For the first time, scientists have confirmed crystalline water ice in a dusty debris disk around a Sun-like star, thanks to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope — with most ice found in the cold, outer regions, and little to none near the star. Definitive evidence of frozen water — or crystalline water ice — […]
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Webb Telescope Unveils Active Weather and Key Chemistry on Titan.
These images of Titan were captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on July 11, 2023 (top row), and by the ground-based W. M. Keck Observatories on July 14, 2023 (bottom row). The white arrows in the images point to methane clouds observed in Titan’s northern hemisphere, appearing at different altitudes on the […]
Webb Telescope Reveals Explosive Aurora Activity on Jupiter.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured vivid new details of Jupiter’s auroras on Dec. 25, 2023, using its NIRCam at 3.36 microns. The observations revealed that H₃⁺ emissions—produced by high-energy electrons striking molecular hydrogen—are far more variable than previously thought. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured extraordinary new details of Jupiter’s auroras, revealing […]
Rogue Black Hole Tears Apart Star in Rare Cosmic Event.
May 9, 2025 — Astronomers have detected a dramatic cosmic event—a star being shredded by a black hole—in an unexpected location. Known as a tidal disruption event (TDE), this stellar catastrophe unfolded about 2,600 light-years from the center of its host galaxy, suggesting the presence of a second, wandering supermassive black hole. Named AT2024tvd, the […]
Exploring the Cosmic Neighborhood: The Milky Way, Virgo Supercluster, and Beyond
The Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy The Milky Way Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy, distinctive for its intricate structure and vastness. It encompasses an estimated 100 to 400 billion stars, along with a multitude of planets, moons, and other celestial objects. Spanning approximately 100,000 light-years in diameter, the Galaxy exhibits a flattened disk […]
Understanding Black Holes: The Cosmic Enigmas
What Are Black Holes? Black holes are one of the most intriguing and enigmatic phenomena in the cosmos. They are regions in space where the gravitational pull is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. This property renders black holes invisible and can only be inferred through their interaction with surrounding […]
Astronomers Spot Pulsar Smash That Fractured a Giant ‘Bone’ in the Milky Way.
New findings using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based radio telescopes have revealed a cosmic collision near the heart of our galaxy—where a fast-moving neutron star appears to have shattered a massive, bone-like structure. Astronomers studying the Milky Way’s center have identified a dramatic fracture in a galactic feature nicknamed “The Snake,” officially known […]
James Webb Space Telescope Opens New Frontiers in the Search for Life Beyond Earth.
This image illustrates a science-based artist’s impression of K2-18 b, a potentially habitable exoplanet 120 light-years away, orbiting a cool dwarf star in its habitable zone. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revolutionizing the search for life beyond our solar system, offering humanity its most detailed look yet at distant, potentially habitable worlds. […]
ESA/Hubble Marks 35th Anniversary with New Image of the Eagle Nebula.
This NASA/ESA Hubble image shows a 9.5 light-year tall gas pillar in the Eagle Nebula, 7,000 light-years from Earth. As part of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Hubble Space Telescope’s 35th anniversary celebrations, a new image series is being released, revisiting some of Hubble’s most iconic targets with fresh data and enhanced processing […]
Runaway Magnetar Discovered by Hubble May Redefine How These Cosmic Powerhouses Are Born.
This illustration shows a magnetar—a highly magnetic type of neutron star—appearing as a white-blue sphere with powerful magnetic field lines streaming from its poles. Researchers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that a rare and mysterious cosmic object—magnetar SGR 0501+4516—is hurtling across our galaxy, seemingly from an unknown place of origin. This “runaway magnetar” […]