Hubble Observations Give “Missing” Globular Cluster Time to Shine – NASA Science

Hubble Observations Give “Missing” Globular Cluster Time to Shine – NASA Science

A previously unexplored globular cluster glitters with multicolored stars in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. Globular clusters like this one, called ESO 591-12 or Palomar 8, are spherical collections of tens of thousands to millions of stars tightly bound together by gravity. Globular clusters generally form early in the galaxies’ histories in regions rich … Read more

3 Years of Science: 10 Cosmic Surprises from NASA’s Webb Telescope – NASA Science

3 Years of Science: 10 Cosmic Surprises from NASA’s Webb Telescope – NASA Science

Since July 2022, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has been unwaveringly focused on our universe. With its unprecedented power to detect and analyze otherwise invisible infrared light, Webb is making observations that were once impossible, changing our view of the cosmos from the most distant galaxies to our own solar system. Webb was built with … Read more

NASA’s Roman to Peer Into Cosmic ‘Lenses’ to Better Define Dark Matter – NASA

NASA’s Roman to Peer Into Cosmic ‘Lenses’ to Better Define Dark Matter – NASA

A funky effect Einstein predicted, known as gravitational lensing — when a foreground galaxy magnifies more distant galaxies behind it — will soon become common when NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope begins science operations in 2027 and produces vast surveys of the cosmos. A particular subset of gravitational lenses, known as strong lenses, is … Read more

NASA’s Chandra Sees Surprisingly Strong Black Hole Jet at Cosmic “Noon” – NASA

NASA’s Chandra Sees Surprisingly Strong Black Hole Jet at Cosmic “Noon” – NASA

A black hole has blasted out a surprisingly powerful jet in the distant universe, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and discussed in our latest press release. This jet exists early enough in the cosmos that it is being illuminated by the leftover glow from the big bang itself. Astronomers used … Read more

3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data – NASA Science

3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data – NASA Science

Black holes are invisible to us unless they interact with something else. Some continuously eat gas and dust, and appear to glow brightly over time as matter falls in. But other black holes secretly lie in wait for years until a star comes close enough to snack on. A new study using space and ground-based … Read more

How Big is Space? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode: 61 – NASA

How Big is Space? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode: 61 – NASA

How big is space? Space is really big. Thinking about our solar system, let’s imagine you could get in a car and drive to Pluto at highway speeds. It would take you about 6,000 years to get there. When we start to think about other stars outside of our solar system, we need to think … Read more

NASA Telescopes Tune Into a Black Hole Prelude, Fugue – NASA

NASA Telescopes Tune Into a Black Hole Prelude, Fugue – NASA

NASA released three new pieces of cosmic sound Thursday that are associated with the densest and darkest members of our universe: black holes. These scientific productions are sonifications — or translations into sound — of data collected by NASA telescopes in space including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope, and Imaging X-ray Polarimetry … Read more

NASA’s Hubble Pinpoints Roaming Massive Black Hole – NASA Science

NASA’s Hubble Pinpoints Roaming Massive Black Hole – NASA Science

Like a scene out of a sci-fi movie, astronomers using NASA telescopes have found “Space Jaws.” Lurking 600 million light-years away, within the inky black depths between stars, there is an invisible monster gulping down any wayward star that plummets toward it. The sneaky black hole betrayed its presence in a newly identified tidal disruption … Read more

NASA’s NICER Maps Debris From Recurring Cosmic Crashes – NASA Science

NASA’s NICER Maps Debris From Recurring Cosmic Crashes – NASA Science

Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí. For the first time, astronomers have probed the physical environment of repeating X-ray outbursts near monster black holes thanks to data from NASA’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) and other missions. Scientists have only recently encountered this class of X-ray flares, called QPEs, or quasi-periodic eruptions. … Read more

NASA’s Roman Mission Shares Detailed Plans to Scour Skies – NASA

NASA’s Roman Mission Shares Detailed Plans to Scour Skies – NASA

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team shared Thursday the designs for the three core surveys the mission will conduct after launch. These observation programs are designed to investigate some of the most profound mysteries in astrophysics while enabling expansive cosmic exploration that will revolutionize our understanding of the universe. “Roman’s setting out to do … Read more