See the wonders of the Milky Way in this new infrared map
The European Southern Observatory’s VISTA telescope has collected more than 500 terabytes of data on our galaxy......»»
Image: Hubble views a massive star forming
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is teeming with color and activity. It features a relatively close star-forming region known as IRAS 16562-3959, which lies within the Milky Way about 5,900 light-years from Earth in the constellati.....»»
Even if we can"t see the first stars, we could detect their impact on the first galaxies
For a long time, our understanding of the universe's first galaxies leaned heavily on theory. The light from that age only reached us after traveling for billions of years, and on the way, it was obscured and stretched into the infrared. Clues about.....»»
First operation of a two-color mode in an infrared free-electron laser
A technological milestone has been achieved at the Fritz Haber Institute (FHI) of the Max Planck Society in Berlin. For the first time, an infrared free-electron laser (FEL) has been operated in a two-color mode. This globally unique technology enabl.....»»
"Beyond what"s possible": New JWST observations unearth mysterious ancient galaxy
Our understanding of how galaxies form and the nature of dark matter could be completely upended after new observations of a stellar population bigger than the Milky Way from more than 11 billion years ago that should not exist......»»
Super-resolution microscopy harnesses digital display technology
In the ever-evolving realm of microscopy, recent years have witnessed remarkable strides in both hardware and algorithms, propelling our ability to explore the infinitesimal wonders of life. However, the journey towards three-dimensional structured i.....»»
Scientists identify water molecules on asteroids for the first time
Using data from the retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)—a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR—Southwest Research Institute scientists have discovered, for the first time, water molecules on the su.....»»
NASA"s new experimental antenna tracks deep space laser
An experimental antenna has received both radio frequency and near-infrared laser signals from NASA's Psyche spacecraft as it travels through deep space. This shows it's possible for the giant dish antennas of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), which c.....»»
Telescopes show the Milky Way"s black hole is ready for a kick
The supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way is spinning so quickly it is warping the spacetime surrounding it into a shape that can look like a football, according to a new study using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the.....»»
Whole-infrared-band camouflage with dual-band radiative heat dissipation
Camouflage refers to the ability to reduce the signal captured by detectors, thereby improving survival rates. However, the combination of detectors operating in multiple spectral bands poses a significant challenge, necessitating the development of.....»»
Astronomers measure the mass of the Milky Way by calculating how hard it is to escape
If you want to determine your mass, it's pretty easy. Just step on a scale and look at the number it gives you. That number tells you the gravitational pull of Earth upon you, so if you feel the number is too high, take comfort that Earth just finds.....»»
Searching in infrared finds a big collection of black hole star destruction
Many cases of black holes destroying stars were hidden behind dust. Enlarge (credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF/NASA) Virtually anything in space could be a potential meal for a supermassive black hole, and that includes entire stars......»»
New findings from JWST: How black holes switched from creating to quenching stars
Astronomers have long sought to understand the early universe, and thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a critical piece of the puzzle has emerged. The telescope's infrared detecting "eyes" have spotted an array of small, red dots, identi.....»»
Researchers discover new ways to excite spin waves with extreme infrared light
As demands for computing resources continue to increase rapidly, scientists and engineers are looking for ways to build faster systems for processing information. One possible solution is to use patterns of electron spins, called spin waves, to trans.....»»
Daily Telescope: Two large galaxies swimming in a sea of interstellar dust
"I think of the civilizations in those galaxies looking back at the Milky Way." Enlarge / Galaxies in a sea of interstellar dust. (credit: Chris McGrew) Welcome to the Daily Telescope. There is a little too much darkn.....»»
"Old smokers": Strange new type of star discovered in Milky Way
Nearing the end of their life, they sit quietly for long periods of time, barely noticeable, before suddenly puffing out a cloud of smoke......»»
Stars travel more slowly at Milky Way"s edge: Galaxy"s core may contain less dark matter than previously estimated
By clocking the speed of stars throughout the Milky Way galaxy, MIT physicists have found that stars further out in the galactic disk are traveling more slowly than expected compared to stars that are closer to the galaxy's center. The findings raise.....»»
"Old smokers" and "squalling newborns" among hidden stars spotted for first time
'Hidden' stars including a new type of elderly giant nicknamed 'old smoker' have been spotted for the first time by astronomers. The mystery objects exist at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy and can sit quietly for decades—fading almost to invisib.....»»
Scientists show that quantum infrared spectroscopy can achieve ultra-broadband spectroscopic measurements
Our understanding of the world relies greatly on our knowledge of its constituent materials and their interactions. Recent advances in materials science technologies have ratcheted up our ability to identify chemical substances and expanded possible.....»»
Astrophysical jet caught in a "speed trap"
The science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke selected his own seven wonders of the world in a BBC television series in 1997. The only astronomical object he included was SS 433. It had attracted attention already in the late 1970s due to its X-ray emi.....»»
Webb Telescope captures massive star-forming complex
This image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features an H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. This nebula, known as N79, is a region of interstellar atomic hydrogen that is ionized, capt.....»»