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SN 2014J. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Y. Yang, Texas A&M University & Weizmann Institute of Science.

Hubble Captures Distant Supernova’s Light Echoes

Nov 10, 2017 by Enrico de Lazaro

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has observed an extremely rare cosmic phenomenon, called a ‘light echo,’ in Messier 82, a star-forming galaxy located...

When Comet 96P/Machholz appeared in SOHO’s view in 2012, astronomers discovered two tiny comet fragments some distance ahead of the main body, signaling the comet was actively changing. This time around they have detected a third fragment -- another breadcrumb in the trail that indicates 96P/Machholz is still evolving. Image credit: ESA / NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / SOHO / Steele Hill.

ESA and NASA Solar Observatories Snap Sungrazing Comet

Nov 9, 2017 by News Staff

The NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and NASA’s Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) have captured amazing photos of...

Artist’s impression of a Type II supernova. Image credit: NASA / ESA / G. Bacon, STSci.

Supernova Discovery Challenges Theories of How Certain Stars End Their Lives

Nov 9, 2017 by News Staff

An international team of astronomers led by Las Cumbres Observatory has found a remarkable object in a nearby galaxy: a star that exploded multiple times...

Color composite image of HATLAS J090045.4+004125 (also known as G09 83808): the blue channel represents data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the red channel the data collected by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Image credit: Zavala et al, doi: 10.1038/s41550-017-0297-8.

Astronomers Find One of Universe’s Earliest Galaxies

Nov 7, 2017 by News Staff

Astronomers have spotted the second most distant dusty, starburst galaxy ever found in the Universe. The find is reported this week in the journal Nature...

The starburst galaxy NGC 253 and the radio spectra obtained with ALMA. Image credit: ESO / J. Emerson / VISTA / ALMA / NAOJ / NRAO / Ando et al / Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit.

ALMA Spots Huge ‘Molecular Reservoir’ in Nearby Starburst Galaxy NGC 253

Nov 7, 2017 by News Staff

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have found eight molecular clouds in the heart of NGC 253, an active starburst...

The spiral galaxy A1689B11 sits behind the massive galaxy cluster Abell 1689 that acts as a lens, producing two magnified images of the spiral galaxy in different positions in the sky. Image credit: James Josephides.

Astronomers Discover Most Ancient Spiral Galaxy

Nov 6, 2017 by News Staff

Using data from the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) on the Gemini North telescope in Hawai’i, astronomers have identified what they...

This image, taken with ACS and WFC3 cameras on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the massive galaxy cluster Abell 1300. Seven filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble.

Hubble Spots Massive Galaxy Cluster: Abell 1300

Nov 6, 2017 by News Staff

NASA has released a stunning image snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope of the galaxy cluster Abell 1300. This image, taken with ACS and WFC3 cameras...

This artist’s impression shows how the newly-discovered dust belts around Proxima Centauri may look. This sketch is not to scale -- to make Proxima b clearly visible it has been shown further from the star and larger than it is in reality. Image credit: M. Kornmesser / ESO.

Astronomers Find Two Dust Belts around Proxima Centauri

Nov 5, 2017 by News Staff

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have detected dust belts around Proxima Centauri, the star closest to our Sun....

Chakrabarti et al identify an overlooked region that may prove to be rife with orbiting black holes and the origin of gravitational-wave chirps heard by the two Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors in the United States and the Virgo detector in Italy. This Hubble image shows the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble Heritage Team / STScI / AURA / P. Knezek, WIYN.

Merging Black Hole Binaries Might Lurk in Outskirts of Huge Spiral Galaxies

Nov 1, 2017 by News Staff

Conditions favorable for mergers of massive black holes exist in the outer gas disks of massive spiral galaxies, according to a study led by Rochester...

Artist’s impression of the cool red star NGTS-1 above the hot-Jupiter NGTS-1b. Image credit: Mark Garlick, University of Warwick.

Discovery of Hot-Jupiter NGTS-1b Challenges Planet Formation Theories

Nov 1, 2017 by News Staff

Dr. Daniel Bayliss, an astronomer at the University of Warwick, and colleagues has discovered a giant gaseous planet orbiting a small M-dwarf star 600...

This image combines an image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in the optical and observations of the Jovian aurora in the ultraviolet. Image credit: NASA / ESA.

Jupiter’s Northern and Southern X-Ray Auroras Pulse Independently

Oct 31, 2017 by News Staff

High-energy X-ray emissions at Jupiter’s south pole consistently pulse every 11 minutes; meanwhile those at the gas giant’s north pole are erratic:...

Using a combination of the Biblical text and an ancient Egyptian text, Professor Humphreys and Dr. Graeme Waddington were able to refine the dates of the Egyptian pharaohs. Image credit: Pete Linforth.

Annular Solar Eclipse of 1207 BC Helps Date Egyptian Pharaohs

Oct 30, 2017 by News Staff

In a paper published on October 1 in the journal Astronomy & Geophysics, independent scholar and astrophysicist Graeme Waddington and University of...

This Hubble image shows the gigantic galaxy cluster Abell 665. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble.

Hubble Space Telescope Sees Rich Galaxy Cluster

Oct 30, 2017 by News Staff

A new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows Abell 665, one of the richest galaxy clusters known. This Hubble image shows the gigantic galaxy...

A/2017 U1 (center). Image credit: Paulo Holvorcem & Michael Schwartz, Tenagra Observatories.

Astronomers Spot Interstellar Object in Our Solar System: A/2017 U1

Oct 29, 2017 by News Staff

For the first time, astronomers think they’ve spotted an asteroid (or perhaps a comet) in the Solar System that came from interstellar space. A/2017...

This illustration shows Kepler-13Ab that circles very close to its host star, Kepler-13A. In the background is the star’s binary companion, Kepler-13B, and the third member of the multiple-star system is the orange dwarf star Kepler-13C. Image credit: NASA / ESA / G. Bacon, STScI.

Hubble Discovers Titanium Dioxide Snow Falling on Hot Jupiter Kepler-13Ab

Oct 28, 2017 by News Staff

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has found a blistering hot-Jupiter exoplanet where it ‘snows’ titanium dioxide, the active ingredient in sunscreen....

Artist’s impression of the comet passing a distant star. Image credit: Danielle Futselaar.

Short-Period Exocomets Found around Distant Young Star

Oct 27, 2017 by News Staff

A team of professional and amateur astronomers using data from NASA’s Kepler mission has spotted the dusty tails of six exocomets orbiting KIC 3542116,...

This Hubble image shows the massive galaxy cluster Abell S1063. Image credit: NASA / ESA / J. Lotz, STScI.

Hubble Detects Wobbling Galaxies within Massive Galaxy Clusters

Oct 26, 2017 by News Staff

Galaxy clusters are among the most massive structures in the Universe. Every galaxy cluster contains a galaxy that is brighter than the other members,...

Countless galaxies vie for attention in this VST image of the Fornax Cluster (also known as ACO S 373 and MCL 52), some appearing only as pinpricks of light while others dominate the foreground. One of these is the lenticular galaxy NGC 1316. Image credit: A. Grado & L. Limatola, ESO.

ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope Captures Best View Ever of Fornax Cluster

Oct 25, 2017 by News Staff

One of the largest and most detailed images of the Fornax Cluster ever created has been released by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Countless...

Artist’s impression of Zeta Puppis, an O-type star approximately 1,400 light-years away in the constellation Puppis. Image credit: Tahina Ramiaramanantsoa.

Huge Bright Spots on Supergiant Star Zeta Puppis Drive Spirals in Its Extremely Strong Stellar Wind

Oct 24, 2017 by News Staff

Zeta Puppis, also known as Naos, is a blue supergiant star, one of the most luminous stars in our Milky Way Galaxy. It is about 60 times more massive than...