The icy crust at the south pole of Enceladus exhibits large fissures that allow water from the subsurface ocean to spray into space as geysers, forming a plume of icy particles. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured images of this phenomenon in 2009, and by sampling the particles it revealed the chemicals contained in the ocean. […]
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How life began on our world and others.
Where do we begin? To answer this question, we must look to the reaches of the universe and the mysteries it contains. The dawn of life on Earth is believed to have begun with the first cells burning energy in a hollow on the Earth’s newly formed surface, or a superheated vent at the bottom […]
Did Galaxies Change the Early Universe?
The team led by Simon Lilly of ETH Zürich in Switzerland recently used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to analyze new observations and found evidence that galaxies existing 900 million years after the big bang ionized the gas around them, causing it to become transparent. This process was precisely measured by Webb, which identified […]
Kepler-452b is the first near-Earth-size world to be found in the habitable zone.
Kepler-452b is the first near-Earth-sized planet to be discovered in the habitable zone of a star similar to sun. Discovered in 2015, the Kepler telescope had previously only detected 12 Earth-size planets in the habitable zone of smaller and cooler stars. Kepler-452b is the first one orbiting a star of similar size and temperature […]
Can star formation continue despite the best efforts of magnetic fields?
New research from the Stratospheric Observatory Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has revealed that magnetic fields in the 30 Doradus region, located at the heart of the Large Magellanic Cloud, could be the key to its puzzling behavior. This region is composed of ionized hydrogen and is home to some of the most massive star-forming regions […]
Did the explorers discover other unique features in the most luminous cosmic explosion?
NASA’s NuSTAR X-ray telescope has given astronomers a clue as to why GRB 221009A, the brightest and most energetic gamma-ray burst ever detected, is so powerful. On October 9, 2022, scientists observed this unprecedented event and recorded it as 70 times brighter and more energetic than any other gamma-ray burst they had seen before. […]
Webb detected organic molecules 12 billion light-years away from Earth.
Astronomers using the Webb telescope have made a remarkable discovery in a distant galaxy, more than 12 billion light-years away. The telescope has revealed evidence of complex organic molecules, similar to smoke or smog, which are highlighted in orange in the false-color image. What’s more, the galaxy appears to be almost perfectly lined up […]
The Hubble Telescope examines a faint galaxy.
This image captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Messier 85 galaxy in its full, hazy splendor. It is situated about 50 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair) and was first discovered by Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain in 1781. This galaxy is included in the Messier catalog […]
Is it possible for stars to have formed in the early universe?
The fundamental question of astronomy, ‘How did the first stars and galaxies form?’ is being investigated with the help of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey, or JADES, has devoted 32 days of telescope time to uncover and characterize distant galaxies. Already, JADES has discovered hundreds of galaxies that […]
Peers behind bars in Webb’s NGC 5068.
The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has revealed an exquisite tracery of dust and bright star clusters in this spectacular image. The tendrils of gas and stars belong to the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068, whose bright central bar is visible in the upper left. Located around 17 million light-years from Earth, in the […]
Webb maps and finds traces of water in the atmosphere of the ultra-hot gas giant WASP-18 b.
WASP-18 b, located 400 light-years away, has been a topic of intense study for astronomers since its discovery in 2009. This ultra-hot gas giant is 10 times more massive than Jupiter and orbits its star (slightly larger than our Sun) in just 23 hours, making it unique compared to our solar system. Not only […]
NASA Blue Origin selected as provider for second Artemis lunar lander.
NASA has selected Blue Origin of Kent, Washington to develop a human landing system for Artemis V mission to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will explore the Moon more than ever before; uncovering more scientific discoveries and preparing for future astronaut missions to Mars. The Blue Moon lander designed by Blue Origin will meet […]
An exoplanet that is covered with volcanoes.
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery of an Earth-size exoplanet – LP 791-18 d – located beyond our solar system. This distant planet is theorized to be carpeted with volcanoes, and could potentially undergo volcanic outbursts as often as Jupiter’s moon Io, which is the most volcanically active body in our solar system. The […]
How NASA’s Webb takes a closer look at the mysterious GJ 1214 b planet.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered something remarkable; a distant planet outside of our solar system that looks unlike anything we have ever seen before. This unique world, known as GJ 1214 b, is highly reflective and has a steamy atmosphere – the closest look at it yet. Previous observations have been unable […]
How a star is swallowing its neighboring planet.
Astronomers recently observed a star nearing the end of its life and absorbing a Jupiter-sized planet. This event, detailed in the journal Nature, is thought to be a sign of the star’s aging process, as stars can expand significantly when their fuel reserves run out. While this is a far-off event for our own […]
