The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, successfully completed three planned scientific missions in phase one of the program, remaining airborne for ten hours on November 30, 2010 followed by additional overnight flights on the evenings of December 2nd ...
NASA Witnesses a Galactic Spectacle
NASA has recently released a marvelous image of two tangled galaxies, captured using three different telescopes: the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. A new image of two tangled galaxies has been released by ...
‘Catastrophic Event’ Behind Halt of Star Birth
Astronomers from Durham University have recently found evidence for a “catastrophic cosmic event” that is believed to be responsible for halting the birth of stars during the early universe. By focusing research on a specific galaxy, they studied its gravity ...
Herschel Space Observatory
The European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners (including NASA) are preparing to launch the Herschel Space Observatory into space. Formerly named the Far Infrared and Submillimetre Telescope (FIRST), Herschel will observe the far infrared and submillimeter wavelengths from stable ...
Giant Magellan Telescope Heads On
Nine research institutions on three continents have signed a founder’s agreement to construct and operate the Giant Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in the Andes Mountains of Chile. The telescope will consist of seven co-mounted 8.4 meter mirror segments ...
Brightest Supernova Ever
A hundred times more energetic than a typical supernova, the death of an extremely massive star in the galaxy NGC 1260, some 240 million light years away from earth, was recently observed by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory as well as ...
Earth-like Planet in Habitable Zone
Astronomers discovered the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System. The newly discovered planet is only 50% larger than the Earth and scientist have speculated it might be capable of having liquid water. The Swiss, French and Portuguese scientists who ...