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Webb identified carbon dioxide on the icy surface of Europa that likely originated in the moon’s subsurface ocean. Image credit: Geronimo Villanueva, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Samantha Trumbo, Cornell University / NASA / ESA / CSA / Alyssa Pagan, STScI.

Europa’s Carbon Dioxide Originates from Source within Its Subsurface Ocean, Planetary Scientists Say

Sep 22, 2023 by News Staff

Jupiter’s icy moon Europa has an ocean beneath a crust of water ice. Solid carbon dioxide has previously been observed on the surface, but the source...

Astronomers thought HIP 81208 was a system consisting of a massive central star (A, the central bright spot), a brown dwarf (B) circling around it, and a low-mass star (C) orbiting further away. However, Chomez et al. revealed an object (Cb), approximately 15 times more massive than Jupiter, orbiting around the smaller of the two stars (C). Image credit: ESO / Chomez et al.

Astronomers Directly Image Rare Hierarchical Quadruple System

Sep 19, 2023 by Natali Anderson

HIP 81208 is the first binary stellar system with substellar companions around each stellar component ever found by direct imaging. Astronomers thought...

This Hubble image shows Arp 107, a pair of merging galaxies in the constellation of Leo Minor. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / J. Dalcanton.

Hubble Captures Stunning Collision of Two Galaxies

Sep 18, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

The Hubble astronomers have released an absolutely beautiful photo taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of Arp 107, a pair of galaxies in the midst...

The NASA UAP independent study team recommends that NASA plays a prominent role in the whole-of-government effort to understand UAP by leveraging its extensive expertise to contribute to a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that is rooted in the scientific method. The team members specifically recommend that NASA utilize its existing and planned Earth-observing assets to probe the local environmental conditions associated with UAP that are initially detected by other means. In so doing, NASA can directly probe whether certain environmental factors are coincident with known UAP. They further recommend that NASA explore enhancing collaborations with the U.S. commercial remote-sensing industry, which offer powerful constellations of high-resolution Earth-observing satellites. Image credit: NASA.

NASA’s UAP Study Team Releases Its Final Report

Sep 18, 2023 by News Staff

On September 14, 2023, the NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena independent study team published its final report containing a series of recommendations...

This Webb image shows HH 211, a Herbig-Haro object located 1,000 light-years away in the constellation of Perseus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / T. Ray, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

Outflows from Young Protostars are Mostly Molecular, Webb Astronomers Find

Sep 17, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Herbig-Haro (HH) objects are formed when stellar winds or jets of gas spewing from protostars form shock waves colliding with nearby gas and dust at high...

DESI-253.2534+26.884. Image credit: ESO / Cikota et al.

ESO’s Very Large Telescope Spots Rare Einstein Cross

Sep 13, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Gravitational lensing provides unique insights into astrophysics and cosmology. Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have discovered a new strong...

An artist’s impression of the K2-18 planetary system. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / J. Olmsted, STScI / N. Madhusudhan, University of Cambridge.

Astronomers Detect Carbon Dioxide and Methane in Super-Earth’s Atmosphere

Sep 11, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have discovered carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere of the habitable zone exoplanet...

This Hubble image shows NGC 3156, a large lenticular galaxy some 73 million light-years away in the constellation of Sextans. The color image includes optical and near-infrared observations from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instruments. It is based on data obtained through three filters. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Sharples / S. Kaviraj / W. Keel.

Hubble Views Lenticular Galaxy NGC 3156

Sep 11, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

A dazzling new photo from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows NGC 3156, a large lenticular galaxy in the minor equatorial constellation of Sextans. This...

This Hubble image shows Terzan 12, a globular cluster some 15,000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Cohen, Rutgers University.

Hubble Space Telescope Observes Terzan 12

Sep 8, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a stunning image of the globular cluster Terzan 12, a vast, tightly bound collection...

XRISM lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 07:42 p.m. EDT on September 6, 2023. Image credit: JAXA.

XRISM Mission Launches to Study Universe’s Most Energetic Objects and Events

Sep 8, 2023 by News Staff

The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) — a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA, with significant...

An artist’s impression of Ho’oleilana. Image credit: Frédéric Durillon.

Enormous ‘Bubble’ of Galaxies Discovered in Nearby Universe

Sep 7, 2023 by News Staff

Named Ho’oleilana, the newly-discovered ‘bubble’ of galaxies is around one billion light-years across and is centered 820 million light-years away...

This image of the Sun was taken with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. Image credit: Auchère et al., doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202346039.

Solar Orbiter Captures Extreme-Ultraviolet Images of Sun’s Corona

Sep 6, 2023 by News Staff

Astronomers have used the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument onboard the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft in a new mode of operation to observe...

This image shows the orientation of the magnetic field in the distant galaxy 9io9, seen here when the Universe was only 20% of its current age -- the furthest ever detection of a galaxy’s magnetic field. Image credit: ALMA / ESO / NAOJ / NRAO / Geach et al.

ALMA Detects Galaxy’s Magnetic Field in Early Universe

Sep 6, 2023 by News Staff

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have detected linearly polarized thermal emission from dust grains in 9io9, a...

Heavy elements dominate the mass of the Neptune-sized exoplanet TOI-1853b. Image credit: Luca Naponiello.

Supermassive Neptune-Sized Exoplanet Has Density Higher than Steel

Sep 4, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers believe the peculiar composition of the Neptune-sized planet TOI-1853b is the result of a giant planetary clash. Heavy elements dominate the...

This Hubble image shows IC 1776, a barred spiral galaxy some 150 million light-years away in the constellation of Pisces. Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) snapped IC 1776 at a wide range of visible, and near-infrared wavelengths. 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 / A. Filippenko.

Hubble Space Telescope Spies Stunning Spiral Galaxy

Sep 4, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features IC 1776, a barred spiral galaxy that hosted a supernova explosion about eight years ago. This...

This image of SNR 1987A was taken with Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera. At the center, material ejected from the supernova forms a keyhole shape. Just to its left and right are faint crescents newly discovered by Webb. Beyond them an equatorial ring, formed from material ejected tens of thousands of years before the supernova explosion, contains bright hot spots. Exterior to that is diffuse emission and two faint outer rings. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / M. Matsuura, Cardiff University / R. Arendt, NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center & University of Maryland, Baltimore County / C. Fransson.

Webb Focuses on Supernova 1987A Remnant

Aug 31, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have begun the study of SNR 1987A, one of the most renowned supernova remnants. This image...

An artist’s rendition of the two exoplanets and their parent star in the TOI-4600 system. Image credit: Tedi Vick.

Two Long-Period Giant Exoplanets Found Orbiting TOI-4600

Aug 31, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Astronomers report the discovery and validation of two long-period giant exoplanets orbiting the K-dwarf star TOI-4600, first detected using observations...

This artist’s impression shows the millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 stealing gas from its companion star. Image credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser.

Matter Ejections Explain Peculiar High-Low Mode Switches in Distant Millisecond Pulsar

Aug 30, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

The millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 is known to switch between two brightness modes almost constantly, something that until now has been an enigma. This...

This Webb image shows Messier 51, a grand design spiral galaxy some 27 million light-years away in the constellation of Canes Venatici. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / A. Adamo, Stockholm University / FEAST JWST Team.

Webb Observes Grand-Design Spiral Galaxy Messier 51

Aug 29, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

This portrait of the interacting grand design spiral galaxy Messier 51 is a composite image that integrates data from the Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam)...