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SN 2023ixf (lower left) exploded in one of the spiral arms of Messier 101. Image credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / J. Miller, Gemini Observatory & NSF’s NOIRLab / M. Rodriguez, Gemini Observatory & NSF’s NOIRLab / M. Zamani, NSF’s NOIRLab / T.A. Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage & NSF’s NOIRLab / D. de Martin, NSF’s NOIRLab.

Gemini North Telescope Observes Supernova Explosion in Messier 101

Jun 9, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

A supernova dubbed SN 2023ixf was discovered on May 19, 2023 by the Japanese astronomer Koichi Itagaki. SN 2023ixf (lower left) exploded in one of the...

The very massive first-generation stars with a mass range from 140 to 260 solar masses are predicted to enrich the early interstellar medium through pair-instability supernovae; decades of observational efforts, however, have not been able to uniquely identify the imprints of such very massive stars on the most metal-poor stars in the Milky Way. Image credit: NAOC.

Galactic Halo Star’s Chemical Signature Indicates Existence of Very Massive Stars in Early Universe

Jun 7, 2023 by News Staff

Early Universe’s stars had up to several hundred solar masses. The earliest stars of 140-260 solar masses became pair-instability supernovae (PISNe)....

The hyperluminous star-forming galaxy GN-z11 hosts an accreting black hole. Image credit: NASA / ESA / P. Oesch, Yale University / G. Brammer, STScI / P. van Dokkum, Yale University / G. Illingworth, University of California, Santa Cruz / Sci.News.

Webb Detects Small and Vigorous Black Hole in Early Universe

Jun 6, 2023 by Sergio Prostak

The newly-discovered black hole resides in the hyperluminous galaxy GN-z11 at a redshift of 11 and could have originated from a stellar mass seed at redshifts...

In this image of NGC 5068, from Webb’s MIRI instrument, the dusty structure of the spiral galaxy and glowing bubbles of gas containing newly-formed star clusters are particularly prominent. Three asteroid trails intrude into this image, represented as tiny blue-green-red dots. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / J. Lee / PHANGS-JWST Team.

Webb Observes Hidden Depths of NGC 5068

Jun 6, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have captured stunning images of the face-on barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068. In this image...

In this false-color Webb image, the foreground galaxy is shown in blue, while the SPT0418-47 galaxy is red; the organic molecules are highlighted in orange. Image credit: J. Spilker / S. Doyle / NASA / ESA / CSA.

Webb Finds Complex Organic Molecules in Early Universe

Jun 5, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in SPT-S J041839-4751.9 (SPT0418-47 for short),...

Color-coded position angles for all short and long radio filaments identified in the center of the Milky Way. Image credit: Yusef-Zadeh et al., doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/acd54b.

MeerKAT Finds Hundreds of Horizontal Filaments in Milky Way’s Center

Jun 5, 2023 by News Staff

These mysterious structures likely originated a few million years ago when an outflow from Sagittarius A* — a supermassive black hole in the center...

An artist’s rendition of a giant star in orbit around a low-mass black hole. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

All Large Objects in Universe Will Eventually Evaporate, Astrophysicists Say

Jun 5, 2023 by News Staff

According to quantum mechanics, a vacuum state is populated by virtual particle pairs undergoing spontaneous creation and annihilation processes. These...

In this Hubble image, the disk of the jellyfish galaxy JO206 is trailed by long tendrils of bright star formation that stretch towards the bottom right of the image, just as jellyfish trail tentacles behind them. The color image was made from separate exposures taken in the visible, ultraviolet and near-infrared regions of the spectrum with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). The image is based on data obtained through six filters. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Gullieuszik / GASP Team.

Hubble Space Telescope Spots Jellyfish Galaxy in Aquarius

Jun 5, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

The Hubble astronomers have released an absolutely beautiful photo taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the jellyfish galaxy JO206. In this...

A projected image of the galaxy JD1 (inset), which is located behind the galaxy cluster Abell 2744. Image credit: Guido Roberts-Borsani, UCLA / NASA / ESA / CSA / Swinburne University of Technology / University of Pittsburgh / STScI.

Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxy Spotted Just 480 Million Years after Big Bang

Jun 3, 2023 by News Staff

Residing behind a galaxy supercluster called Abell 2744, the JD1 galaxy is gravitationally lensed and displays three images. A projected image of the galaxy...

Incha et al. found three new exoplanets in the K2 campaign 19 dataset. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / K. Walbolt.

K2 Mission Discovers Three New Massive Exoplanets

Jun 3, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

NASA’s Kepler space telescope was responsible for the discovery of over 2,700 confirmed extrasolar planets, more than half of the total number of exoplanets...

Radio SETI has focused on the discovery of narrowband signals and artificially dispersed broadband pulses from extraterrestrial worlds; in contrast to these technosignature morphologies, periodic spectral signals offer an energetically efficient means of transmission across vast interstellar distances; a rotating beacon at the Milky Way’s center is, in particular, advantageously placed for galaxy-wide communications. Image credit: Breakthrough Listen / Danielle Futselaar.

BLIPSS to Search for Periodic Spectral Signals from Alien Worlds in Milky Way’s Center

Jun 2, 2023 by News Staff

The Breakthrough Listen Investigation for Periodic Spectral Signals (BLIPSS) is a novel software architecture utilizing a fast folding algorithm to enable...

Images from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) show a water vapor plume jetting from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / G. Villanueva, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / A. Pagan, STScI.

Webb Observes Enceladus’ Water Vapor Plume

Jun 2, 2023 by News Staff

As Enceladus orbits rapidly around Saturn with a period of only 1.37 Earth days, the ejected water vapor is spread along and around its orbit, forming...

An artist’s impression of a jet emanating from NGC 4993. Image credit: J.A. Biretta et al / NASA / ESA / Hubble Heritage Team / STScI / AURA / Sci-News.com.

Astronomers Detect Variability in Extragalactic X-ray Jets

May 30, 2023 by News Staff

Astronomers discovered only relatively recently that black hole jets emit X-rays, and how the jets accelerate particles to this high-energy state is a...

This OmegaCAM/VST image shows a part of the Vela supernova remnant. Image credit: ESO / VPHAS+ Team / Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit.

OmegaCAM Sees Giant Filaments in Vela Supernova Remnant

May 30, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

The new image from the OmegaCAM instrument on ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope shows a spectacular part of the Vela supernova remnant. This OmegaCAM/VST image...

An artist’s impression of the Gliese 414 system. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Study: One-Third of Red Dwarf Exoplanets Could Be in Habitable Zone

May 29, 2023 by News Staff

A team of U.S. astronomers has discovered that two-thirds of the planets around M dwarfs (red dwarf stars) could be roasted by extreme tidal forces, sterilizing...

This Hubble image shows NGC 298, a spiral galaxy some 89 million light-years away in the constellation of Cetus. The color image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys in visible and near-infrared light. Two 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 / C. Kilpatrick.

Hubble Space Telescope Captures Image of Little-Known Spiral Galaxy

May 29, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have obtained a remarkable new view of the small spiral galaxy NGC 298. This Hubble image shows NGC...

An artist’s impression of the TOI-2096 planetary system. Image credit: Lionel J. Garcia / University of Liège.

Astronomers Discover Two Large Exoplanets around Nearby Red Dwarf

May 25, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and several ground-based telescopes, astronomers have discovered and validated a...

Vitral et al. suspect that an intermediate-mass black hole, weighing as much as 800 times the mass of our Sun, is lurking at the core of Messier 4. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / Sci.News.

Intermediate-Mass Black Hole May Be Lurking in Messier 4

May 25, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Messier 4 is a globular cluster full of ancient stars in the constellation of Scorpius, approximately 7,200 light-years away. Vitral et al. suspect that...

This composite image features four separate images that combine X-ray data from Chandra and infrared data from Webb, and some data from other telescopes like Hubble, Spitzer and XMM-Newton. Image credit: NASA / CXC / SAO / ESA / XMM-Newton / CSA / STScI / JPL / CalTech / ESO / L. Frattare / J. Major / K. Arcand.

Webb Captures Two Galaxies, Star-Forming Nebula, and Star Cluster

May 24, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

New images that combine data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and several space- and ground-based telescopes show spiral galaxies NGC 1672...