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James Webb Offers First Glimpse Into How Moons Are Built Around Distant Planets
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected carbon-bearing molecules in a moon-forming disk surrounding CT Cha b, a massive planet-like object orbiting a young star 625 light-years away. The discovery marks the first measurement of its kind and offers clues to how moons like those around Jupiter and Saturn might have formed.
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Hubble Spots White Dwarf Devouring Icy Pluto-Like Planet 260 Light-Years Away
Using Hubble’s ultraviolet spectrograph, scientists detected carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and abundant oxygen falling onto a white dwarf 260 light-years away, evidence of an icy planetesimal being torn apart. The find shows volatile worlds can persist into a star’s final stages, offering a preview of the Sun’s distant fate.
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Not Like Venus Or Mars, Distant Exoplanet May Have Atmosphere Like Earth's
A distant exoplanet might have an atmosphere similar to Earth's, early observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest. It is part of a group of planets orbiting a star called TRAPPIST-1, about 40 light-years away from Earth.
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Exoplanets Explained: How Astronomers Find Worlds Orbiting Stars Beyond the Sun
Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars outside our solar system, hidden by stellar glare and detected indirectly. Astronomers identify them by tracking star wobbles or dips in brightness during planetary transits. NASA’s Kepler mission revealed thousands, with TESS now expanding the search. These discoveries confirm that planetary systems are abun...
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Earendel: JWST Suggests the Most Distant Star May Be a Star Cluster
Earendel, the farthest object ever seen, was first thought to be a single massive star from the early universe. New findings from JWST suggest it may instead be a star cluster, with many stars grouped together. Scientists used gravitational lensing to spot Earendel, which made its light appear thousands of times brighter.
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New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
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NASA's New Horizons Proves Deep-Space Navigation via Stellar Parallax
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft accomplished a world-first by performing a deep-space stellar navigation test using stellar parallax. On April 23, 2020, while 438 million miles from Earth, it imaged nearby stars Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359. From the spacecraft’s distant viewpoint, the stars appeared slightly shifted compared to Earth-based obs...
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Webb Telescope Spots Possible Jellyfish Galaxy 12 Billion Light-Years Away
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a possible jellyfish galaxy about 12 billion light-years away. Named COSMOS2020-635829, it shows tentacle-like streams of gas and stars trailing off one side—likely formed through ram pressure stripping in a dense cluster. If confirmed, it would be the most distant jellyfish galaxy ...
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James Webb Telescope Maps Fiery Atmosphere of Turbulent Exoplanet WASP-121b
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled the turbulent history of WASP-121b, a scorching exoplanet distorted by its star’s gravity. New atmospheric data reveals unusual molecules like silicon monoxide and methane, shedding light on the planet’s violent migration and extreme climate. These findings challenge current models and enhance un...
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Hubble Spots Isolated Barred Spiral Galaxy That’s Secretly Part of a Cosmic Duo
Hubble’s latest view features NGC 3507, a barred spiral galaxy in Leo, secretly traveling with its companion NGC 3501. Though only one is captured in the frame, both are spiral galaxies seen from different angles, offering a dual cosmic perspective. The image also reveals nearby stars and faint, distant galaxies across the backdrop of deep space.
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Quantum Tech Could Finally Let Astronomers Snap Direct Images of Earth-Like Exoplanets
Astronomers are harnessing quantum mechanics to build a coronagraph that could directly image Earth-like exoplanets previously obscured by stellar glare. By sorting light waves at the photon level, the device bypasses traditional diffraction limits, revealing faint planetary signals. This breakthrough may redefine how scientists explore distant wor...
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NASA's James Webb Telescope Spots Frozen Water In Distant Star System For The First Time
Crystalline water ice has been found in a dusty debris disk that orbits a Sun-like star, only 23 million years old, 155 light-years away.
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Hubble Captures Mars, Cosmic Nebulae, and Distant Galaxies in Spectacular 35th Anniversary Photos
To celebrate 35 years in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has released breathtaking new images of Mars, a planetary nebula, and a distant spiral galaxy. Since its 1990 launch, Hubble has captured nearly 1.7 million observations and continues to awe scientists and stargazers alike with vivid cosmic scenes that reveal the ever-changing beauty of our...
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Astronomers "Astonished" After Oxygen Detected In Most Distant Galaxy
Oxygen has been detected in the most distant galaxy ever discovered, surprised astronomers said Thursday, offering further evidence that stars in the early universe matured far quicker than had been thought possible.
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Unusual X-ray Flash in Large Magellanic Cloud Puzzles Astronomers
A brief yet intense X-ray flash, XRT 200515, was detected in NASA's Chandra telescope data from 2000. The signal, originating from the Large Magellanic Cloud, has left scientists debating its cause. Possible explanations include a neutron star pulling in gas from a companion star or a powerful flare from a distant magnetar. Researchers also specula...
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James Webb Offers First Glimpse Into How Moons Are Built Around Distant Planets
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected carbon-bearing molecules in a moon-forming disk surrounding CT Cha b, a massive planet-like object orbiting a young star 625 light-years away. The discovery marks the first measurement of its kind and offers clues to how moons like those around Jupiter and Saturn might have formed.
-
Hubble Spots White Dwarf Devouring Icy Pluto-Like Planet 260 Light-Years Away
Using Hubble’s ultraviolet spectrograph, scientists detected carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and abundant oxygen falling onto a white dwarf 260 light-years away, evidence of an icy planetesimal being torn apart. The find shows volatile worlds can persist into a star’s final stages, offering a preview of the Sun’s distant fate.
-
Not Like Venus Or Mars, Distant Exoplanet May Have Atmosphere Like Earth's
A distant exoplanet might have an atmosphere similar to Earth's, early observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest. It is part of a group of planets orbiting a star called TRAPPIST-1, about 40 light-years away from Earth.
-
Exoplanets Explained: How Astronomers Find Worlds Orbiting Stars Beyond the Sun
Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars outside our solar system, hidden by stellar glare and detected indirectly. Astronomers identify them by tracking star wobbles or dips in brightness during planetary transits. NASA’s Kepler mission revealed thousands, with TESS now expanding the search. These discoveries confirm that planetary systems are abun...
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Earendel: JWST Suggests the Most Distant Star May Be a Star Cluster
Earendel, the farthest object ever seen, was first thought to be a single massive star from the early universe. New findings from JWST suggest it may instead be a star cluster, with many stars grouped together. Scientists used gravitational lensing to spot Earendel, which made its light appear thousands of times brighter.
-
New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
-
NASA's New Horizons Proves Deep-Space Navigation via Stellar Parallax
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft accomplished a world-first by performing a deep-space stellar navigation test using stellar parallax. On April 23, 2020, while 438 million miles from Earth, it imaged nearby stars Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359. From the spacecraft’s distant viewpoint, the stars appeared slightly shifted compared to Earth-based obs...
-
Webb Telescope Spots Possible Jellyfish Galaxy 12 Billion Light-Years Away
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a possible jellyfish galaxy about 12 billion light-years away. Named COSMOS2020-635829, it shows tentacle-like streams of gas and stars trailing off one side—likely formed through ram pressure stripping in a dense cluster. If confirmed, it would be the most distant jellyfish galaxy ...
-
James Webb Telescope Maps Fiery Atmosphere of Turbulent Exoplanet WASP-121b
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled the turbulent history of WASP-121b, a scorching exoplanet distorted by its star’s gravity. New atmospheric data reveals unusual molecules like silicon monoxide and methane, shedding light on the planet’s violent migration and extreme climate. These findings challenge current models and enhance un...
-
Hubble Spots Isolated Barred Spiral Galaxy That’s Secretly Part of a Cosmic Duo
Hubble’s latest view features NGC 3507, a barred spiral galaxy in Leo, secretly traveling with its companion NGC 3501. Though only one is captured in the frame, both are spiral galaxies seen from different angles, offering a dual cosmic perspective. The image also reveals nearby stars and faint, distant galaxies across the backdrop of deep space.
-
Quantum Tech Could Finally Let Astronomers Snap Direct Images of Earth-Like Exoplanets
Astronomers are harnessing quantum mechanics to build a coronagraph that could directly image Earth-like exoplanets previously obscured by stellar glare. By sorting light waves at the photon level, the device bypasses traditional diffraction limits, revealing faint planetary signals. This breakthrough may redefine how scientists explore distant wor...
-
NASA's James Webb Telescope Spots Frozen Water In Distant Star System For The First Time
Crystalline water ice has been found in a dusty debris disk that orbits a Sun-like star, only 23 million years old, 155 light-years away.
-
Hubble Captures Mars, Cosmic Nebulae, and Distant Galaxies in Spectacular 35th Anniversary Photos
To celebrate 35 years in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has released breathtaking new images of Mars, a planetary nebula, and a distant spiral galaxy. Since its 1990 launch, Hubble has captured nearly 1.7 million observations and continues to awe scientists and stargazers alike with vivid cosmic scenes that reveal the ever-changing beauty of our...
-
Astronomers "Astonished" After Oxygen Detected In Most Distant Galaxy
Oxygen has been detected in the most distant galaxy ever discovered, surprised astronomers said Thursday, offering further evidence that stars in the early universe matured far quicker than had been thought possible.
-
Unusual X-ray Flash in Large Magellanic Cloud Puzzles Astronomers
A brief yet intense X-ray flash, XRT 200515, was detected in NASA's Chandra telescope data from 2000. The signal, originating from the Large Magellanic Cloud, has left scientists debating its cause. Possible explanations include a neutron star pulling in gas from a companion star or a powerful flare from a distant magnetar. Researchers also specula...
