Frontier science, explained
Space, physics and materials news from NASA, NIST, ESA/Hubble, ESA/Webb, ESO, NOIRLab and ALMA.
NASA’s Hubble Shows Star Formation in Andromeda Galaxy Winding Down
NASA’s Hubble finds that star formation in the Andromeda galaxy has undergone a 500-million-year decline.
astrophysicsastrophysics divisiongalaxiesgoddard space flight centerhubble space telescope
NASA’s Swift Sees ‘Wandering’ Mega Black Hole Shredding Star
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory captured an “orphan” black hole lighting up as it devoured a star on the outskirts of a faraway galaxy. These phenomena are rare to begin with, and none had ever before been seen so far outside of a galaxy’s core.
astrophysicsblack holesgoddard space flight centerscience & researchsupermassive black holesthe universe
Hubble Spies One-Sided Spiral
This Hubble image features spiral galaxy NGC 4654, located 72 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo (the Maiden).
astrophysicsastrophysics divisiongalaxiesgoddard space flight centerhubble space telescopespiral galaxies
New ‘exomoon’ detection challenges cosmic labels
Observations made with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) have revealed evidence for a moon-like object in the CD-35 2722 system.
astrophysicsexoplanetsThe Starry Night Redux
The 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam) captures a vibrant scene, filled with swirls and stars reminiscent of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
astrophysicsgalaxies
Faintest planet ever imaged from Earth found after more than 10 years of hide-and-seek
A team of astronomers have discovered a third planet orbiting the star Beta Pictoris.
astrophysicsexoplanets
NASA’s Webb Discovers Hidden Planet in Famous Star System
Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a giant planet outside our solar system, called an exoplanet, hiding within one of the most intensely studied planetary systems in our Milky Way galaxy.
astrophysicsexoplanetsgoddard space flight centerscience & researchthe universewebb
NIST Receives New Patent for Microbe-Killing Water Heater
Warm water in household pipes can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
materialsALMA Discovers Chemically Rich Stellar Cradles Inside a Supernova Remnant
The first detection of hot molecular cores in a supernova remnant suggests that newborn stars can preserve complex organic molecules even in the harsh aftermath of a stellar explosion
astrophysicsstars
NASA’s Hubble Discovers First of Star Cluster’s Missing Black Holes
Astronomers using archival data from Hubble and supportive observations from Webb have located their first stellar-mass black hole in the star cluster Omega Centauri.
astrophysicsastrophysics divisionblack holesglobular clustersgoddard space flight centerhubble space telescopeNASA Space Telescope Maps Magnetic Fields of ‘Lighthouse’ Pulsar
For the first time, scientists have used NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) to directly measure the magnetic fields of PSR J1101−6101, a pulsar located within what is often referred to as the Lighthouse Nebula.
astrophysicsstars
New Fabric Test Material Could Help Strengthen Domestic Supply Chain for Textiles and Clothing
Researchers estimate that 56% of textiles can be recycled or recovered, but most don’t make it back into the domestic supply chain.
materials
Older than the Sun: Astronomers find new clues to the origin of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
Astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) to study the composition of 3I/ATLAS, the brightest interstellar object ever seen, in detail.
astrophysicsthe solar system
NASA Webb Uncovers Unusual Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision
In new images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before.
astrophysicselliptical galaxiesgalaxiesgoddard space flight centerinteracting galaxiesscience & research
NASA’s Hubble Spies Stellar Sparkler for July 4th
Red, white, and blue stars glitter like a sparkler being waved on a dark night in this new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
astrophysicsastrophysics divisionglobular clustersgoddard space flight centerhubble space telescopestar clusters