Astronomy Archives - Page 4 of 9

James Webb Space Telescope Has Helped Solve a Mystery That Left Astronomers Baffled For Years

Micah Hanks·January 21, 2024

One of astronomy’s most perplexing mysteries has been resolved, according to scientists involved with new findings made possible by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

13-Billion-Year-Old Black Hole is the Oldest Ever Observed, and It Has a Monstrous Appetite

MJ Banias·January 21, 2024

Astronomers have detected the oldest black hole ever observed, dating back to just 400 million years after the Big Bang.

The Vanishing Star Enigma and the 1952 Washington D.C. UFO Wave

Beatriz Villarroel·January 21, 2024

Astronomer Beatriz Villarroel examines the enigma of "vanishing stars" in relation to the famous 1952 Washington D.C. UFO incident.

Astronomers Baffled by a Mysterious Object in the “Mass Gap” Between Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Christopher Plain·January 19, 2024

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Germany have spotted an unknown object in the mass gap between neutron stars and black holes.

Groundbreaking New Study Reveals Origins of Intense Unexplained Phenomena Caused by Supermassive Black Holes

Micah Hanks·January 18, 2024

New simulations have replicated a phenomenon associated with supermassive black holes, revealing something as yet unknown to astronomers.

3000-Year-Old Carvings on Enigmatic Disk Unearthed in Italy Could Be Ancient Star Map, Controversial Study Claims

Micah Hanks·January 17, 2024

A stone disk bearing peculiar markings could be an ancient star map, according to new claims that prompted debate among archaeologists.

First Ever Earth-sized Planet Orbiting a Sun-Like Star Has Been Discovered Lurking in Our Solar Back Yard

Christopher Plain·January 15, 2024

Astronomers are reporting the first discovery of an Earth-sized planet orbiting a sun-like star, and its only 73 light years away.

Discovery of Mysterious ‘Big Ring” Megastructure Challenges Our Current Understanding of the Universe

Tim McMillan·January 15, 2024

A recent discovery of a second ultra-large structure dubbed the "Big Ring" challenges long-held assumptions about the universe's structure.

Landmark Dark Energy Study Is Complicating Our View of the Universe, but Offers New Insights on Cosmic Expansion

Micah Hanks·January 12, 2024

A landmark new study based on the results of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is complicating our understanding of the cosmos, but offers promising new insights into the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Unexplained Gamma-Ray Signal from Beyond Our Galaxy Baffles Astronomers, Points to Deeper Cosmic Mystery

Micah Hanks·January 12, 2024

Astronomers report the unexpected discovery of a gamma-ray signal emanating from outside our galaxy that they can’t yet explain.

Want to Visit an Exoplanet? Make Sure You Check Out This Travel Calculator

MJ Banias·January 12, 2024

The Exoplanet Travel Planner Calculator is your next essential tool for that trip to another planet. Kinda.

Hubble Space Telescope Reveals ‘Oddball’ Origins of Farthest and Weirdest Mysterious Radio Signal of Its Kind

Micah Hanks·January 11, 2024

A team of astronomers says they have found the unusual location of a rare cosmic event, which appears to be the farthest of its kind yet detected, with help from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

Astronomers May Have Figured Out How to Detect Liquid Water and Life on Exoplanets

MJ Banias·December 29, 2023

A novel technique to locate planets that could potentially harbor life uses an analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in their atmospheres.

The James Webb Space Telescope Has Changed Our View of the Cosmos in 2023. Here Are Some of This Year’s Best Images and Greatest Discoveries.

Micah Hanks·December 27, 2023

Here are some of the key discoveries made in 2023 by the James Webb Space Telescope that are expanding our view of the cosmos.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots ‘Unusual’ and ‘Enigmatic’ Features on Ice Giant Uranus

Micah Hanks·December 19, 2023

NASA has released stunning new imagery of the ice giant Uranus captured by its premiere space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope.

Scientists Report First Spectrographic Analysis of “Ghosts” in New Study of Rare Atmospheric Phenomenon

Micah Hanks·December 14, 2023

Astronomers have successfully obtained spectroscopic data on a rare atmospheric phenomenon known as “ghosts,” according to new research.

NASA Identifies 17 Potentially Habitable Earth-Sized Icy Worlds, Including Two Cosmic Nearby Neighbors

Christopher Plain·December 14, 2023

A team of NASA researchers says they have identified 17 potentially habitable icy worlds including two that are cosmically nearby, which may have subsurface oceans teeming with extraterrestrial life.

New Plasma Instability Discovery Could Revolutionize Our Understanding of Cosmic Rays

Micah Hanks·December 13, 2023

Scientists in Germany report the discovery of a new plasma instability could potentially upend our current understanding of cosmic rays and their origins.

Has Dark Matter’s Identity Been Revealed? Scientists Searching for Mysterious Hypothetical Particle May Soon Have an Answer

Micah Hanks·December 12, 2023

Scientists may be closing in on the mystery of dark matter, in new research that may link it to the existence of a hypothetical particle.

The First and Only Exomoons Ever Discovered Orbiting Distant Planets May Be Something Else Entirely

Christopher Plain·December 8, 2023

Astronomers studying the first and only two exomoons ever discovered outside our solar system say deeper investigations now reveal they don't exist.

A Celestial Object “Too Large to Exist” Has Been Detected by Astronomers, Upending Past Theories on Planetary Formation

Micah Hanks·December 7, 2023

Researchers say the discovery of a planet too large for its nearest star is challenging existing theories about planetary and solar system formation.

NASA Funded Experiments Show Detecting Signs of Life in Water Ejected from Enceladus is Viable

Christopher Plain·December 6, 2023

Experiments funded by NASA show that sending a probe to Enceladus to search for extraterrestrial life is viable.

James Webb Space Telescope Rediscovers Mysterious Vanishing Ghost Galaxy Astronomers Are Calling a “Monster”

Micah Hanks·December 5, 2023

The James Webb Space Telescope has relocated a ghostly dusty galaxy originally detected by ground telescopes before it mysteriously vanished.

250-Mile-High View of Mars Catches Glimpse of a Mystery Lurking in Orbit Above the Red Planet (Images)

Micah Hanks·December 1, 2023

An uncommon view of the Martian horizon was recently obtained by NASA’s Odyssey orbiter, in new images that offer a glimpse at one of the most mysterious objects orbiting the Red Planet.

James Webb Space Telescope Has Spotted Something Hiding Behind a Luminous Object in the Perseus Dark Nebula

Micah Hanks·November 29, 2023

New imagery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope shows a glowing region around a young star and reveals a hidden surprise.

Rogue Star Encounter Could Spell Certain Doom for Earth and the Solar System, Scientists Warn

Micah Hanks·November 28, 2023

The future of planet Earth could be threatened if it were ever to have a close encounter with a rogue star, according to new research.

Astronomers Baffled By Mysterious Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray Coming from Nearly Empty Void in Space

Christopher Plain·November 24, 2023

An international team of researchers says they have detected an ultra-high energy cosmic ray originating from a nearly empty void in space.

‘Vampire Star’ Discovery Reveals Triple Stellar Secret That Could Upend Our Theories of Star Evolution

Micah Hanks·November 21, 2023

New research has revealed an unusual “vampire star” discovery that could have a significant impact on our understanding of stellar formation.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots Features in the Heart of Our Galaxy Astronomers Can’t Yet Explain

Micah Hanks·November 20, 2023

The newest image produced by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope showcases features that NASA says astronomers “have yet to explain.”

Chinese Rocket Carrying a Secret Payload Left an Odd Double Crater as It Smashed into the Moon. Now Scientists Want Answers.

Micah Hanks·November 20, 2023

A team of Arizona astronomers says they know the identity of a mysterious object that collided with the Moon last year, and that it was carrying an unknown payload.

Something “Peculiar” Was Tracked Over a Sunspot by Scientists for Several Days. Now They Have Revealed What It Was.

Micah Hanks·November 14, 2023

For more than a week, a team of astronomers watched something unusual after it appeared nearly 25,000 miles above a dark patch on the surface of the Sun.

NASA Just Lost Communication with Its Robot Scientists on Mars. This Phenomenon is to Blame.

Micah Hanks·November 13, 2023

NASA has temporarily lost the ability to communicate with its Mars fleet, thanks to a phenomenon that occurs every two years.

Look: Stunning First Euclid Telescope Images Unveil Stark Cosmic Beauty, as the ESA Embarks on Investigations of the Dark Universe

Micah Hanks·November 13, 2023

The ESA's stunning first Euclid telescope images offer an unprecedented glimpse at our universe, and clues to the nature of its dark side.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots Strangely Familiar Looking Celestial Object That May Upend Theories of Galactic Formation

Micah Hanks·November 13, 2023

An ancient spiral galaxy spotted by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope could upset existing theories about galactic formation.

European Satellite Spots Mysterious Glow Coming From Mars

Christopher Plain·November 10, 2023

A mysterious glow coming from Mars was recently spotted by a European Space Agency satellite studying the red planet's atmosphere.

Clues to the Riddle of Planet Formation Are Revealed in Latest James Webb Space Telescope Breakthrough

Micah Hanks·November 9, 2023

A major discovery is offering clues to the mysterious formation of planets, thanks to new observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Exoplanet Hunters May Have Better Luck Searching for “Jurassic Worlds”, New Study Says

MJ Banias·November 8, 2023

A new study says that telescopes could more easily detect exoplanets with higher levels of oxygen, akin to the Phanerozoic Eon when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Sky Watchers Around the World Report Unusual Phenomenon During Recent Colorful Aurora Borealis Display

Micah Hanks·November 7, 2023

During Sunday’s aurora borealis display, sky watchers logged several reports of an even more unusual phenomenon.

A NASA Spacecraft Just Had Its First Close Encounter with an Asteroid. Then It Spotted Something Else.

Micah Hanks·November 6, 2023

As NASA’s Lucy spacecraft recently made its approach toward the asteroid Dinkinesh, NASA technicians got a surprise: it wasn’t alone.

A Celestial Enigma First Spotted in the 11th Century is Revealed in Stunning New Detail by the James Webb Space Telescope

Micah Hanks·November 6, 2023

The mysterious Crab Nebula appears like it has never been seen in new images captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, revealing new clues about its origin.

Planetary Scientists Have Made a Scorching Discovery, With Help from a Retired Space Telescope

Micah Hanks·November 3, 2023

Scientists report the discovery of a system of scorching hot planets, revealed in new findings from data collected by NASA’s retired Kepler space telescope.