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Texas tech researcher part of team that finds planet in new way

A team of researchers, including Michael Fausnaugh from Texas Tech University, have identified a new planet using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. The planet, Gaia23bra b, is a super Jupiter orbiting far from its host star and offers insight into the detection methods used in astronomy.

SourceTexas Tech University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateJul 1, 2026

'Most massive black hole ever discovered' is detected

Researchers have discovered a potentially massive black hole, 36 billion solar masses, in the Cosmic Horseshoe galaxy. The discovery was made using a combination of gravitational lensing and stellar kinematics, allowing for more certainty about the mass of this black hole than previous measurements.

SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeObservational study·DateAug 7, 2025

Does the universe behave the same way everywhere? Gravitational lenses could help us find out

Researchers propose a new methodology to test the Universe's isotropy using Euclid space telescope data, aiming to detect potential anisotropies that challenge the Standard Model of Cosmology. If confirmed, these findings would open a new chapter in cosmology, potentially revising our understanding of the Universe's behavior.

SourceSissa Medialab·JournalJournal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 11, 2025

The James Webb Space Telescope reveals the central role of low-mass galaxies in the reionization process of the Universe

A new study using JWST data shows that small galaxies played a major role in cosmic reionization, outnumbering massive galaxies by a factor of 100. These findings contradict current theories and suggest that low-mass galaxies were responsible for the ionizing photons required for reionization.

SourceBen-Gurion University of the Negev·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 28, 2024

Astronomers detect an extremely red supermassive black hole in the early universe growing in the shadows

A team of astronomers has detected a gravitationally lensed supermassive black hole in the early universe, which was found to be significantly more massive than its host galaxy. The discovery, made using images from the James Webb Space Telescope, revealed the black hole's unique red color and confirmed it as a supermassive black hole.

SourceBen-Gurion University of the Negev·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 26, 2024

Researchers find gravitational lensing has significant effect on cosmic birefringence

New study finds that neglecting gravitational lensing in CMB polarization analysis leads to statistically rejected theories and biased model parameters. Researchers develop tool for correcting gravitational lensing effects, paving way for future missions to reveal nature of dark matter and dark energy.

Astronomers discover new link between dark matter and clumpiness of the universe

Researchers at the University of Toronto have made a breakthrough in understanding dark matter and its impact on the universe's large-scale structure. By analyzing cosmic microwave background data and galaxy clustering patterns, they suggest that ultra-light axion particles could account for the observed lack of clumpiness.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalJournal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 14, 2023

Webb Space Telescope detects universe’s most distant complex organic molecules

Researchers have detected complex organic molecules in a galaxy more than 12 billion light-years away from Earth. The study used the James Webb Space Telescope and gravitational lensing to observe the galaxy's atomic and molecular composition, revealing insights into the formation of galaxies, their lifecycle, and how they evolve.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateJun 5, 2023

Curved spacetime in a quantum simulator

Researchers have developed a quantum simulator to study curved spacetime, demonstrating phenomena such as gravitational lensing effects in atomic clouds. This new tool provides a deeper understanding of the connection between relativity and quantum theory.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 17, 2023

Dark order in the universe

A team of scientists from Kyoto University has confirmed that galaxy alignments can be a powerful probe for dark matter and dark energy. The analysis of 1.2 million galaxy observations verified general theory of relativity at vast spatial scales, providing strong evidence for gravity's role in shaping the universe.

SourceKyoto University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 13, 2023

Astronomers capture radio signal from distant galaxy

Researchers detect radio signal from record-breaking distance galaxy, measuring gas composition and gaining insights into the early universe. The signal was amplified by a factor of 30 using gravitational lensing, allowing scientists to study a previously inaccessible region.

SourceMcGill University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 16, 2023

Revealed: oldest star clusters in the universe

A team of astronomers used the James Webb Telescope to identify five ancient globular clusters, potentially containing the first and oldest stars in the universe. The clusters were formed close to the Big Bang, offering insights into star formation and galaxy evolution.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateNov 2, 2022

Astrophysics team lights the way for more accurate model of the universe

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a self-calibration method to remove contamination from gravitational lensing signals, allowing for more accurate measurements of key cosmological parameters. This breakthrough has significant implications for understanding dark energy and the structure of the universe.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Dallas·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateOct 19, 2020

Massive neutrinos solve a cosmological conundrum

Scientists have combined Planck spacecraft and gravitational lensing observations to accurately measure the mass of ghostly sub-atomic particles called neutrinos for the first time. The team finds that massive neutrinos can explain the discrepancies between cosmological results and observations of large-scale structures in the Universe.

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 10, 2014

Where mathematics and astrophysics meet

Mathematicians Dmitry Khavinson and Genevra Neumann describe how their work on the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra led them to questions in astrophysics, specifically gravitational lensing. Their result resolves a conjecture of Sun Hong Rhie, establishing that the number of zeros of certain rational harmonic functions is 5n - 5.

SourceAmerican Mathematical Society·JournalNotices of the American Mathematical Society·DateJun 5, 2008

It is no mirage!

Astronomers found a trio of supermassive black holes in the Virgo constellation, 10.5 billion light-years away, with same redshift and distinct properties, raising questions about galaxy interactions and fundamental relationships between galaxies and black holes.

SourceESO·DateJan 8, 2007

Substructure maps show that dark matter clumps in galaxies

A Yale astronomer and her colleagues used gravitational lensing techniques to create a spatial map demonstrating the clumped substructure of dark matter inside galaxy clusters. The study found an excellent agreement between observations and theoretical predictions, supporting the concordance model.

SourceYale University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 6, 2005