Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Is the universe twisted? A new check on a possible twist in the universe’s oldest light

Researchers developed a method to test cosmic uncertainty in the universe's oldest light, which could provide evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. The team compared maps from different detectors to establish the calibration pattern, finding consistency with existing analysis.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateSep 24, 2026

How supermassive black holes feed themselves

A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe gaseous filaments connecting a galaxy's hot atmosphere to its central supermassive black hole. The observations showed that gas flowed along these filaments and poured into a spinning disk, which feeds the SMBH.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 14, 2026

From dusk till dawn

Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to measure how star light absorption changes as WASP-121 b rotates, probing its atmosphere longitude by longitude. The data indicate that hot winds heat the evening terminator region, causing it to absorb more stellar radiation and expand.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Astronomy·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeObservational study·DateJun 10, 2026

Japan delivers its sharpest X-ray telescope for the FOXSI mission, a US-Japan rocket program to observe the sun

Scientists in Japan developed a high-resolution X-ray telescope using precision mirror-making technology, capable of distinguishing objects 3.5 mm wide from 1 km away. The telescope was tested on the ground using a unique evaluation system before launch on the FOXSI sounding rocket mission.

SourceNagoya University·JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 7, 2026

Development history of the universe is being rewritten based on a bachelor’s project from NBI

A team of researchers has observed a massive galaxy cluster that challenges existing models of the universe's evolution. The cluster's unusual structure and high density of cold, neutral hydrogen gas suggest a different history than previously thought. This discovery raises questions about the fate of large structures in the universe.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJan 9, 2026

Ultra-hot lava world has thick atmosphere, upending expectations

A team of astronomers used NASA's JWST to reveal an alien atmosphere in the ancient, ultra-hot super-Earth TOI-561 b. The planet's thick atmosphere is upending conventional wisdom about ultra-short-period planets, and its composition could be representative of planets that formed when the universe was relatively young.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateDec 11, 2025

Scientists get a first look at the innermost region of a white dwarf system

Researchers used NASA's IXPE telescope to study the innermost region of an intermediate polar, revealing a surprisingly high degree of X-ray polarization and an unexpected direction of polarization. The team found that X-rays were emitted from a column of white-hot material pulled in by the white dwarf's strong magnetic field.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateNov 20, 2025

Successful ground-to-satellite laser communications applying next-generation error correction codes, mitigating atmospheric turbulence

Researchers have successfully demonstrated next-generation error correction codes to mitigate the impact of atmospheric turbulence on ground-to-satellite laser communications. The new codes significantly improved communication quality compared to conventional schemes, enabling practical implementation of ground-to-satellite laser links.

Discovery of a brown dwarf orbiting a red dwarf through the synergy of ground- and space-based observatories

A brown dwarf companion, J1446B, has been found orbiting a nearby M dwarf star, LSPM J1446+4633. The discovery uses a synergy of ground- and space-based observatories, including Subaru's IRD instrument and the Gaia mission, to determine the dynamical mass and orbital parameters of the brown dwarf with unprecedented accuracy.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astronomical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateOct 21, 2025

If aliens explore space like us, we should look for their calls to other planets

Researchers at Penn State and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory analyzed human deep space communications to determine the most likely places to detect signals from an extraterrestrial intelligence. They found that transmissions to deep space, including spacecraft near Mars, are more detectable than those intended for low-Earth orbit.

SourcePenn State·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 21, 2025

Cosmic signal from the very early universe will help astronomers detect the first stars

A team of researchers has discovered that a specific radio signal can reveal the masses of the earliest stars, crucial for understanding the Cosmic Dawn. The study utilizes the 21-centimetre signal, created by hydrogen atoms filling gaps between star-forming regions, to inform predictions about future radio telescopes like REACH and SKA.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJun 20, 2025

Biggest boom since Big Bang: Hawaiʻi astronomers uncover most energetic explosions in universe

Astronomers have discovered the most energetic cosmic explosions yet discovered, named 'extreme nuclear transients' (ENTs), which occur when massive stars are torn apart after wandering too close to a supermassive black hole. ENTs release vast amounts of energy visible across enormous distances and remain luminous for years.

SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalScience Advances·TypeObservational study·DateJun 4, 2025

SwRI scientists contribute to uncovering ongoing surface modification on Jupiter’s moon Europa

New data from the James Webb Space Telescope suggests that Europa's icy surface is constantly changing due to interactions with charged particles. Laboratory experiments also found evidence of crystalline ice beneath the amorphous ice layer, indicating a possible liquid ocean beneath the surface.

SourceSouthwest Research Institute·JournalThe Planetary Science Journal·TypeObservational study·DateMay 28, 2025

UCF scientists use James Webb Space Telescope to better understand solar system’s origins

Researchers analyzed Trans-Neptunian Objects using the James Webb Space Telescope, finding two distinct groups with varying surface ice methanol presence. The discovery sheds light on the formation and evolution of these distant icy worlds, revealing insights into the solar system's origins and potentially habitable exoplanets.

SourceUniversity of Central Florida·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateApr 23, 2025

Turning down starlight to spot new exoplanets

Researchers develop a new coronagraph that can detect exoplanets obscured by light from their parent stars, providing insights into the possibility of life beyond Earth. The device uses spatial mode sorters to isolate and eliminate starlight, capturing images of exoplanets with unprecedented sensitivity.

SourceOptica·JournalOptica·DateApr 18, 2025

From boring to bursting: a giant black hole awakens

A distant galaxy's black hole has suddenly activated, producing rare and intense X-ray light bursts. The phenomenon, known as a quasiperiodic eruption, challenges existing models of black hole behavior and offers an unprecedented opportunity for astronomers to study the energetic events powering these cosmic monsters.

SourceEuropean Space Agency·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 11, 2025

'Hidden galaxies' could be smoking gun in universe riddle

Researchers have found evidence of a new population of faint galaxies hidden in the far-infrared sky, which could break current models of galaxy numbers and evolution. The discovery was made using data from the Herschel Space Observatory, which revealed a deeper image of the universe than ever before.

SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeObservational study·DateApr 9, 2025

Webb telescope captures its first direct images of carbon dioxide outside solar system

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct images of carbon dioxide in a planet outside the solar system. The observations suggest that four giant planets formed like Jupiter and Saturn by slowly building solid cores, providing strong evidence for core accretion as their formation model.

SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateMar 17, 2025

Deep dive into space turns up new Spitzer bubbles

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University used a deep learning model to discover new bubble-like structures in the Milky Way galaxy, providing insights into star formation and galaxy evolution. The study also revealed shell-like structures formed by supernova explosions.

SourceOsaka Metropolitan University·JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Japan·TypeObservational study·DateMar 17, 2025