Newswise Feature Channel: Space and Astronomy

Astronomers Find Earth-Like Exoplanets Common Across the Cosmos

Ohio State University — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:05:30 EST

Using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), an international team of researchers has discovered that super-Earth exoplanets are more common across the universe than previously thought, according to a new study.

EMBARGOED: Is Our Universe the Ultimate Computer?

University of Portsmouth — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 06:25:00 EST

Study introduces a new way to think about gravity - not just as a pull, but as something that happens when the universe is trying to stay organised Gravity is the result of a computational process within the universe Gravity may be caused by the way matter is organised in the universe

Desde Chile capturan un nido estelar escondido en una oscura nebulosa

NSF's NOIRLab — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:30:43 EST

La sombra que se proyecta en medio del campo de estrellas de la imagen, y que se la conoce como nube molecular Circinus Oeste, corresponde a una guarderia estelar donde las estrellas incipientes se encienden a partir de zonas densas y frias de gas y polvo, mientras que chorros de salida lanzan el material sobrante al espacio. El exquisito detalle de la fotografia se logro gracias a la Camara de Energia Oscura de 570 megapixeles del Observatorio Cerro Tololo, en Chile, una de las camaras digitales mas poderosas en el mundo fabricada por el Departamento de Energia de Estados Unidos.

Circinus West: A Dark Nebula Harboring a Nest of Newly Formed Stars

NSF's NOIRLab — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:30:03 EST

A celestial shadow known as the Circinus West molecular cloud creeps across this image captured from Chile with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera -- one of the most powerful digital cameras in the world. Within this stellar nursery's opaque boundaries, infant stars ignite within cold, dense gas and dust, while outflows hurtle leftover material into space.

Astronomers Find Far-flung "Super Earths" Are Not Farfetched

Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:05:56 EST

A new study shows that planets bigger than Earth and smaller than Neptune are common outside the Solar System. The same international team including astronomers from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) has also announced the discovery of a planet about twice the size of Earth orbiting its star farther out than Saturn is to the Sun.

New Theory Suggests Stars Dissolve Into Neutrons to Forge Heavy Elements

Los Alamos National Laboratory — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 19:00:46 EST

New theory suggests stars dissolve into neutrons to forge heavy elements

The 'Spacecraft Speedometer' Is a New, Innovative Way to Track Satellites

Los Alamos National Laboratory — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 19:00:39 EST

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the United States Air Force Academy have developed a novel instrument called the Spacecraft Speedometer -- a compact, resource-efficient device -- capable of determining the velocity of a satellite in while it is in orbit around Earth or even other planets.

Largest Imaging Spectro-Polarimeter Achieves First Light at the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

National Solar Observatory — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:00:00 EST

The U.S. National Science Foundation Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope marked a milestone with its Visible Tunable Filter (VTF) achieving first light, producing its first image of the Sun. As the world's largest spectro-polarimeter, VTF will provide unprecedented views of the Sun's magnetic fields.

Gritty UAH Student Team Overcomes Setbacks to Place Third in 2025 NASA HERC Rover Challenge

University of Alabama Huntsville — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:05:48 EST

Engineering students from The University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) suffered a failure of the support system for the left rear wheel during their competition on April 11, 2025, while competing in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC).It's often said that one of the hardest things to accomplish in team competitions is a "three-peat" - winning three championships in a row.

Eye on Infinity: NASA Celebrates Hubble's 35th Year in Orbit

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:10:16 EST

In celebration of the Hubble Space Telescope's 35 years in Earth orbit, NASA is releasing today an assortment of compelling images recently take by Hubble, stretching from the planet Mars to spectacular star forming regions, to a magnificent neighboring galaxy. After over three decades of perusing the restless universe, Hubble remains a household word as the most well-recognized telescope in scientific history. The Hubble mission is a glowing success story of America's technological prowess and unyielding scientific curiosity, and a reiteration of our nation's pioneering spirit. Perched above Earth's blurry atmosphere, Hubble's crystal-clear views have been nothing less than transformative for the public's perception of the cosmos. Through its evocative imagery, Hubble has made astronomy relevant, engaging, and accessible for people of all ages. Among its long list of breakthroughs: Hubble's deep field images unveiled myriad galaxies dating back to the early universe. The telescope

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Launches Nationwide Astronomy Program for Rural Schools

Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:10:07 EST

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) is launching a nationwide strategic investment in the future of rural education called Smithsonian Scientists Taking Astronomy to Rural Schools (STARS). The Smithsonian STARS program will equip schools with a donated telescope, accessories such as solar lenses, ongoing teacher training, and aligned astronomy lessons designed to inspire curiosity and strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for the nation's approximately 9.8 million rural schoolchildren.

Pump-Induced Stimulated Superradiant Smith-Purcell Radiation with Ultra-Narrow Linewidth

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 10:35:11 EST

Free electron lasers have unique advantages of high power, wide frequency tunablility and et al, however, they face challenge in narrowing the spectral linewidth. Scientists in China proposed and realized the pump-induced stimulated superradiant Smith-Purcell radiation (PIS-SPR) and achieved an ultra-narrow spectral linewidth of 0.3 kHz at ~0.3 THz in a compact device.

Astroparticle Physics: Neutrinos Weigh Less Than 0.45 Electronvolts

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 06:25:18 EST

The international KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has once again surpassed its own achievements. The latest data establish an upper limit of 0.45 eV/c2 (equivalent to 8 x 10-37 kilograms) for the neutrino mass. With this result, KATRIN, which measures neutrino mass in the laboratory using a model-independent method, has once again set a world record. The researchers have published their results in the journal Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.adq9592).

Astronoma de NOIRLab descubre la galaxia espiral mas antigua que se conoce

NSF's NOIRLab — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:25:08 EST

Un equipo internacional de astronomos, liderados por la astronoma de NOIRLab de NSF Christina Williams, descubrio la galaxia espiral mas distante de la que se tenga registro hasta ahora. Se trata de Zhulong, que significa 'Dragon Antorcha' en la mitologia china, y corresponde a un sistema ultra masivo que ya existia a mil millones de anos despues del Big Bang, y que sin embargo, muestra una estructura sorprendentemente madura. Zhulong fue descubierta como parte del Estudio PANORAMIC Survey realizado en el Telescopio Espacial James Webb.

NSF NOIRLab Astronomer Discovers Oldest Known Spiral Galaxy in the Universe

NSF's NOIRLab — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:20:07 EST

An international team led by NSF NOIRLab astronomer Christina Williams has discovered the most distant spiral galaxy known to date. Named Zhulong, meaning 'Torch Dragon' in Chinese mythology, this ultra-massive system existed just one billion years after the Big Bang, and yet it shows a surprisingly mature structure. Zhulong was discovered as part of the PANORAMIC Survey conducted on the James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA's Chandra Releases New 3D Models of Cosmic Objects

Chandra X-ray Observatory — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:25:13 EST

New three-dimensional (3D) models of objects in space have been released by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. These 3D models allow people to explore - and print - examples of stars in the early and end stages of their lives. They also provide scientists with new avenues to investigate scientific questions and find insights about the objects they represent.

University of Hartford Hosts NASA and Its Prime Contractors

University of Hartford — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 19:30:24 EST

University of Hartford Hosts NASA and Its Prime Contractors

NASA's Hubble Tracks a Roaming Magnetar of Unknown Origin

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:35:52 EST

Researchers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered the magnetar called SGR 0501+4516 is traversing our galaxy from an unknown place of origin. Researchers say that this runaway object is the likeliest candidate in our Milky Way galaxy for a magnetar that was not born in a supernova explosion as initially predicted.

Magmatic Rocks with an Extraterrestrial Twist

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:30:42 EST

Some of the youngest lava flow dated on Mars is less than a million years old, which scientists consider to be very recent in terms of the galaxy's billions-of-years-long history. So, when Arya Udry's able to get her hands on a meteorite from Mars, it's an opportunity to learn more about the beginnings of the Red Planet, Earth, and the rest of the solar system.

Argonne's Physicists Are Redefining the Possible

Argonne National Laboratory — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:05:31 EST

Upgrades and new research at Argonne National Laboratory are helping physicists push boundaries, from basic science to the development of new technologies.