Articles tagged with Space Telescopes
Astronomers have discovered a key ingredient within the Phoenix cluster that explains its mysterious starburst, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to observe the cluster. The detection of warm gas confirms that the Phoenix cluster is actively cooling and able to generate a huge amount of stellar fuel on its own.
Adam Leroy, a professor of astronomy at Ohio State University, has been recognized with the 2025 Henry Draper Medal for his groundbreaking work on the interstellar medium and its relationship to star formation in nearby galaxies. His research has provided unprecedented detail on the physical nature of this material, advancing our under...
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a panoramic view of the Andromeda Galaxy, unveiling hundreds of millions of stars and providing new clues to its evolutionary history. The galaxy's unique structural features, such as coherent streams of stars, suggest a more active recent star formation and interaction history than the Milky Way.
The completion of NASA's Pandora spacecraft bus brings the exoplanet mission one step closer to launch, set to study at least 20 planets' atmospheres for hazes, clouds, and water. The mission will utilize a novel telescope design to capture stellar surfaces and cleanly separate star and planetary signals.
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.
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.
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.
Experts propose an 18th SDG to protect Earth's orbit from accumulating debris, citing the need for global consensus and mechanisms for enforcement. The proposal builds on earlier calls for a legally-binding treaty to safeguard the planet's orbital environment.
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.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyze trans-Neptunian objects, revealing a clearer picture of how the outer solar system formed and evolved. The study found three distinct compositional groups among TNOs, shaped by ice retention lines that existed in the era when the solar syste...
Researchers discover surface chemistry unlike other centaurs on Chiron, with carbon dioxide and methane gases in its coma. The findings provide insight into the creation of our Solar System's origins and the unique processes producing Chiron's surface composition.
Astronomers detect a massive black hole in the early universe that is lying dormant due to low accretion rates, sparking debate about its formation and growth. The discovery challenges standard models of black hole development and suggests that these monsters may be born big or go through periods of hyperactivity.
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.
A new study reveals that sun-like stars experience superflares approximately once per century, releasing massive amounts of energy in short periods. This finding suggests that the Sun's long-term behavior may be more frequent than previously thought, with implications for forecasting dangerous space weather.
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 detection method has been used to identify over 100 small asteroids in the main asteroid belt, ranging from bus-sized to stadium-wide. This breakthrough could aid in tracking potential asteroid impactors and provide insights into meteorite origins.
The new Webb Space Telescope study confirms Hubble's expansion rate measurements, offering a crucial cross-check to address the mismatch in measurements. The discrepancy remains unexplained even by the best cosmology models, suggesting that our understanding of the universe may be incomplete.
A team of researchers has designed a servicing plan for future space observatories, inspired by current missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Gaia. The plan aims to address the enormous challenges of implementing serviceability in modern space telescopes, including distance and delicate structures.
Astronomers have discovered a fourth planet in the unusual Kepler-51 system, which consists of three ultra-low density 'super-puff' planets. The new planet, Kepler-51e, has a mass similar to the other three and follows a circular orbit of approximately 264 days.
The final data release from NASA's NEOWISE mission encompasses over 26 million images and nearly 200 billion sources detected by the telescope. The new images showcase the full-sky coverage of the survey, revealing previously unseen regions of cosmic dust where stars are born.
A nearby supernova explosion could produce gamma rays that pinpoint the mass of a key dark matter candidate, the axion. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope would need to be in position to detect these gamma rays within 10 seconds of the supernova's core collapse.
The discovery provides a unique way to investigate the extreme phase of stellar evolution, bridging the gap between the earliest and final stages of binary star systems. This breakthrough could help explain cosmic events like supernova explosions and gravitational waves.
Researchers discovered a class of unusually large and red galaxies, called Ultra-red Flattened Objects (UFOs), near the limit of Hubble's observable range. The James Webb Space Telescope's infrared capabilities allowed them to spot these 'dustier cousins' of the Milky Way.
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.
An international team discovered three ultra-massive galaxies, each nearly as massive as the Milky Way, forming at unexpected speeds. The findings indicate that star formation in the early Universe was more efficient than previously thought, posing a challenge to existing galaxy formation models.
Astronomers at Case Western Reserve University have questioned the long-held standard model for galaxy formation, instead suggesting that modified gravity theories may be responsible. The James Webb Space Telescope's data suggests large and bright galaxies formed rapidly, contradicting predictions of dark matter's role.
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.
Researchers from DTU have discovered a neutron star that rotates at an astonishing 716 times per second, making it one of the fastest-spinning objects ever observed. The neutron star is part of an X-ray binary star system and is located in the Sagittarius constellation.
A new study using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the presence of proplyds around brown dwarfs in the Orion Nebula. The team discovered 20 cool objects that are too small and cool to undergo hydrogen fusion, with two faint proplyds detected by Hubble previously.
Astronomers have studied the last unexplained historical supernova from 1181 AD, known as SN 1181, in detail. The team discovered a 'zombie star' at its center and dandelion-shaped filaments emanating from it.
Astronomers have observed a black hole triple system for the first time, featuring a central black hole consuming a star and a distant companion that orbits every 70,000 years. The discovery raises questions about the origins of the black hole itself.
The team observed an 'inside-out' growing galaxy in the early universe using the James Webb Space Telescope. This type of growth had been predicted by theoretical models but was never directly observed until now. The research found that the star formation activity is rising towards the outskirts, indicating a rapid growth rate.
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.
A team of astronomers discovered new insights into the forces that shape protoplanetary disks using the James Webb Space Telescope. They traced disk winds in unprecedented detail, revealing an intricate structure and a pronounced central hole inside each cone-shaped envelope of winds.
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 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.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team has detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Charon's surface, revealing insights into the moon's geological processes and formation. The presence of these substances suggests that Charon's surface is altered by solar ultraviolet light and energetic particles.
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.
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.
Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to confirm that supermassive black holes can stop their host galaxies from forming new stars. The team observed a massive galaxy 'Pablo's Galaxy' in the early universe, finding that its supermassive black hole is expelling gas at high speeds, starving the galaxy of fuel.
Astronomers have discovered a massive exoplanet, the Super-Jupiter, orbiting its parent star every 14 years. The planet has a mass eleven times that of Jupiter and is located six astronomical units away from its star.
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).
Drs Johanna Vos aims to better understand weather patterns on extrasolar worlds using the James Webb Space Telescope. Her Exo-PEA project will reveal dominant atmospheric processes governing giant world weather, expanding our understanding of planetary atmospheres.
The James Webb Space Telescope has identified six likely rogue worlds, including the lightest ever found with a dusty disk around it. These objects offer insights into how stars and planets form, suggesting that gas giants can form in disks around young stars.
Researchers led by Katherine Chworowsky found that early galaxies were not as massive as initially thought due to black holes' influence. The study suggests that these black holes consume gas, emitting heat and light that makes the galaxies appear brighter than they really are.
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.
A team of astrophysicists developed a model to predict the brightening and dimming of AT2018fyk, a repeating partial TDE. The model accurately forecasted the source's dimming in August 2023, confirming its accuracy.
The Ariel Data Challenge 2024 aims to extract faint exoplanetary signals from noisy space telescope observations, with a focus on overcoming noise sources like 'jitter noise'. The competition offers a unique chance for data scientists and AI enthusiasts to contribute to cutting-edge research in exoplanet atmospheres.
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.
Astronomers have imaged the coldest exoplanet ever detected using JWST, which agrees with models of planet evolution and solar system ages. The exoplanet orbits a super-Jupiter in the Epsilon Indi triple star system and has a mass six times that of Jupiter.
Researchers found an intermediate-mass black hole in star cluster IRS 13 near SgrA*, suggesting it could be a 'seed' for the central supermassive black hole. The discovery provides insights into the galaxy's evolution and the formation of intermediate-mass black holes.
The European Space Agency's PLATO mission aims to find nearby potentially habitable worlds around Sun-like stars. The space telescope will blast into orbit in December 2026 and study the stars using a range of techniques, including asteroseismology, to work out their masses, radii, and ages.
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.
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed intricate patterns of shells, holes, and filaments in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, providing insights into molecular formation and destruction processes. CO molecules are critical indicators of cooling and chemical processes that lead to dust condensation.
Researchers detected distinct 'morning' and 'evening' sides on the exoplanet WASP-39b using James Webb Space Telescope data. The study found that the morning side was significantly cooler (600°C) compared to the evening side (800°C), with cloudier conditions also prevalent in the morning.
Researchers at the University of Utah and Max Planck Institute have discovered an intermediate-mass black hole in the Omega Centauri cluster, providing crucial evidence for a long-theorized class of black holes. The discovery offers insights into galaxy evolution and the formation history of globular clusters.
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.
Astronomers have observed five young massive star clusters in the Cosmic Gems arc galaxy for the first time, revealing details about infant galaxies and globular cluster formation. The study uses gravitational lensing to resolve small scales in the distant galaxy, providing a unique window into the early Universe.