Observatories and Telescopes
148 reportsTo assess how observing time is assigned, reports compare science data archives, wavelength coverage, and interferometry. They also ask how telescopes collect light, comparing competing models without treating agreement as proof of mechanism.
Hubble Data Point to a Possible Second-Generation Planet
NASA Hubble observations of the white dwarf HS 0209+0832 reveal a chemical clue consistent with a Jupiter-sized planet formed from material shed after its star became a red giant
Webb Reveals Stellar Jets Carving Through NGC 7129
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has resolved protostars and stellar outflows in NGC 7129, about 3,300 light-years away, showing how hot gas carves cavities while compressed clouds continue producing new stars.
Hubble Data Point to a Possible Planet Born After Its Star Died
Reanalyzed NASA Hubble spectroscopy and archival FUSE ultraviolet data reveal extreme niobium enrichment around the white dwarf HS 0209+0832, while TESS detected a 4.4-day brightness cycle consistent with-but not proving-the presence of a close-orbiting gas-giant candidate.
Webb Traces Planet Shattering Collisions Around Young Stars
James Webb and Spitzer observations of 21 rare extreme debris disks show how mineral fingerprints distinguish Mars-scale planetary impacts from smaller collisions that reshape young stellar systems
Swift Boost Mission Ends Without Raising Its Orbit
NASA's attempt to lift the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory ended after its commercial servicing spacecraft developed communications and orientation problems, but the mission still produced valuable operational lessons for future in-space servicing.
Hubble Reveals a Spiral Galaxy With Arms That Avoid Its Core
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured NGC 4698, a spiral galaxy about 55 million light-years away in Virgo, with arms concentrated in an outer ring-like disk rather than winding into its bright center.
Chandra Finds 84 Hypersoft X-ray Sources Across Six Nearby Galaxies
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has identified 84 hypersoft X-ray sources in six nearby galaxies. Their concentration of very low-energy X-rays may offer clues to Type Ia supernova progenitors and the ultraviolet radiation environment between galaxies.
XRISM Tracks Stellar Wind Falling Onto a Pulsar
XRISM has traced iron-rich plasma moving toward the pulsar GX 301-2 at about 540,000 kph, providing spectroscopic evidence that a neutron star captures its giant companion's stellar wind and powers recurring X-ray flares.
COSI Detector Assembly Moves Toward Gamma-Ray Science
A detector assembly for NASA's COSI gamma-ray telescope was raised from a laboratory table on July 8, 2026, revealing hardware designed to study matter, antimatter and dying stars as the mission prepares for a planned 2027 launch.
Hubble captures a spiral galaxy with a twisted core
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has imaged NGC 4698, a spiral galaxy in Virgo whose central bulge and inner rotation axis are set at right angles to its disk, hinting at a past shaped by external gas or a minor merger.
Youngest exoplanet yet found emerges from archival telescope data
Astronomers have identified Elias 2-24 b, the youngest known exoplanet, using direct imaging techniques and archival data from the Keck Observatory. The planet is less than a million years old and still sits within its birth disk.
Neil deGrasse Tyson releases Lost in Space, a new encyclopedia of the cosmos
Neil deGrasse Tyson and Lindsey Nyx Walker introduce Lost in Space, a 400-page National Geographic encyclopedia packed with thousands of facts, images, and profiles of planets, telescopes, and cosmic phenomena.
Webb spots puzzling changes in Chariklo's rings between Saturn and Uranus
The James Webb Space Telescope has recorded unexpected changes in the rings of Chariklo, a small centaur object between Saturn and Uranus, challenging assumptions about the stability of minor ring systems in the outer solar system.
Hubble captures a superbubble shaping star formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud
A new Hubble Space Telescope image reveals a vast cavity in nebula LHA 120-N44, showing how massive stars reshape their surroundings and spark new star birth in a neighboring galaxy.
AI reconstructs black hole jet motion from decades of radio data
A new AI-driven analysis of 27 years of radio telescope data has produced the sharpest reconstruction yet of a black hole jet, revealing unexpected details about plasma motion in the blazar 3C 345
September sky offers rare view of five planets and the Harvest Moon
Astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere can observe all five naked-eye planets and the Harvest Moon this September as earlier sunsets and mild weather create optimal conditions for stargazing
ALMA reveals chaotic birth of massive binary stars in real time
Astronomers using ALMA have reconstructed the formation of a massive binary star system just 5,300 light-years away, finding evidence that the two stars joined forces only decades ago rather than forming together
Landsat 8 Captures Anak Krakatau Eruption from Orbit
NASA and USGS's Landsat 8 satellite recorded Anak Krakatau's eruption as volcanic gas and ash reached the atmosphere, grounding flights and halting local activity while the volcano remains active
Gemini North Telescope Captures Spiral Galaxies in Active Merger
A new image from the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea reveals two spiral galaxies, NGC 7253, in the process of merging. The observation, led by local students, highlights the dynamic interactions that drive galaxy evolution
Crescent Moon to Occult Jupiter in Rare Daytime Event
A rare daytime occultation will see the Moon pass in front of Jupiter on September 8, with the best viewing opportunities for North America. Observers will need careful planning and optical aid to catch the event in daylight
Webb Telescope Reveals Rare O-Type Star Cluster in Carina Nebula
A new James Webb Space Telescope image exposes a dense cluster of newborn stars, including a rare O-type giant, inside the Treasure Chest globule in the Carina Nebula, offering a detailed look at early stellar evolution in one of the Milky Way's most active star-forming regions
NASA adds new Goldstone antenna to expand deep space communications
NASA has activated a new 34 meter antenna at Goldstone to increase the Deep Space Network's capacity as Artemis and other missions strain existing communication infrastructure
Venus Reveals Its Crescent Phase as It Approaches Inferior Conjunction
Venus is now visible as a striking crescent through small telescopes as it draws closer to Earth and prepares to pass between our planet and the Sun, offering a rare chance to observe its changing phases and orbital motion
MeerKAT Telescope Maps Ancient Hydrogen Across Billions of Light Years
Researchers using South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope have detected faint hydrogen signals from galaxies 4 to 5 billion light-years away, offering a new approach to mapping the universe's large-scale structure through radio intensity mapping
Hubble Reveals Giant Superbubble Structure in Large Magellanic Cloud
A new Hubble Space Telescope image captures the nebula N44 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, highlighting a vast superbubble at its center and offering fresh insight into the impact of massive stars on their galactic environment
Comet McNaught Surges in Brightness After Solar Outbursts
Comet 220P/McNaught unexpectedly brightened by a factor of 20,000 during two recent outbursts near its closest approach to the Sun, offering a rare opportunity for telescopic observation before it fades from view
BepiColombo Prepares for Dual Mercury Orbit as Separation Nears
After nearly eight years in transit, ESA and JAXA's BepiColombo mission is set to split into two orbiters at Mercury, aiming to resolve key questions about the planet's surface, magnetic field, and formation using coordinated observations.
Hubble Reveals Giant 10-Sided Cloud Structure at Saturn's South Pole
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have identified a vast, ten-sided atmospheric pattern encircling Saturn's south pole, challenging assumptions about the planet's unique polar weather and raising new questions about giant planet meteorology
Falcon Heavy Launches NASA's Roman Telescope Toward Deep Space Science
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has launched NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, sending the observatory on a million-mile journey to its operational orbit beyond Earth
Early Universe Black Holes May Be Smaller Than JWST First Suggested
New analysis of James Webb Space Telescope data indicates that supermassive black holes in young galaxies may be far less massive than previously estimated, challenging earlier assumptions about their rapid growth and the evolution of early cosmic structures
BepiColombo Prepares for Critical Mercury Arrival Maneuver
ESA and JAXA's BepiColombo spacecraft will soon separate its orbiters for Mercury capture, marking a pivotal phase in the mission's multi-year journey to study the planet's surface and magnetic environment
Pioneer 11's Saturn Flyby Tested the Limits of Deep Space Navigation
NASA's Pioneer 11 spacecraft became the first probe to traverse Saturn's rings in 1979, gathering data on the planet's moons, rings, and magnetic field while clearing the way for later missions to the outer solar system
Roman Space Telescope Launch Draws Attention Amid Policy Reversal
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched successfully, marking a milestone for infrared astronomy after years of budget uncertainty and political debate over its funding and future
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Prepares for Launch and Legacy
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named for the agency's first chief astronomer, is nearing launch. The mission aims to investigate dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets with advanced infrared instruments
Nancy Grace Roman's Legacy: The Astronomer Who Shaped NASA's Vision
As NASA prepares to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the story of its namesake-pioneering astronomer and the agency's first chief of astronomy-offers insight into the evolution of space science and the people who shaped it
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