telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope confirms how far back in time Maise’s galaxy existed
Though it may not look like much in images, appearing as just a glowing orange blob of light, Maisie’s galaxy shows that when it comes to space, appearances can be deceptive. As one of the first objects captured by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope in the summer of 2022, this simple splotch represents the …
Webb Space Telescope Nearly Set to Explore the Solar System
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the next of NASA’s Great Observatories; following in the line of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. JWST combines the qualities of two of its predecessors, observing in infrared light, like Spitzer, with fine resolution, like Hubble. …
The James Webb Space Telescope can now track moving targets in our solar system
Near or far, the universe is brimming with wondrous mysteries. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is plowing through its remaining phases before beginning its exploration of the universe in earnest. Much of its studies will involve unspeakably distant stars and galaxies, the proper study of which requires extreme precision. But planets, their satellites, and asteroids …
Another Milestone! Webb Space Telescope Completes First Multi-Instrument Alignment
By NASA April 2, 2022 NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Northrup Grumman The sixth stage of aligning NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s mirrors to its scientific instruments so they will create the most accurate and focused images possible has concluded. While the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) continues its cooldown, …
Photos show the Arecibo telescope before and after collapse
The Arecibo Observatory’s radio telescope collapsed Tuesday morning, when its 900-ton suspended platform crashed into the enormous dish below. Arecibo was one of Earth’s best radio astronomy tools for 57 years. Its death is a blow to asteroid-tracking efforts and the hunt for alien life. Photos of the iconic telescope show what it looked like …
NASA telescope uncovers the cause of Betelgeuse’s mysterious dimming
Betelgeuse will go supernova and explode… eventually. ESO In the Before Times, when the coronavirus was only just beginning its grim march across the globe, our troubles were much farther away. About 640 light-years farther away, in fact. Astronomers observing Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star, had been puzzled by its mysterious dimming. Some believed the event, …
Desert telescope takes aim at ageing our Universe
Image copyright Debra Kellner Image caption The 6m Atacama telescope in Chile surveyed the Cosmic Microwave Background Another telescope has entered the debate about the age and expansion rate of the Universe. This topic has recently become the subject of an energetic to and fro among scientists using different astronomical facilities and techniques. The new …
Hubble telescope delivers stunning 30th birthday picture
Image copyright NASA/ESA It’s 30 years ago to the day that the Hubble telescope was launched – and to celebrate its birthday, the veteran observatory has produced another astonishing image of the cosmos. This one is of a star-forming region close to our Milky Way Galaxy, about 163,000 light-years from Earth. The larger object is …
Event Horizon Telescope: Black hole produces twisting jet
Image copyright Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration Image caption The right-hand image was captured with a less powerful telescope. It shows the jet streaming away to the lower-right. In the new EHT image on the left, scientists can now see detail where the jet connects to the accretion disc. The supermassive black hole will be somewhere …
Launching the Hubble Space Telescope: ‘Our window into the universe’
In 1990 the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, putting into orbit one of the most remarkable scientific instruments that has ever existed. But initially the mission ran into problems, including a flawed mirror that meant the first images from Hubble were blurry. Nasa astronaut Kathryn Sullivan was one of the five crew members who launched …
