First Images From Project 1640
After six years of development, Project 1640 is underway and using new technology on the Palomar Observatory’s 200-inch Hale telescope near San Diego, California to…
Astronomy News
Herschel Image of the Vela C Region
A new image from the European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Observatory shows Vela C, a massive star nursery that is 2,300 light-years from the Sun…
RadioAstron, An International Project for VLBI Observations in Space
Using interferometric measurements to achieve extremely high angular resolutions, the RadioAstron mission will enable astronomers to study scientific topics like particle acceleration near supermassive black…
Mysterious Disappearance of Dust Ring Leaves Astronomers Searching for Solutions
First seen by the NASA Infrared Astronomical Satellite in 1983, the dusty disk around a young sun-like star called TYC 8241 2652 has disappeared, leaving…
“Impossible” Discovery, Red Dwarf Binaries with Orbital Periods of 2.5 Hours
While studying the brightness of stars in near-infrared light, a team of astronomers discovered several red dwarf binaries with orbital periods significantly shorter than the…
Dark Matter Filament in Galaxy Supercluster Directly Measured
A filament of dark matter, which works like the Universe’s backbone, and dictates where galaxies can form, was observed for the first time by astronomers…
In McNeil’s Nebula, Protostar V1647 Ori Flaunts its X-ray Spots
Located about 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Orion, protostar V1647 Ori gave astronomers the first direct evidence that a protostar surges in X-ray activity…
Herbig-Haro 110, A Geyser of Hot Gas Flowing from a Newborn Star
A new image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows Herbig-Haro 110, a geyser of hot gas flowing from a newborn star. Although Herbig–Haro (HH) objects…
Flame Nebula Burns Bright in New WISE Image
Using data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer’s four infrared bands, scientists have released a new image showing a vast cloud of gas and dust…
A Molecular Directional Dark Matter Detector Made From Gold and DNA
Scientists are working on a directional dark matter detector that will use strands of DNA and gold in order to detect the elusive non-baryonic matter….
Possibly the Fastest Moving Pulsar Ever Detected – Traveling at 6 Million MPH
Using three different telescopes, scientists found evidence of a pulsar moving at a speed between 5.4 million and 6.5 million miles per hour at a…
Near Miss Asteroid – An Opportunity To Test a Rapid Response Program
As an international team of astronomers continues to monitor the skies for approaching asteroids, the recent approach of a 23-foot-wide asteroid gave scientists an opportunity…
Cassini Data Reveals Likely Subsurface Ocean on Titan
By using data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft to measure variations in the gravitational pull of Titan, researchers were able to determine Titan’s internal structure, finding…
New Planet Weighing Technique Measures Non-Transiting Planet’s Mass
Using a new method that involves studying the carbon monoxide signature of a planet’s atmosphere, scientists were able to measure the exact mass of a…
Searching for Molecular Oxygen in the Orion Nebula
Using the Herschel Space Observatory, CfA astronomers led a team in search of molecular oxygen in the Orion Nebula, reporting that they still did not…
NASA Data Reveals Significant Changes in Exoplanet’s Atmosphere
Similar to Jupiter, exoplanet HD 189733b is a gas giant that circles its star, named HD 189733A, at a distance of only 3 million miles…
Gravitational Wave Detection
The hunt for gravitational waves continues to move forward as theoretical studies and enhancements to gravitational wave detectors help guide researchers. Astronomers have long relied…
Gas Cloud Headed Towards Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole
While monitoring the movement of stars around the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, astronomers discovered an ionized gas cloud with a…