Astronomy News

Sep 27, 2023 by Natali Anderson

TRAPPIST-1 is a nearby system of seven Earth-sized, temperate, rocky exoplanets transiting a Jupiter-sized ultracool red dwarf, ideally suited for in-depth atmospheric studies. Using the NIRISS instrument aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have now captured the first transmission spectra of TRAPPIST-1b, the innermost planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system. An artist’s impression of the rocky planet TRAPPIST-1b. Image credit:...

Sep 27, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers are tracking the expansion of the X-ray nebula around Eta Carinae, a luminous binary system...

Sep 26, 2023 by News Staff

Lava worlds are a potential emerging population of hot super-Earth exoplanets that are on close-in orbits around their host stars, with likely partially...

Sep 26, 2023 by News Staff

The search for definitive biosignatures — unambiguous markers of past or present life — is a central goal of paleobiology and astrobiology....

Sep 25, 2023 by News Staff

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured this vivid image of the pithily-named galaxy SDSS J103512.07+461412.2. This Hubble...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...