Astronomy Archives - The Debrief

“We Hit the Jackpot!” Groundbreaking Discovery Reveals Supermassive Black Holes May Be “Challenging the Limits of Physics”

Ryan Whalen·November 21, 2024

New research reveals supermassive black holes, billions of times the mass of the sun, formed much more rapidly than previously believed.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Bizarre ‘Einstein Zigzag’ Produced by First Known Double Gravitational Lens

Micah Hanks·November 20, 2024

The discovery of the first known double gravitational lens has been made with help from observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Department of Energy Study Directly Refutes Alternate Theories of Gravity, Affirms Einstein

Christopher Plain·November 20, 2024

DOE study scanning over 6 million galaxies and quasars offers support for general relativity while refuting alternate theories of gravity.

Astrophysicist Believes He’s Solved ‘Baffling’ Zebra Patterned Signal Coming From the Crab Nebula

Christopher Plain·November 19, 2024

A theoretical astrophysicist believes he had solved the baffling mystery of the zebra patterned signal coming from the Crab Nebula.

Discovery Challenges Einstein’s General Relativity as Mysterious Acceleration of Universe’s Expansion Suggests Unknown Physics

Micah Hanks·November 18, 2024

An international research team's new calculations of the distortion of time and space presents new challenges to predictions in Einstein's general relativity.

Neutron Star Collision Leads to the Smallest Black Hole Ever Recorded

Ryan Whalen·November 16, 2024

Astrophysicists observing the collision of two neutron stars have detected the smallest black hole ever observed.

James Webb Space Telescope Finds Stunning Evidence for Alternate Theory of Gravity

Christopher Plain and Ryan Whalen·November 15, 2024

New discoveries from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope offer unexpected support for an alternate theory of gravity first proposed in 1998.

NASA-Funded Study May Have Finally Solved ‘A Mystery at the Sun’s Poles’

Christopher Plain·November 13, 2024

New research funded by NASA into the potential formation of solar vortices may finally solve the mystery at the sun's poles.

This Record-Breaking Black Hole Consumes Matter 40x Faster Than Expected. Is it Defying Physics?

Ryan Whalen·November 8, 2024

An ancient black hole near the galactic center is consuming matter at over 40 times the theoretical limit, raising questions over whether this object and its voracious appetite are defying the known laws of physics.

Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts May Be Coming From These Massive Cosmic Structures, New Research Reveals

Christopher Plain·November 7, 2024

Cal Tech astronomers have found a link between mysterious radio signals called FRBs and magnetars within massive star-forming galaxies.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots Cosmic Structure Eerily Similar to a Scene From Sagan’s ‘Contact’

Micah Hanks·November 5, 2024

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have observed a massive disk surrounding the star Vega in unprecedented new detail.

In the Search for Dark Matter, Scientists Have a Rock-Solid New Strategy

Micah Hanks·November 4, 2024

Scientists are planning to look within billion-year-old rock formations in the search for mysterious dark matter.

Saturn’s Frozen Moon Titan Could Be Home to Life, New Study of Methane-rich Ice Suggests

Micah Hanks·November 4, 2024

New research suggests Saturn’s moon Titan could possess a crust of methane ice that helps warm its interior, promoting the possibility of alien life.

Look What NASA’s Perseverance Rover Just Spotted Eclipsing the Sun in Striking New Video

Micah Hanks·November 1, 2024

NASA's Perseverance rover has captured striking new imagery of an oddly shaped Martian moon as it passed before the Sun during a recent Red Planet eclipse event.

Rare ‘Zombie Star’ First Seen in 1181 Returns From the Stellar Grave in New Observations

Ryan Whalen·November 1, 2024

Supernova SN 1181, a “zombie star" first observed in 1181, has recently resurfaced as a subject of interest for astronomers.

Black Holes and Dark Energy May be Connected, as Potential Link Emerges Between Two Cosmic Mysteries

Ryan Whalen·October 30, 2024

New research proposes a profound connection between two of the universe’s greatest mysteries: black holes and dark energy.

Astronomers Tracking Ultrahigh-Energy Gamma Rays Reveal the Origins of a Violent Galactic Mystery

Ryan Whalen·October 29, 2024

An international team of researchers has traced the source of mysterious ultrahigh-energy gamma rays to the heart of the Milky Way.

Mysterious Objects Detected by Astronomers Could Point to ‘Complex Structure’ at the Edge of Our Solar System

Micah Hanks·October 28, 2024

Astronomers say they have discovered mysterious objects in a region beyond the known Kuiper Belt, which could point to a complex structure at the fringes of our Solar System.

MIT and Cal Tech Physicists Spot Something They’ve Never Seen Before: A ‘Black Hole Triple’

Christopher Plain·October 24, 2024

Physicists from MIT and Cal Tech say they have discovered evidence of a black hole triple, something they have never seen before.

Why Are These Ancient Black Holes More Massive Than Astronomers Expected?

Avi Loeb·October 23, 2024

Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb explores the question of why some early black holes are overly-massive, defying astronomer's expectations.

Beetlejuice, Betelgeuse, Betelbuddy? Astronomers Find Something Unexpected Orbiting Infamous “Doomed Star”

Christopher Plain·October 23, 2024

A team of astronomers says they've found something unexpected orbiting Betelgeuse and they have nicknamed it Betelbuddy.

Recalculating the Drake Equation: The SETI Institute Funds a Fresh Look at Astronomy’s Biggest Question

Christopher Plain·October 22, 2024

The SETI Institute is looking for young scientists to help fill in the missing parts of the infamous Drake Equation.

James Webb Space Telescope Detects Out-of-Place Objects Astronomers Say Shouldn’t Exist

Micah Hanks·October 21, 2024

New observations of drifting quasars from the early universe are challenging our understanding of how these extremely luminous objects could have formed.

James Webb Space Telescope Confirms Existence of “Hidden” Mechanism Behind the Forging of Stars and Planets

Micah Hanks·October 15, 2024

New insights into the formation of gas streams that propel the growth of infant stars have been unveiled with the help from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Moon Madness? Researchers Warn of Potential Rise in This Dangerous Activity During a Full Moon

Micah Hanks·October 14, 2024

A new study by researchers at Texas A&M University reports that vehicular collisions involving wildlife may increase by almost 46% during a full moon.

This Common Element Slammed Into the Earth Over 3 Billion Years Ago, and Allowed Life to Form

MJ Banias·October 14, 2024

A new study examines how zinc from asteroids that crashed into Earth billions of years ago played a pivotal role in the emergence of life.

James Webb Space Telescope Peers 13 Billion Years into the Past and Spots an Unusual ‘Inside-Out’ Galaxy

Christopher Plain·October 12, 2024

The James Webb Space Telescope has peered 13 billion years into the past and spotted an ancient inside-out galaxy.

Astronomers Have Made Another Odd Discovery That Challenges Theories on Galactic Formation

Micah Hanks·October 8, 2024

An unusual discovery in a remote Milky-Way-like galaxy is challenging our current theories on how galaxies are formed.

Massive Radio “Bubble” Detected During Recent Observations of Distant Star-forming Galaxy

Micah Hanks·October 8, 2024

Astronomers have revealed the discovery of a massive radio bubble in the halo produced by a distant galaxy, according to findings.

This New Model of the Universe is Making Astrophysicists Rethink our Entire Cosmology

Ryan Whalen·October 7, 2024

"Basins of attraction" are the center of a new model of the universe, pushing forward our understanding of its vast structure.

Astronomers Reveal Presence of a Planet Orbiting Our Solar System’s Closest Single Star Just 6 Light Years Away

Christopher Plain·October 2, 2024

Astronomers using the ESO's VLT say they have spotted a planet orbiting our solar system's closest single star, a.k.a. Barnard's star.

Water World: Dwarf Planet Ceres Was Once Covered by an Ocean

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·October 1, 2024

A new study, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests that Ceres is far icier than once thought and may have once been a muddy ocean world.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots ‘Weird’ Galaxy Containing ‘Exotic’ Stars That May Be Universe’s ‘Missing Link’

Christopher Plain·September 26, 2024

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted a 'weird' galaxy with 'exotic' stars that may be the universe's missing link.

James Webb Space Telescope Creates Three-Dimensional Map of Planet’s ‘Puffed-Up’ Atmosphere

Christopher Plain·September 25, 2024

Astronomers have created a three-dimensional map of WASP_107b's 'puffed-up' atmosphere using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

Earth Will Temporarily Have a “Mini-Moon” in Its Orbit Until Late November

Chrissy Newton·September 23, 2024

Astronomers have revealed that an additional "mini-moon," asteroid 2024 PT5, will briefly enter an orbit around Earth in the days ahead.

“Hellish Landscape” of Jupiter’s Moon Io Enhances Case for Life on the Planet’s Icy Moons

Christopher Plain·September 21, 2024

Cornell University astronomers studying Jupiter's moon Io say tidal heating may help support life in the oceans of Jupiter's icy moons.

Mysterious Dark Energy May Solve Two Cosmic Mysteries, Say MIT Scientists

Ryan Whalen·September 20, 2024

MIT scientists say that dark energy could be the missing factor that explains some of the most perplexing phenomena in the universe.

New MIT Study Suggests Mars Could Be the Key to Unveiling Primordial Black Holes and the Mystery of Dark Matter

Tim McMillan·September 19, 2024

Physicists from MIT suggests looking to Mars as a novel way to find evidence of primordial black holes and dark matter.

Astronomers Detect Massive 23 Million Light-Year Wide Megastructure, Revealing Largest Black Hole Jets Ever Seen

Micah Hanks·September 18, 2024

In a breakthrough discovery, astronomers report the detection of the largest pair of black hole jets ever observed, which span an incredible distance of 23 million light years.

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals How This Powerful Phenomenon is Creating ‘Dead’ Galaxies

Christopher Plain·September 16, 2024

Researchers using the James Webb space Telescope have discovered how supermassive black holes are creating dead galaxies.

Mysterious ‘Dark Companion’ Detected Near Giant Star Reveals Elusive “Mass Gap” Phenomenon

Micah Hanks·September 15, 2024

One of the most significant black hole discoveries in years points to the elusive "mass gap" phenomenon, defying our current understanding of stellar evolution.

James Webb Space Telescope’s Latest Breakthrough is Upending Our Understanding of Cosmic Reionization

Micah Hanks·September 11, 2024

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made another discovery that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the early Universe and the phenomenon of cosmic reionization.

Earth-like Planet Discovery Near Distant White Dwarf Offers Clues to Earth’s Future

Avi Loeb·September 7, 2024

The discovery of an Earth-mass planet around a white dwarf based on gravitational microlensing could offer clues to the future of Earth and our Sun.

Massive Asteroid Knocked Ganymede Off Its Axis Four Billion Years Ago, Study Finds

Ryan Whalen·September 5, 2024

A massive asteroid knocked Jupiter’s moon Ganymede off its axis about four billion years ago, according to new research.

Space Observatories From Around the Globe Join Forces to Create One Massive “Earth-Sized” Telescope

Christopher Plain·September 4, 2024

An Earth-sized telescope that combines numerous arrays captures the highest-ever resolution observations for a ground-based telescope.

Astronomers Scan Over 2,800 Distant Galaxies for Signs of “Super Civilizations”

Christopher Plain·September 4, 2024

SETI researchers have announced an unprecedented search for "super civilizations" across over 2,800 distant galaxies.

James Webb Space Telescope Makes Rogue Planet Discovery That’s Reshaping Our Understanding of Planet Formation

Ryan Whalen·August 28, 2024

Recent images from the Webb Telescope have unveiled six rogue planet discoveries, sparking significant questions among astronomers about the processes of star and planet formation.