Astronomy News

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

An artist’s impression of the K2-18 planetary system. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / J. Olmsted, STScI / N. Madhusudhan, University of Cambridge.
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 K2-18b. These detections are consistent with an exoplanet that may contain ocean-covered surface underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. An artist’s impression of the K2-18 planetary system. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / J. Olmsted, STScI / N. Madhusudhan, University of Cambridge. K2-18 is a...

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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)...

An artist’s impression of a hot-Jupiter exoplanet. Image credit: ESA / ATG Medialab / CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

Astronomers Confirm Detection of Chromium Hydride in Atmosphere of WASP-31b

Aug 28, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Chromium hydride is often used to probe atmospheric temperatures and classify objects called brown dwarfs into spectral types because it’s abundant only...

Plasma is constantly streaming away from the Sun, forming the solar wind. A likely source of this plasma is coronal holes, regions of the Sun’s corona with magnetic field lines that open outward. Chitta et al. observed a coronal hole in the extreme ultraviolet using the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft and identified several types of small-scale jets within it. Large numbers of jets occurred during the observation, but each one lasted only a few dozen seconds. The authors calculated that the jets provide enough energy and plasma to supply a large fraction of the solar wind, at least during quiet periods. Image credit: ESA / NASA / Solar Orbiter / EUI Team / Lakshmi Pradeep Chitta, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research / CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

Solar Orbiter Spots Tiny Jets Escaping from Outer Atmosphere of the Sun

Aug 28, 2023 by News Staff

Extreme ultraviolet images of the Sun obtained by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument onboard the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft have revealed...

The dark vertical streak at the center of this Hubble image hides the protostellar object OH 339.88-1.26. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / J. Tan.

Hubble Finds Intermediate-Mass Protostellar Object in Ara

Aug 28, 2023 by News Staff

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a detailed image of the surroundings of the spectacular protostellar object OH 339.88-1.26. The dark vertical...

An artist’s impression of a supermassive black hole with an accretion disk orbiting it. The annotations show a hypothetical double-peaked profile with arrows indicating where in the broad line region each peak originates. Image credit: NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / P. Marenfeld.

Astronomers Detect Emission from Outskirts of Supermassive Black Hole’s Accretion Disk

Aug 28, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Active galactic nuclei are primarily powered by a supermassive black hole lying at the center of a host galaxy that is accreting matter from its vicinity....

This image from the MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope shows Neptune; a dark spot can be seen to the upper-right. Image credit: ESO / Irwin et al.

VLT Observes Large Dark Spot and Its Bright Companion in Atmosphere of Neptune

Aug 24, 2023 by News Staff

Astronomers using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) have observed a large dark spot in Neptune’s...

A giant black hole in PGC 43234 destroyed a large star and threw its pieces into space; the X-ray data reveal the relative amount of nitrogen compared to carbon in this stellar debris field. Image credit: NASA / CXC / University of Michigan / Miller et al. / M. Weiss.

ASASSN-14li: Supermassive Black Hole Destroys Massive Star, Throws Its Pieces into Space

Aug 22, 2023 by News Staff

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, ESA’s XMM-Newton and other telescopes have found evidence for a massive stellar disruption (over...

This image from Webb’s NIRCam instrument shows the Ring Nebula. The nebula’s inner cavity hosts shades of blue and green, while the detailed ring transitions through shades of orange in the inner regions and pink in the outer region. The ring’s inner region has distinct filament elements. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / M. Barlow / N. Cox / R. Wesson.

Webb Team Releases New Photos of Ring Nebula

Aug 21, 2023 by News Staff

The new image of the famous Ring Nebula from Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) shows the intricate details of the filament structure of the nebula’s...

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