1–20 of 88 results
SOFIA in flight

Professional Telescopes

SOFIA Airborne Observatory Has Taken Its Final Flight

The flying observatory has been grounded due to its lofty price-tag and questionable productivity, causing an outcry among astronomers

E. oli bacteria

Astrobiology

Could There Be Life Under a Hydrogen Sky?

Scientists have discovered that life could survive within a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. The finding is not necessarily a surprise but could have implications for the search for life.

Andromeda in ZTF field of view

Professional Telescopes

New Astro Camera Spots Thousands of Celestial Flare-ups

A vision from 70 years ago, the Zwicky Transient Facility has produced a wave of discoveries — but it’s only a hint of what’s to come.

CHIME

Astronomy & Observing News

Bevy of Mysterious Radio Bursts Finds Second Repeating Source

A new radio telescope has spotted scores of mysterious fast radio bursts — including the second known repeating one.

Voyager 2, Parker Solar Probe, TESS & Insight

Astronomy & Observing News

Top 10 Astronomy News Stories of 2018

Astronomers have made great strides this year in their quest to observe the universe. Here’s a recap.

Stellar Science

Seen at Last: A Superfast Jet Streams Away from Neutron-star Smashup

A new finding suggests that LIGO’s neutron-star merger was a typical gamma-ray burst after all.

CHIME

Stellar Science

The Storm Begins: Canadian Telescope Spots Its First Radio Burst

The first "fast radio burst" detected by the Canadian CHIME radio telescope is a tantalizing hint of what’s to come.

Gaia

Solar System

Known Close Stellar Encounters Surge in Number

A new analysis of our stellar neighborhood reveals 7 times as much nearby stellar traffic as previously known.

Earliest star formation in a far-away galaxy

Cosmology

Early Star Formation Presents New Cosmic Mystery

New observations suggest that stars were forming just 250 million years after the Big Bang — a record-breaker that will likely open a new line of cosmological inquiry.

Brown dwarf

Exoplanets

A New Definition for the Biggest Planets?

Scientists now understand where large planets stop and small brown dwarfs begin — a discovery that redefines the word “planet.”

Arecibo Observatory and mystyery flash

Stellar Science

Mysterious Cosmic Bursts Traced to Extreme Environment

A repeating fast radio burst first detected in 2012 likely formed within a potent magnetic field — opening up the ambiguity of what caused the mysterious burst.

Wolf-Rayet star

Solar System

Sun Might Have Formed in Giant Star's Bubble

A new theory of the solar system’s formation suggests that it formed within the shell of a wind-blown bubble surrounding a dead star.

Cocoon scenario explains observations of GW170817

Stellar Science

Neutron-star Smashup Might Have Choked Its Own Jet

LIGO’s neutron-star smashup might not have been a typical short gamma-ray burst. If true, the detection points toward a new class of gamma-ray bursts — but the jury is still out.

Solar System

Nearby Stellar Traffic Twice as Heavy as Previously Thought

A new analysis shows that nearly 100 stars buzz our solar system every million years — an effect that can hurl regular cosmic hailstorms of comets toward Earth.

Exoplanet Family Tree

Exoplanets

Kepler Team Releases Final Exoplanet Catalog

The most comprehensive and detailed exoplanet catalog released yet marks the end of an era for Kepler, the planet-hunting telescope.

Red dwarf star with exoplanet

Stellar Science

Mini-Flares Might Threaten Life Around Red Dwarf Stars

A new study of data archived from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft is revealing just how hard life might be on planets like those in the TRAPPIST-1 system.

47 Tucanae

Black Holes

Best Evidence Yet for an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

An intermediate-mass black hole might be lurking within a dense stellar cluster — a discovery that could point toward how these oddities form.

Fast radio burst FRB 121102

Galaxies

Fast Radio Burst has a Surprising Source

For the first time, a team of astronomers has placed a fast radio burst on the cosmic map, allowing them to better pinpoint its mysterious origin.

Pluto's Sputnik Planum in color

Exoplanets

Top 12 Astronomy News Stories of 2016

From the discovery of gravitational waves to the building evidence that a massive planet could exist beyond Pluto, it has been a thrilling year for astronomy research. We recap.

Vera Rubin in 1965

Astronomy and Society

Vera Rubin, "Mother of Dark Matter" (1928–2016)

Astronomer Vera Rubin, known for her revolutionary work confirming the existence of dark matter, died on December 25th. She was 88.

1 2 3 5
Advertisement