Astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to study a quasar up close, revealing complex structures around a supermassive black hole. The observations show a mysterious L-shaped filamentary structure and small satellite galaxies falling into the black hole, offering insights into quasar formation and galaxy interactions.
A NASA-led team found that cometary dust affects interpretation of spacecraft measurements, reopening the case for comets like 67P as potential sources of water for early Earth. Researchers discovered a similar molecular signature between comet 67P's water and Earth's oceans.
A study using NASA satellite data found that cities in the Global South have significantly less green space and cooling capacity than those in the Global North, with an average of 70% less cooling capacity. This compounds existing problems, as cities in the South are predicted to see more heat extremes due to lower latitudes.
A NASA-funded discovery reveals that RNA can produce both left- and right-handed proteins, challenging the notion that life initially favored one over the other. This finding deepens the mystery of life's handedness and suggests that homochirality may have emerged through later evolutionary pressures.
The NASA Goddard Lidar team has developed a system that can produce higher resolution data within a smaller space, significantly increasing efficiency compared to current models. This technology, known as CASALS, uses artificial intelligence and other technologies to allow the instrument to make its own decisions while in orbit.
A team of scientists using NASA-German satellites found evidence of a sudden and sustained decrease in global freshwater levels, which has remained low since May 2014. The study suggests that the shift could indicate Earth's continents have entered a persistently drier phase due to climate change.
The telescope will focus cosmic light and send it to Roman's instruments, revealing billions of objects in space. The assembly underwent rigorous tests simulating launch conditions, temperature control, and gas handling.
Researchers observe oscillating pattern in light from binary supermassive black hole system AT 2021hdr, shedding light on tidal disruption of gas cloud. The system, located 1 billion light-years away, contains 40 million times the Sun's mass and will collide in approximately 70,000 years.
Gravity waves generated by Hurricane Helene were recorded 55 miles above the ground using NASA's Atmospheric Waves Experiment. The study helps understand how terrestrial weather affects space weather and disrupts satellites.
The study uses NASA's Hubble and James Webb space telescopes to observe the debris disk encircling Vega. The researchers find that the disk is surprisingly smooth, with no obvious evidence of large planets, challenging current theories about exoplanet systems.
The Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) will block out the Sun's surface light to observe details in its outer atmosphere, providing new insights into the solar wind. By measuring temperature, speed, and density, scientists will gain a fuller picture of the solar wind's evolution.
A new NASA-led study finds that the Earth's far northern permafrost region has become a net contributor to global warming due to methane emissions. The thawing permafrost is releasing stored carbon as greenhouse gases, shifting the region from being a sink to a source of warming.
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is not as stable as initially thought, with observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope showing it jiggles like a bowl of gelatin. The GRS's size oscillates as it accelerates and decelerates, pushing against windy jet streams.
Astronomers used the combined perspective of Hubble and New Horizons to study the atmosphere of Uranus, a proxy for similar planets beyond our solar system. The results suggest that exoplanets may be dimmer than predicted at partial phases, offering new clues to their potential habitability.
Researchers used instruments on board Curiosity to measure the isotopic composition of carbon-rich minerals and discovered extreme evaporation, suggesting a climate that could only support transient liquid water. This finding rules out life on Mars' surface but leaves open the possibility of an underground biosphere.
Astronomers have discovered a galaxy with an unusual light signature, suggesting it may be a missing link between the universe's first stars and familiar galaxies. The galaxy's gas is outshining its stars, indicating extreme conditions that could provide insights into early galaxy evolution.
The study reveals that water ice is present in permanently shadowed regions outside the South Pole, with concentrations expected near coldest locations and poleward-facing slopes. The research provides maps and surface characteristics to identify where ice is likely to be found, aiding lunar mission planners.
The TESS mission has discovered a rare stellar triplet system with twin stars orbiting each other every 1.8 days, and a third star that circles the pair in just 25 days. The discovery sets a new record for the shortest outer orbital period of this type of system.
The James Webb Space Telescope has mapped the gases spewing from Centaur 29P, suggesting a varied composition and shedding light on the formation and evolution of the solar system. The telescope detected jets of carbon monoxide and previously unseen jets of carbon dioxide, providing new clues to the nature of the centaur's nucleus.
Researchers using NASA airborne platforms have found a new kind of gamma-ray emission, dubbed flickering gamma-ray flashes, that fills in the missing link between steady glows and brief bursts. These discoveries provide new insights into thundercloud radiation and mechanisms that produce lightning.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered that the blowtorch-like jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of a huge galaxy causes stars to erupt along its trajectory. The finding suggests that there is something missing from our understanding of how black hole jets interact with their surroundings.
New NASA research generates extremely accurate eclipse maps incorporating lunar topography data from LRO observations. The process reveals the true time-varying shape of the Moon's shadow, affected by mountains and valleys along its edge.
A team of researchers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found more black holes than previously reported in the early universe. The new result sheds light on how supermassive black holes were created and can help scientists understand galaxy evolution.
Astronomers have observed star clusters in the Extreme Outer Galaxy using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, revealing young protostars and jets of material. The detailed images provide unprecedented insights into star formation in this distant region.
Astronomers have detected two closely spaced supermassive black holes in the nearby universe using NASA's Hubble and Chandra telescopes. The black holes are fueled by infalling gas and dust, causing them to shine brightly as active galactic nuclei (AGN).
By combining data from Hubble and MAVEN, scientists measured the number and current escape rate of hydrogen atoms escaping into space, allowing them to extrapolate the history of water on Mars. The study found that atmospheric conditions change rapidly, with rapid releases of atoms at high altitudes.
Astronomers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to observe a galaxy cluster that acts as a magnifying glass, allowing them to see enhanced detail in distant galaxies. The red galaxy revealed by Webb is being magnified and distorted in an unusual way, providing clues about the formation of galaxies billions of light-years ago.
Scientists have discovered how the Sun's supersonic solar wind receives energy, thanks to a lucky alignment of NASA and ESA spacecraft. The fastest solar winds are powered by magnetic switchbacks, which deposit enough energy to account for heating and acceleration in the solar wind.
Scientists have successfully measured a planet-wide electric field thought to be fundamental to Earth's atmosphere. The ambipolar electric field, driving atmospheric escape and shaping the ionosphere, has been quantified and revealed its role in our planet's evolution.
Recent discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope's Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey have cast doubt on the crisis in cosmology. Astronomers found that early galaxies were not as massive as initially thought due to the presence of black holes, which made them appear brighter and more massive than they actually are.
The NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center's Fermi telescope has discovered a unique emission line in the spectrum of the brightest gamma-ray burst ever recorded. This phenomenon was detected using data from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope and provides new insights into the physics of gamma-ray bursts.
Astronomers have directly imaged the coldest exoplanet, Epsilon Indi Ab, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The planet is around 2 degrees Celsius colder than previously imaged planets, providing a rare opportunity to study its atmospheric composition.
A NASA experiment suggests that amino acids can survive just under the surface ice of Europa and Enceladus despite harsh radiation. This finding bolsters the case for future life-detection measurements by Europa and Enceladus lander missions.
Researchers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have confirmed a significant temperature difference between the morning and evening atmosphere of WASP-39b, with the evening appearing hotter by roughly 300°F (200°C). The planet is tidally locked, resulting in constant dayside and nightside conditions.
A team of astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to create the most accurate three-dimensional understanding of stars' movements within the Draco dwarf galaxy. This allowed them to build a more precise model of dark matter distribution, which aligns with cosmological models and suggests a cusp-like structure.
Astronomers have discovered seven fast-moving stars in the Omega Centauri globular cluster, providing compelling evidence for the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole. The team analyzed over 500 Hubble images to search for signs of gravitational pull from the black hole.
The OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team found that Bennu contains essential components for life, including carbon and nitrogen, as well as organic compounds. The presence of magnesium-sodium phosphate in the sample suggests a possible history of interaction with water, but also reveals a chemically primitive asteroid.
Astronomers have directly imaged a phenomenon long hoped for: aligned protostellar outflows in the Serpens Nebula. These structures offer a historical record of star formation and provide clues to the fundamental process of stellar rotation. The discovery was made possible by Webb's high spatial resolution and sensitivity in near-infra...
The team gathered data that helps clarify the Crab Nebula's history, suggesting a weak iron core-collapse supernova as an alternative to electron-capture explosions. The study also mapped dust distribution within the nebula for the first time, revealing warmer dust in outer filaments and cooler grains near the center.
Astronomers have used Hubble and SOFIA to study the HM Sge binary star system, which experienced a sudden increase in brightness 40 years ago. The team has found that the system's temperature has increased, but paradoxically faded slightly, raising questions about its long-term behavior.
The James Webb Space Telescope reveals the largest number of carbon-containing molecules in a disk around a young star. The findings have implications for the potential composition of planets that may form in such environments.
Astronomers have discovered a temperate, Earth-size world orbiting a small red dwarf star called Gliese 12. The planet, named Gliese 12 b, has a surface temperature of around 107 degrees Fahrenheit and receives about 1.6 times more energy from its star than Earth does.
Researchers analyzing James Webb Space Telescope data have pinpointed three galaxies actively forming at 400-600 million years old. These galaxies are surrounded by hydrogen and helium gas that will fuel star formation.
The James Webb Space Telescope has provided new insights into the mysterious case of WASP-107 b, an exoplanet that defies explanation due to its inflated size. Data collected by Webb shows surprisingly little methane in the planet's atmosphere, indicating a significantly hotter interior and core mass than previously estimated.
Researchers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have detected atmospheric gases surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet. The discovery provides evidence for the existence of any rocky planet atmosphere outside our solar system, a long-standing mystery in exoplanet characterization.
Astronomers have discovered an enormous circular radio feature around a galaxy, dubbed the Cloverleaf, which was created by clashing groups of galaxies. The XMM-Newton satellite has detected X-ray emission associated with this structure for the first time, revealing clues about its formation and the merger process.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured unprecedented detail of the Horsehead Nebula's top, showcasing its complex structure and composition. The telescope's observations reveal a network of thin features tracing dust particles swept away by UV light, as well as insights into the nebula's multidimensional shape.
The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully mapped the weather on WASP-43 b, a hot gas-giant exoplanet. The data reveals thick, high clouds covering the nightside and clear skies on the dayside, with equatorial winds reaching up to 5,000 miles per hour.
The study used a trove of archived Hubble images to identify the asteroids, working with citizen scientists and machine learning algorithms. The discovery provides insights into the formation and evolution of the asteroid belt, suggesting that smaller fragments may be remnants of larger asteroids that have collided.
Researchers used NASA's High Resolution Coronal Imager and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph to study the Sun's moss, which is heated from 10,000 to 1 million degrees Fahrenheit. The observations revealed that electrical currents may play a role in this superheating mechanism.