Astronomers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to survey M82, a compact starburst galaxy with intense star formation activity. The study revealed intricate substructure, including concentrated areas of iron and molecular hydrogen being lit up by nearby young stars.
Astronomers identify complex organic molecules like ethanol and acetic acid in icy compounds surrounding two young protostars. These ingredients may have been delivered to the primitive Earth and could be part of comets and asteroids that collide with forming planets.
The expansion rate of the universe is faster than predicted, according to NASA's Webb and Hubble telescopes. By combining data from both telescopes, scientists have ruled out measurement errors as the cause, suggesting that new physics may be at play.
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a 2-million-solar-mass supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy GN-z11, which is one of the youngest and most distant galaxies ever observed. The team also found evidence of ionized chemical elements and a powerful wind expelled by the galaxy.
The James Webb Space Telescope has found direct evidence for emission from a probable young neutron star at the site of the recently observed supernova SN 1987A. Spectral analysis revealed strong signals due to ionized argon and five times ionized argon, indicating high-energy radiation from the compact object.
Researchers analyzing James Webb Space Telescope images found that approximately 50-80% of early galaxies are flattened and elongated, unlike previously thought. These 'surfboard' galaxies were common in the early universe but rare nearby, suggesting they formed differently than more massive galaxies.
Astronomers have found an unexpected gamma-ray signal outside of our galaxy, with a magnitude 10 times greater than expected from Earth's motion. The discovery is linked to the highest-energy cosmic rays and may be related to unidentified sources producing both gamma-rays and ultrahigh-energy particles.
Researchers have discovered a novel galactic 'fossil' in the spiral galaxy NGC 4945, which sheds light on the evolution of galaxies. The X-rays outline giant clouds of cold gas that were blasted through the galaxy after its central supermassive black hole erupted 5 million years ago.
A NASA study suggests that 17 exoplanets could have subsurface oceans beneath their icy surfaces, potentially harboring life. The team estimated geyser activity on these planets, predicting that some may exhibit cryovolcanic eruptions, which could be detected using powerful telescopes.
Astronomers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to identify the new record-holder: a tiny, free-floating brown dwarf with only three to four times the mass of Jupiter. The discovery provides clues about the star-formation process at very small masses and sheds light on the properties of exoplanets.
A team of astronomers used Webb to observe water and molecules in a highly irradiated disk in one of the most extreme environments in our galaxy. The results suggest that terrestrial planet formation conditions can occur in a broader range of environments than previously thought.
The new catalog of gamma-ray pulsars, compiled from the work of 170 scientists globally, reveals a significant increase in gamma-ray emitting pulsars discovered by NASA's Fermi mission. This discovery sheds light on astrophysics research and offers insights into cosmic rays, stellar evolution, gravitational waves, and dark matter.
The James Webb Space Telescope observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b and detected methane gas and water vapor in its atmosphere. This is the first detection of methane in an exoplanet's atmosphere using space-based spectroscopy.
The NASA Hubble Space Telescope has measured the size of LTT 1445Ac, an Earth-sized exoplanet passing in front of a neighboring star. The planet's diameter is found to be 1.07 times that of Earth, indicating a rocky world with surface gravity similar to our own.
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected distinct neon signatures in the dusty disk surrounding the young Sun-like star SZ Chamaelontis, indicating a change in high-energy radiation that reaches the disk and limits planet formation time. This difference points to a variable wind absorbing UV light and leaving X-rays to pummel the disk.
The combined image reveals galaxies outside the cluster, varied sources over time likely due to gravitational lensing, and transients varying in brightness. The team identified 14 such transients across the field, including highly magnified stars or multiple-star systems and supernovae.
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a breakthrough discovery in planet formation, confirming the drifting of ice-coated solids into rocky-planet zones. The study found excess cool water in compact disks, consistent with pebble drift theory.
The James Webb Space Telescope has made its first detection of a heavy element, tellurium, in a star merger. This breakthrough allows scientists to better understand the process by which rare elements are created, and may shed light on other elements near tellurium that could be present.
The discovery reveals insights into how the layers of Jupiter's atmosphere interact with each other and how the planet's fast rotation affects the wind patterns. The research team analyzed data from Webb's NIRCam to track the jet stream, which is located around 25 miles above the clouds in Jupiter's lower stratosphere.
Astronomers using James Webb Space Telescope data have identified carbon dioxide on Europa's icy surface, supporting the idea that it originated in the subsurface ocean. The discovery provides crucial insights into the potential habitability of Europa's ocean and may inform future missions like NASA’s Europa Clipper.
The James Webb Space Telescope has refined measurements of the Hubble constant using Cepheid variables. The observations provide new insights into the universe's expansion rate and its implications for the cosmos.
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18 b, an exoplanet with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and potential for a water ocean surface. The findings support the hypothesis that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, making it a promising environment to search for life.
Astronomers using NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory discovered a black hole repeatedly nibbling on a Sun-like star in a distant galaxy. The object was detected using a new method for analyzing data from the satellite's X-ray Telescope, enabling it to adapt to new areas of astrophysics.
Astronomers have discovered a surprising link between Neptune's cloud abundance and the 11-year solar cycle. The study found that two years after the solar cycle's peak, clouds on Neptune increase in number. The team believes UV radiation from the Sun may be triggering photochemical reactions that produce clouds.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a new image of the 'El Gordo' galaxy cluster, revealing dusty objects and distorted background galaxies. Gravitational lensing provides a unique window into the distant universe, allowing scientists to study star formation history and assembly of galaxies.
The Hubble Space Telescope has observed extreme variability in the atmosphere of an exoplanet orbiting a young red dwarf star. The planet, AU Mic b, experiences unpredictable blasts of energy that evaporate its hydrogen atmosphere, but with varying success.
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected water vapor in the inner disk of PDS 70, a star with both an inner and outer disk of gas and dust. This discovery suggests that rocky planets may form with water available to them from the beginning.
A new study by NASA and Japan's Osaka University suggests that rogue planets, drifting through space without a star, may outnumber stars with orbiting worlds. The Roman Space Telescope could discover up to 400 Earth-mass rogue planets, according to the findings.
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the most distant active supermassive black hole to date in galaxy CEERS 1019, which existed 570 million years after the big bang. This smaller black hole is less massive than previously detected behemoths and provides insight into the early universe's formation.
Researchers use Webb to detect large amounts of dust within supernova ejecta, supporting the theory that supernovae supply dust to the early universe. The study reveals over 5,000 Earth masses of dust in one supernova, rivaling previous measurements and suggesting dust can survive internal shocks.
Astronomers have discovered the earliest strands of the cosmic web, comprising 10 galaxies that existed just 830 million years after the big bang. The 3 million light-year-long structure is anchored by a luminous quasar, with team members believing it will eventually evolve into a massive cluster.
A team of international scientists has detected methyl cation, a crucial carbon compound, in a young star system using the James Webb Space Telescope. The discovery confirms the importance of CH3+ in interstellar chemistry and suggests that UV radiation may play a critical role in the early chemical stages of life.
The study finds that TRAPPIST-1 c has a extremely thin atmosphere, if it exists at all. The planet's dayside temperature is the coolest ever characterized, suggesting it may be a bare rock with no atmosphere.
New data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows that galaxies' stars emitted enough light to heat and ionize the gas around them, clearing our collective view over hundreds of millions of years. The research team identified galaxies near quasars and found that they are generally surrounded by transparent regions about 2 million l...
Astronomers have detected a surprisingly large water vapor plume spanning over 6,000 miles from Saturn's moon Enceladus using the James Webb Space Telescope. The plume extends far beyond its release region at the southern pole and feeds the torus of Saturn's outermost ring, with 30% of the water staying within it.
A team of astrophysicists and citizen scientists have identified three potentially habitable exoplanets discovered during NASA's Kepler space telescope's final days of operation. The planets, including K2-416 b and K2-417 b, are between the size of Earth and Neptune and orbit their stars closely.
Astronomers using Hubble have found evidence for an intermediate-mass black hole in the globular star cluster Messier 4, weighing approximately 800 solar masses. The discovery uses precise measurements of stellar motion to rule out alternative theories and suggests a single, compact black hole at the center.
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-size exoplanet, LP 791-18 d, that may be covered in volcanoes. The planet's high volcanic activity could sustain an atmosphere and potentially support liquid water on its night side.
The telescope has imaged three nested belts extending up to 14 billion miles from the star, with inner belts revealed for the first time. The discovery provides insights into the structure of exoplanetary systems and the formation of planets.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a second shadow sweeping across the face of TW Hydrae's vast pancake-shaped gas-and-dust disk, suggesting the presence of two planets in slightly different orbital planes. The disks are likely proxies for these planets, which could be lapping each other as they whirl around the star.
A new study published in the journal Life suggests that solar particles may have formed amino acids and carboxylic acids, the basic building blocks of proteins and organic life, through chemical reactions in Earth's early atmosphere. The experiments replicate the Miller-Urey experiment, but with a focus on solar particles instead of li...
NASA solar observatories have discovered that asteroid Phaethon's comet-like tail is not composed of dust, but rather sodium gas. The findings contradict previous theories and suggest a new explanation for Phaethon's behavior, which is the source of the annual Geminid meteor shower.
Astronomers have confirmed a protocluster of seven galaxies at a distance of 650 million years after the Big Bang, which will grow into a massive galaxy cluster resembling the Coma Cluster. The James Webb Space Telescope's spectrographic data revealed high velocities and dark matter halo characteristics.
Astronomers use the Hubble Space Telescope and Keck Observatory to measure the 3D shape of galaxy M87, revealing a 'potato-shaped' triaxial form. The team also determines the mass of the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's core, estimating it at 5.4 billion solar masses.
Astronomers have discovered a massive, runaway black hole that has left behind a never-before-seen trail of newborn stars. The black hole, weighing as much as 20 million Suns, is plowing into gas to trigger new star formation along a narrow corridor.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a pair of gravitationally bound quasars inside two merging galaxies when the universe was just 3 billion years old. The finding provides insights into early galaxy mergers and supermassive black holes.
Astronomers have found that Saturn's vast ring system is heating the giant planet's upper atmosphere, a phenomenon that could provide insights into the atmospheres of distant worlds. The discovery was made using archival ultraviolet-light observations from four space missions, including Hubble and Cassini.
Astronomers analyzed data from numerous spacecraft and observatories to characterize the brightness of a gamma-ray burst detected on October 9, 2022. The burst, known as BOAT, was found to be 70 times brighter than any previously seen, occurring once in every 10,000 years.
The James Webb Space Telescope detected the thermal emission of TRAPPIST-1 b, indicating a temperature of about 500 kelvins and no substantial atmosphere. This finding marks an important step in determining habitability around small, active stars like TRAPPIST-1.
Researchers have pinpointed silicate cloud features and detected water, methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of VHS 1256 b. The team's findings provide the largest number of molecules identified all at once on a planet outside our solar system.