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This artist’s concept shows two super-Earth exoplanets, K2-18b and c, orbiting the red dwarf star K2-18. Image credit: Alex Boersma.

Nearby Red Dwarf Hosts Two Super-Earth-Sized Exoplanets — One in Its ‘Habitable Zone’

Dec 6, 2017 by News Staff

An international team of astronomers has found that a little-known exoplanet called K2-18b could be a scaled-up version of Earth, and also discovered the...

X-ray source LGGS J004527.30+413254.3. Image credit: NASA / CXC / University of Washington / T. Dorn-Wallenstein et al / ESA / J. Dalcanton et al / R. Gendler.

Double Supermassive Black Hole ‘Photobombs’ Andromeda Galaxy

Dec 5, 2017 by News Staff

Using X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical data from ground-based telescopes, astronomers have spotted what could be the most...

This image, taken with the Wide-Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the spiral galaxy LEDA 53183. Three 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 Sees Explosive Spiral Galaxy: LEDA 53183

Dec 4, 2017 by News Staff

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has delivered an unrivalled snapshot of a spiral galaxy called LEDA 53183. This image, taken with the Wide-Field Camera...

This color image shows the Hubble Ultra Deep Field region, as observed with the MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. Image credit: ESO / MUSE HUDF Collaboration.

ESO’s MUSE Instrument Explores Hubble Ultra Deep Field

Dec 1, 2017 by News Staff

Astronomers using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope have observed the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF),...

An ALMA image of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy showing the location of 11 young protostars within about 3 light-years of Sagittarius A*. The lines indicate the direction of the bipolar lobes created by high-velocity jets from the protostars. The illustrated star in the middle of the image indicates the location of Sagittarius A*. Image credit: ALMA / Yusef-Zadeh et al / B. Saxton / ESO / NAOJ / NRAO / AUI / NSF.

ALMA Spots Eleven Protostars near Milky Way’s Central Black Hole

Nov 30, 2017 by News Staff

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has revealed the telltale signs of 11 low-mass stars forming close – within just 3 light-years...

Atomic hydrogen gas in the Small Magellanic Cloud as imaged with CSIRO’s Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Image credit: Australian National University / CSIRO.

ASKAP Telescope Captures Most Detailed Radio Image of Small Magellanic Cloud

Nov 29, 2017 by News Staff

Astronomers using CSIRO’s Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) at the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory in Australia have created...

This image, taken with the Wide Field Imager camera on the 2.2-m MPG/ESO telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows the Sculptor dwarf galaxy. Image credit: ESO.

3D Motions of Stars in Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy Hint at Underlying Dark Matter

Nov 28, 2017 by News Staff

Based on the combination of data taken 12 years apart by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and ESA’s Gaia mission, astronomers have pinned down for...

This image from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array shows a central ring of matter and a crescent structure within the circumstellar disk around V1247 Orionis. Image credit: ALMA / ESO / NAOJ / NRAO / S. Kraus, University of Exeter.

Astronomers Find Dust Trap in Circumstellar Disk around V1247 Orionis

Nov 28, 2017 by News Staff

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have identified a so-called dust trap — a region where dust particles can...

This Hubble image shows the galaxy cluster Abell 2537. The image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by Hubble’s ACS and WFC3 instruments. Five 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 Observes Galaxy Cluster Abell 2537

Nov 27, 2017 by News Staff

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a vivid image of a galaxy cluster called Abell 2537. This Hubble image shows the galaxy cluster Abell...

This MUSE image shows a huge cloud of gas around the distant quasar 4C 10.29. Image credit: Arrigoni Battaia et al / ESO.

Astronomers Spot Giant Nebula around Distant Quasar

Nov 24, 2017 by News Staff

Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile have discovered an enormous cloud of gas around an extremely distant quasar called 4C 10.29. This...

Hypervelocity space dust is a unique entity in planetary systems like our Solar System, which is able to go past and enter the atmosphere of planets, collect samples of those planets and deposit samples of other planets. Image credit: Jonny Lindner.

Space Dust May Transport Biological Particles between Distant Planets, New Study Suggests

Nov 22, 2017 by News Staff

Streams of space dust that continually bombard Earth’s atmosphere could deliver microbial life and life essential molecules from distant planets, or...

Our Milky Way Galaxy is organized into spiral arms of giant stars that illuminate interstellar gas and dust. The Sun is in a finger called the Orion Spur. Overlaid is a graphic of galactic longitude in relation to our Sun. Image credit: NASA / Adler / University of Chicago / Wesleyan / JPL-Caltech.

Astronomers Find Very Old Stars in Solar Neighborhood

Nov 21, 2017 by News Staff

A research team led by Georgia State University astronomers has discovered some of the oldest stars in our solar neighborhood by determining their locations...

This artist’s impression shows the first interstellar asteroid -- 1I/2017 U1 (’Oumuamua). Image credit: M. Kornmesser / ESO.

Interstellar Asteroid Oumuamua is Dark Red, Highly-Elongated Rocky or Metallic Object, Astronomers Say

Nov 21, 2017 by News Staff

In October 2017, astronomers were surprised by an asteroid that came racing into our Solar System from interstellar space. Now, they have determined that...

The ‘Cosmic Snake’ galaxy. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble.

Hubble Space Telescope Spots Cosmic Snake

Nov 20, 2017 by News Staff

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the ‘Cosmic Snake’ galaxy, an extremely distant galaxy peppered with clumpy regions of intense...

This artist’s impression shows the super-Earth 55 Cancri e orbiting the Sun-like star 55 Cancri A. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Super-Earth 55 Cancri e Could Have Thick, Earth-Like Atmosphere

Nov 20, 2017 by News Staff

A hot, rocky exoplanet called 55 Cancri e likely has an atmosphere thicker than Earth’s, with ingredients that could be similar to those of Earth’s...

Composite image of the Abell 2744 region, with radio, X-Ray, and optical data combined. Image credit: Pearce et al / Bill Saxton / NRAO / AUI / NSF / Chandra / Subaru / ESO.

Astronomers Capture Stunning Galaxy-Cluster Collision

Nov 19, 2017 by News Staff

A multi-wavelength composite image from several orbiting and ground-based telescopes captures an ongoing cosmic collision between at least four galaxy...

HAWC map for the region around Geminga (about 815 light-years away in the constellation Gemini) and PSR B0656+14 (about 940 light-years away). Image credit: John Pretz.

Nearby Pulsars Shed Light on Origin of Excess Antimatter

Nov 17, 2017 by News Staff

Astrophysicists using the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory in Mexico have detected the extended emission of high-energy gamma...

An artist’s impression of an accretion disk around a black hole. Image credit: XMM-Newton / ESA / NASA.

X-Rays from Accretion Disks around Rotating Black Holes Can Act as Carriers of Quantum Information

Nov 17, 2017 by News Staff

In a paper published in the journal New Astronomy, theoretical physicist Ovidiu Racorean suggests that X-ray photons emitted by accretion disks around...

This illustration shows a stream of material from a star as it is being devoured by a supermassive black hole in a tidal disruption flare. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

New Type of Highly Energetic Cosmic Explosion Discovered

Nov 16, 2017 by Natali Anderson

Astronomers have spotted a new type of extremely energetic cosmic explosion they think originates from a very massive star or the environment of a supermassive...