system of Pluto and Charon. This effect is strengthened by the non-spherical shape of the moons, which may be similar for the other two moons, Kerberos and Styx.
Astronomers analyzed Hubble data to find that Nix and Hydra are in chaotic rotation around Pluto. The system's dynamic motion offers insights into binary star systems and potential consequences for life.
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 discovered a rare collision between two high-speed knots of ejected matter in a supermassive black hole jet. The finding suggests that shocks produced by collisions within the jet accelerate particles and brighten the regions of colliding material.
Astronomers discovered a peculiar Wolf-Rayet star, Nasty 1, with a vast pancake-shaped gas disk encircling it. The disk may have formed from an unseen companion star through mass transfer in a binary system.
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...
Astronomers observed 22 massive elliptical galaxies using the VLT and Hubble Space Telescope, revealing that star formation in their centers stopped around three billion years ago. The newly discovered inside-out nature of this shutdown may be due to a galaxy's central supermassive black hole or lack of fresh gas.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured wispy, goblin-green objects outside quasar-host galaxies, revealing insights into galaxy behavior and energetic cores. These 'ghostly' structures are believed to have been illuminated by powerful ultraviolet radiation from supermassive black holes.
Astronomers studied 72 large cluster collisions using Hubble and Chandra observations. They found dark matter continues straight through collisions without slowing down, interacting even less with itself than previously thought.
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.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have captured rare split images of a distant supernova using the Hubble Space Telescope. The images, caused by gravitational lensing, provide insight into dark matter distribution and the expansion rate of the universe.
A team of astronomers has discovered a distant star exploding as a supernova, with four images captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The unique alignment is due to the powerful gravity of a foreground galaxy embedded in a massive cluster, providing a rare opportunity to study dark matter.
Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers found four separate images of the same distant supernova, enabling them to measure the difference in light paths. This discovery helps refine estimates of dark matter and the expansion rate of the universe.
Astronomers have used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to capture the most detailed edge-on picture yet of a large disk of gas and dust encircling Beta Pictoris. The disk is distorted by the gravitational pull of an embedded giant planet, allowing scientists to study the effects of planetary formation on young star systems.
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.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured a rare triple-moon conjunction of Jupiter's largest moons Europa, Callisto, and Io. The event occurred on January 24, 2015, with the moons' orbital velocities slowing down as they approached Jupiter's cloud tops.
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.
A study of Andromeda's stellar disk reveals a more disordered population than the Milky Way's, suggesting recent mergers with smaller galaxies. The researchers found that younger stars have relatively ordered rotational motion, while older stars display much more disordered motion.
Astronomers have developed a comprehensive picture of Eta Carinae, including Hubble Space Telescope images showing ionized gas racing away from the star at high speeds. New 3-D models reveal features of the stars' interactions, including spine-like protrusions in the gas flow along the edges of a spiral cavity.
The new images show the pillars as eerie, wispy silhouettes against a background of stars, with newborn stars hidden within. The infrared view reveals dense knots of dust and gas at the pillar's ends, underscoring the dynamic and violent nature of star-forming regions.
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 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.
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.
The largest visible-light imaging survey of dusty debris disks has been conducted around stars as young as 10 million years old and as mature as over 1 billion years. The diversity of these systems suggests gravitational effects from unseen exoplanets or interactions with interstellar material.
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.
The Hubble Space Telescope has observed the faint glow of stars ejected from ancient galaxies torn apart within the Pandora's Cluster. The scattered stars are estimated to contribute approximately 10% of the cluster's brightness and are rich in heavier elements.
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.
Astronomers use a cosmic magnifying glass to spot a tiny, faint galaxy more than 13 billion light-years away. The discovery provides insight into the early universe and suggests that small, faint galaxies existed about 500 million years after the big bang.
Astronomers have combined traditional method with reverse engineering to improve accuracy in measuring distant galaxies. They calculated a robust distance measurement using near-infrared and visible-light photos, estimating a redshift of 10 for the galaxy.
A team of scientists used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to create a detailed map of the atmosphere of WASP-43b, an extremely hot and gaseous planet. The findings reveal that the planet has extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night, with winds howling at supersonic speeds.
Astronomers have mapped the temperature and water vapor on WASP-43b, a hot exoplanet with turbulent conditions. The findings provide insights into atmospheric dynamics and how giant planets like Jupiter are formed.
A team of scientists used the Hubble Space Telescope to create a detailed weather map of WASP-43b, tracing the planet's temperature and water vapor content. The study found that the exoplanet has winds that can reach up to 1500 degrees Celsius, with temperatures on the day side hot enough to melt iron.