Using NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, scientists have discovered a black hole in a distant galaxy repeatedly nibbling on a Sun-like star. The object heralds a new era of…
Category: Astronomy
X-ray Mission Lifts Off To Study High-Energy Universe
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) lifted off on a H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 08:42 JST / 00:42…
XRISM: Next Major X-ray Mission Launched
The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) launched successfully on 7 September 2023 to observe the most energetic objects and events in the cosmos. In doing so, it will unveil…
Final Images Before Aeolus Demise
Looking at the ground track, the path on Earth that Aeolus was likely to fly over, it was clear that the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany would get a good view. Using their 34-m TIRA…
Webb Reveals New Structures Within Iconic Supernova
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has begun the study of one of the most renowned supernovae, SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). Located 168,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, SN…
Removal of Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Telescope from Maunakea Underway
Disassembly of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory’s 34-foot diameter telescope on Maunakea has begun. The current plan is to disassemble the telescope and its mirror into smaller parts and transport them…
Unprecedented Gamma-Ray Burst Explained By Long-Lived Jet
First large-scale numerical simulation of black hole-neutron star merger and resulting gamma-ray burst matches puzzling observations. Last year, Northwestern University researchers reported new observational evidence that long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can result…
Newly Discovered Exoplanet Has Longest Orbit Yet Detected by the TESS Mission
The frosty gas giant exoplanet was discovered in a system that also hosts a warm Jupiter. Of the more than 5,000 planets that exist beyond our solar system, most orbit…
Using Supernovae to Study Neutrinos’ Strange Properties
In a new study, researchers have taken an important step toward understanding how exploding stars can help reveal how neutrinos, mysterious subatomic particles, secretly interact with themselves. Cassiopeia A (Cas…
New JWST images of Supernova 1987A’s keyhole could unlock mysteries of exploding stars, astronomers claim
According to an international team of scientists, new images of a supernova and its remnant 168,000 light years from Earth have revealed clues about how exploding stars develop over time.…
