Tag: Space Telescopes
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The 2026 ‘Super Bowl of Astronomy’ Opens Today: What to Expect from the Week of Discoveries
Opening Day Sparks a Week of Cosmic Conversations The 2026 Super Bowl of Astronomy kicks off today, transforming a bustling conference venue into a orbital-size think tank where researchers, engineers, and eager enthusiasts gather to share the latest in space science. From groundbreaking exoplanet studies to the early universe’s first galaxies, this year’s gathering promises…
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Hunting Exomoons With a Kilometric Baseline Interferometer
Introduction: The Quest for Exomoons Exomoons — moons orbiting planets outside our solar system — represent a compelling frontier in astronomy. Despite decades of search campaigns using transit timing variations, direct imaging, and radial velocity techniques, confirmed exomoons remain elusive. The potential discovery of exomoons would deepen our understanding of planet formation, satellite dynamics, and…
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Observing Spatial and Temporal Variations in Rocky Exoplanet Atmospheres with LIFE
Introduction: The quest to map exoplanet atmospheres in four dimensions As astronomers push the boundaries of observing nearby rocky exoplanets, the goal is no longer just to detect atmospheric components. The emerging field seeks to characterize how atmospheric chemistry varies across a planet’s surface and over time. Mid-infrared observations promise a window into 4D (three…
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Lemon-Shaped Planet Orbits Tiny Star: JWST Discovery
Introduction: A Remarkable Find from the James Webb Space Telescope In a discovery that sounds almost like science fiction, astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have identified a Jupiter-sized planet with a decidedly unusual shape orbiting a tiny star. The world, nicknamed a lemon-shaped planet for its elongated silhouette, orbits PSR J2322-2650, a pulsar—an…
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Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) breaks apart in incredible telescope photos
Stunning breakup of a recently discovered comet A comet identified early this year, known as C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), has captivated astronomers and skywatchers by breaking apart after its close approach to the Sun. The event, which unfolded rapidly over several days, produced a series of dramatic images that reveal the fragile beauty of a body…
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Why Galaxy Shapes Matter: Lessons from One Year with the Euclid Space Telescope
How Euclid Is Transforming Our View of Galaxies The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has completed its first year of science, surveying about 1.2 million galaxies and delivering a treasure trove of insights into why galaxies take on different shapes. By mapping galaxies across vast distances and times, Euclid is helping astronomers connect the…
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How Australian Scientists Sharpen James Webb’s Vision from 1.5 Million Kilometres Away
Overview: A Quiet Engineering Triumph Behind James Webb’s Sharp Vision When the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) launched in 2021, the world watched a leap forward in astronomy. Yet behind the awe-inspiring images lay a stubborn, practical problem: Webb’s most precise imaging depended on the performance of a tiny, critical component called the aperture masking…