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.
NASA successfully tested the Roman space telescope's solar panel system and its 'visor' mechanism, a novel approach to deployable solar arrays. The test paves the way for future deep space missions that require efficient and reliable power generation.
Astronomers have devised a method to map the spottiness of distant stars using observations from NASA missions, improving understanding of planetary atmospheres and potential habitability. The new model, called StarryStarryProcess, can help discover more about exoplanet properties.
The Artemis II crew will conduct scientific investigations that will inform future deep space missions, including lunar science activities. They will analyze geologic features, collect rock samples, and gather data on the effects of the space environment on their health and performance.
The DART mission successfully demonstrated asteroid deflection by causing a small satellite to detach from the spacecraft and alter Dimorphos' trajectory. The LICIACube images provided detailed information on the debris plume, revealing that it was composed mostly of large particles.
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.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will feature a 'sunblock' shield made of lightweight yet stiff panels designed to limit heat transfer. The observatory's instruments will benefit from this design, which can detect faint signals from space.
Researchers detected sulfur in both gas and solid phases using data from the XRISM spacecraft, providing unprecedented insight into its presence in the universe. The findings are based on measurements of X-rays from two binary star systems and suggest that sulfur can easily change between these forms.
The Solar EruptioN Integral Field Spectrograph (SNIFS) mission will study the energy dynamics of the Sun's chromosphere, a complex region that powers solar flares. By analyzing spectral lines, scientists hope to better understand how energy moves through the chromosphere and improve space weather forecasting.
Roman will scan a large region of the cosmos every five days for two years, detecting around 27,000 type Ia supernovae and 60,000 core-collapse supernovae. These observations will help scientists understand dark energy, the universe's expansion, and fill gaps in our understanding of cosmic history.
The NASA Roman Space Telescope team has completed installing solar panels on the observatory, a crucial step towards launch. The Solar Array Sun Shield will provide power and shade, keeping instruments cool for infrared observations.
Scientists have discovered a strong correlation between the Earth's magnetic field and atmospheric oxygen levels over the past 540 million years. The study, published in Science Advances, suggests that fluctuations in the magnetic field may be influencing the planet's habitability.
Astronomers have identified dozens of small galaxies that played a key role in transforming the early universe into the one we know today. These tiny but mighty galaxies produced ultraviolet light, which drove the reionization of the universe.
CODEX observes high-energy particles and radiation from the Sun's corona, providing unprecedented data on solar activity. The findings reveal a complex interplay between magnetic fields and particle acceleration.
The Roman Space Telescope has successfully completed vibration testing, passing a key milestone that brings it one step closer to answering cosmic mysteries. The team simulated launch conditions and tested the observatory's core portion, which will now undergo additional tests before being assembled with its outer portion.
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.
Astronomers used NASA's NICER to map debris from cosmic black holes, revealing the physical environment of repeating X-ray outbursts near monster black holes. The study found that each impact resulted in about a Jupiter's worth of mass reaching expansion velocities around 15% of the speed of light.
Roman's surveys will investigate dark energy and dark matter governing cosmic evolution, and study the demographics of worlds beyond our solar system. The missions include High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey, High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey, and Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey.
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 Parker Solar Probe team was awarded the 2024 Robert J. Collier Trophy for its innovative technology advancements and historic close approaches to the Sun. The mission has greatly advanced our understanding of solar science and space weather events, with lasting benefits for Earth's power grids and astronauts.
The AWESOME mission seeks to reveal how auroral substorms affect the behavior and composition of Earth's far upper atmosphere, potentially upending a long-held theory about the aurora's interaction with the thermosphere.
The AWE mission has released its first trove of scientific data, providing unprecedented insight into how weather on Earth affects space weather. The data will help scientists better understand gravity waves and their impact on satellite communications, navigation, and tracking.
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 EZIE mission will use a new measurement technique to study the electrojets, which can create large magnetic disturbances and power outages. By mapping the electrojets' structure and evolution, scientists hope to improve predictions of hazardous space weather.
A new international study suggests that the water-rich iron mineral ferrihydrite may be responsible for Mars' iconic red color. The findings point to a potentially habitable past for Mars, with evidence of liquid water on the planet's surface billions of years ago.
NASA has successfully integrated its deployable aperture cover sunshade with the outer barrel assembly of the Roman Observatory, enhancing the telescope's ability to detect faint light from across the universe. The integration marks a significant milestone in the mission's assembly and testing phase.
Scientists have discovered a scrawny star and its fast-moving super-Neptune world, which sets a new record for the fastest exoplanet system. The planetary system is thought to move at least 1.2 million miles per hour.
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.
The Bennu samples contain amino acids and nucleobases, building blocks for proteins, as well as ammonia, which can react to form complex molecules under the right conditions. These findings suggest that the conditions necessary for life were widespread across the early solar system, increasing the odds of life existing elsewhere.
Two NASA rocket missions, GIRAFF and Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor, will study fast-pulsating and flickering auroras respectively. The missions aim to determine the electron acceleration processes responsible for these phenomena.
New research using 20 years of observations shows significant changes in the global water cycle, primarily driven by agricultural activities. These shifts have implications for water management practices, such as designing infrastructure for floods or developing drought indicators.
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.
Scientists have identified flickering loops in the solar atmosphere that signal impending solar flares. The loops' brightness variability can be measured to predict flares with up to 80% accuracy, potentially providing 2-6 hours of warning time for astronauts and technology.
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.
A team of astronomers identified a large sample of 'little red dots' containing signs of growing supermassive black holes, hinting at an era of obscured black hole growth in the early universe. The distribution of these objects suggests they emerged and declined around 600-1.5 billion years after the big bang.
Radio data reveals jets of ionized gas extending from either side of the black hole, with a total size of about half a light-year. The observation suggests that the launch of a black hole jet has never been observed before in real time, providing critical clues to why only a fraction of monster black holes produce powerful plasma jets.
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed fine details in interstellar material, revealing a 3D structure resembling knots and whorls. The team mapped this structure for the first time, finding sheet-like filaments and dense regions with magnetic 'islands', offering new insights into the universe's composition.
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.
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed 17 carbon-rich dust shells expanding at regular intervals from two massive stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The dust shells are racing away from the stars at speeds of over 1,600 miles per second and have persisted for over 130 years.
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.
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.
The Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) instrument will provide comprehensive views of Earth's magnetosphere, capturing low-energy X-rays emanating from its edges. This could help researchers understand how the planet responds to space weather and potentially damaging solar particles.
The spacecraft successfully completed its record-breaking closest approach to the solar surface on December 24, 2024, flying just 3.8 million miles above the surface at a speed of 430,000 miles per hour. This pass allows scientists to conduct unrivaled scientific measurements with the potential to change our understanding of the Sun.
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.
The Juno mission has discovered that Io's volcanoes are likely fueled by their own chambers of roiling hot magma rather than an ocean of magma. This finding solves a long-standing mystery about the moon's subsurface origins and provides new insights into Io's volcanic activity.
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.
A new NASA-led study found that plants' responses to changing rainfall patterns are crucial for understanding their role in the carbon cycle. Daily rainfall variability drove growth globally, with certain ecosystems thriving under conditions of infrequent but intense rain.
Scientists report early results from NASA-funded solar eclipse experiments, capturing detailed images of the Sun's corona and studying its effects on the atmosphere and ionosphere. The experiments involved citizen scientists, amateur radio operators, and aircraft observations, providing valuable data for future research.
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.