Universe Today
Ultra-Black Coating Could Mitigate Light Pollution Caused by Satellites
Astrophysicists working tirelessly to tackle the growing impact of satellite constellations have pioneered a new ultra-black coating as one possible way to mitigate the problem.
Observing
Astronomy observing tips and guides
Recent Articles
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Astronomers Using Chandra Data Produce the Most Detailed View of the M87 Jet in X-rays
Combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with advanced image-processing techniques to produce the sharpest X-ray view yet of the relativistic jet from M87's supermassive black hole.
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Astronomers Characterize "Improbable" System Shaped by Brown Dwarf
An international team involving over ten institutions, with a strong participation from ESO and INAF, has characterised TOI-201 c, the transiting brown dwarf with the longest period for which mass has been measured. The study, published today in Nature, reveals a compact, coplanar system in which the presence of a massive, eccentric object redefines the stability boundaries for the inner planets
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Hubble Spots Two Galaxy Clusters in the Process of Merging
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features a galaxy cluster, called CL0016+1609 or MACS J0018.5+1626, that is very bright at X-ray wavelengths and is one of the most extensively studied clusters at X-ray and radio wavelengths. The X-ray observations of this cluster revealed that it is two clusters merging along our line of sight.
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Scientists Confirm that Two Gamma-Ray Bursts Were Caused by Collapsing Neutron Stars
Researchers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory have confirmed that two long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) originated from the collapse of neutron stars into black holes.
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Astronomers Spot a Possible Supernova Remnant Near the Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole
NASAâs Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESAâs XMM-Newton may have found a supernova remnant near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. If confirmed as a supernova remnant, the ejected material is moving at about two million miles per hour and is about 1,700 years old.
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That "Pink Planet" Astronomers Found Turns Out to be a Salty Customer!
Found in 2013, Pink Planet was too faint to study with ground-based telescopes. In new study, scientists used JWST and advanced processing methods to obtain its spectrum for the first time. Observations provided some of the first direct evidence for salt clouds in a cold object atmosphere. Pink Planet could be a giant planet or brown dwarf, so astronomers refer to it as a âplanetary-mass companionâ.
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The History and Scientific Impact of Hubbleâs Deep Field Imaging
When someone asks me what originally got me interested in space exploration, my answer is always the same - the Hubble Deep Field. That image, taken in 1995, came out when I was in middle school, and had an everlasting impact on my sense of place in the universe. Itâs since been improved upon by various other images, and even last week the Hubble team released yet another jaw-dropping image of the galaxy cluster MACS0329-0211 which recaptures some of the magic of that original image, and still provides the same sense of scale that never seems to truly fade once you come to terms with it. While the original Hubble Deep Field was a blind experiment to see what lay in a seemingly empty patch of sky, this new image comes from the targeted Cluster Lensing and Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) program, focusing on the dynamics of a specific massive galaxy cluster.
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Watch the Moon Occult Venus in the Daytime for North America on June 17th
If youâre like us, youâve been following the close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the June dusk sky. Next week, the Moon enters the evening scene, and actually occults (passes in front of) the planet Venus in what promises to be one of the top skywatching events for 2026.
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Space Telescopes Are Now Overwhelmed by Satellite Trails
Unfortunately thereâs more bad news to report on the clear skies front. A new paper, available in pre-print on arXiv from researchers at NASAâs Ames Research Center, reports that 73.3% of images the agencyâs new SPHEREx space telescope collected between May and September of last year were contaminated by at least one artificial satellite trail. And itâs only going to get worse from here.
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Catch Comet 220P McNaught in Outburst
We witnessed a surprise outburst late last week, from a lesser known periodic comet. Posts flashed across message boards late last week, alerting comet watchers to a dramatic change in brightness for periodic comet 220P McNaught. Though it wasnât on our list for bright comets to watch for in 2026, Comet 220P is now in range of binoculars or a small telescope, low to the east at dawn as it heads towards perihelion this coming weekend.
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Cosmic Tryst: Venus Meets Jupiter at Dusk
Itâs a familiar annual question, that weâre already hearing as we enter into June. âWhat are those two bright objects in the west?â Theyâre none other than the two brightest planets in the sky, Jupiter and Venus. Keep an eye on the dusk sky over the next week, and youâll see the two worlds getting ever closer to each other in the west. Though this happens every year or so, an evening conjunction assures that lots of the general public will see one of the best planetary pairings of 2026.
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The Next-Generation Very Large Array Prototype (ngVLA) Gathers its First Light
The prototype ngVLA antenna tested its systems by observing and tracking the Crab Nebula, also known as Taurus A (3C144), the remnant of an exploded star.
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Why the Second Full Moon of May is a âBlue Minimoonâ
Thereâs nothing like a random celestial coincidence, turned good internet meme. In this case, the chance event is this weekendâs Full Moon, which also happens to be the second Full Moon of May, and is also the most distant and visually smallest Full Moon of the year.
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Astronomers Observe the Most Chemically Primitive Galaxy in the Early Universe
An international team led by Associate Professor Kimihiko Nakajima of Kanazawa University has captured a rare look at the early universe. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the power of gravitational lensing, the team achieved a definitive characterization of LAP1-B, an ultra-faint galaxy from 13 billion years ago.
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The Definitive Census of Multiple Star Systems Within 10 Parsecs
Our Sun is a loner. It lacks a stellar companion hurtling through interstellar space with it. But weâve known for a long time thatâs actually relatively rare - most stars have at least one gravitationally bound partner. Understanding how exactly those stars are related to each other is critical for observational campaigns - especially for those of exoplanets. So a new paper from researchers at the University of Madrid that categorizes almost every star within ten light years into companion categories is a welcome addition to the literature on the subject, and could be used to inform the next round of planet habitable planet hunting satellites.
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Both Hemispheres of 3I/ATLAS Observed Simultaneously by JUICE and Europa Clipper
The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instruments aboard ESAâs Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft and NASAâs Europa Clipper made unique observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in late 2025. SwRI leads the UVS instruments on both spacecraft, simultaneously imaging both hemispheres of the comet and detecting the cometâs ultraviolet emissions.
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Hearing the Heavens - Book Review of The Echoing Universe
Typically when we think of astronomy, we think of pictures of M87 captured on a backyard telescope or the soaring colorful peaks of the Eagle Nebula seen by Hubble. But perhaps the most influential type of astronomy of the last 100+ years doesnât directly result in the stunning pictures weâre so accustomed to today. It captures radio waves from some of the most interesting objects in the universe. And in her new book, The Echoing Universe: How Radio Astronomy Helps Us See the Invisible, Dr. Emma Chapman, a radio astronomer at the University of Nottingham, tracks how these longest wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum have influenced the practice of astronomy and our understanding of our place in the universe.
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Sky Show: Watch the Moon Dance With the Planets at Dusk Next Week
The Moon has a busy week ahead of it. If skies are clear, be sure to get outside on the evenings of May 18th/19th and surrounding nights to check out the evolving view to the west, in one of the best sky shows for 2026.
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UC Student Gets a Closer Look at Lonely Gas Giant
University of Cincinnati astrophysicist Paul Smith is part of an international team studying TOI-2031Ab, a gas giant orbiting a star 901 light years from Earth. Smith and his colleagues used the James Webb Space Telescope to study its atmosphere.