Black holes are among the most awesome and mysterious objects in the known Universe. These gravitational behemoths form when massive stars undergo gravitational collapse at the end of their lifespans and shed their outer layers in a massive explosion (a supernova). Meanwhile, the stellar remnant becomes so dense that the curvature of spacetime becomes infinite in its vicinity and its gravity so intense that nothing (not even light) can escape its surface. This makes them impossible to observe using conventional optical telescopes that study objects in visible light.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Europe's long-awaited Ariane 6 rocket won't launch before late 2023
Europe's new Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket won't launch before late 2023, but Europe is already planning out a future reusable second stage and homegrown astronaut taxis.
First 100 Days of James Webb. Everything You Need to Know
Exactly 100 days ago NASA revealed the first images from James Webb Space Telescope. Carina nebula, SMACS 0723, WASP-96b, Southern Ring Nebula and Stephan’s Quintet. Since then we have had a lot of great images, science papers and other releases from JWST. So here’s an overview of everything you need to know about James Webb’s discoveries in its first 100 days.
Hubble Space Telescope sees unexpected twin 'tails' from impacted asteroid
A week or two after a NASA spacecraft slammed into an asteroid, scientists have spotted something unexpected: The space rock has grown two tails.
Astronomers Chart the Influence of Dark Matter and Dark Energy on the Universe by Measuring Over 1,500 Supernovae
In 2011, the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to Perlmutter, Schmidt, and Reiss for their discovery that the universe is not just expanding, it is accelerating. The work supported the idea of a universe filled with dark energy and dark matter, and it was based on observations of distant supernovae. Particularly, Type Ia supernovae, which have consistent light curves we can use as standard candles to measure cosmic distances. Now a new study of more than 1,500 supernovae confirms dark energy and dark matter, but also raises questions about our cosmological models.
This space station astronaut's '2001' cosplay in orbit began with Velcro and thrift store duds
European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti did some last-minute shopping as part of her larger bid to promote fun and teamwork in orbit. Food also played a role.
Curiosity Arrives in a Salty Region of Mars. Was it Left Over From a Dying Sea?
The Curiosity rover has now reached its primary target on Mount Sharp on Mars, the mountain in the middle of Gale Crater the rover has been climbing since 2014. This target is not the summit, but a region over 600 meters (2,000 feet) up the mountain that planetary geologists have long anticipated reaching.
James Webb Space Telescope spies galaxies merging around 'monster' black hole
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a cluster of galaxies merging around a rare red quasar, a "monster" supermassive black hole that is greedily feeding on gas and other material.
Twin tail revealed in new Hubble image of Didymos-Dimorphos system following DART impact
Image: Hubble follow-up of DART impact
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captures closest views of Europa since 2000
This view of Jovian moon Europa was created by processing an image JunoCam captured during Juno’s close flyby on Sept. 29, 2022. Credit: Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSSImage processing by Björn Jónsson CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Continuing to gather bonus science data in an extended mission around Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft recorded sharp views of the icy moon Europa Sept. 29 as the solar-powered probe raced by at a relative velocity of nearly 53,000 mph (85,000 kilometers per hour).
James Webb Space Telescope still performing better than expected despite glitch, micrometeoroids
NASA's newest space telescope is hard at work despite an ongoing instrument glitch and continuing small micrometeoroid strikes.
Webb uncovers dense cosmic knot in the early Universe
Astronomers looking into the early Universe have made a surprising discovery using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. Webb’s spectroscopic capabilities, combined with its infrared sensitivity, have uncovered a cluster of massive galaxies in the process of formation around an extremely red quasar. The result will expand our understanding of how galaxies in the early Universe coalesced into the cosmic web we see today.
What’s the Best Shielding to Protect Astronauts on Mars?
New research shows that the best way to protect future Martian astronauts from deadly solar radiation is as simple as can be. For good shielding, they just need to put as much stuff between them and the sky as possible.
Stunning timelapse video reveals a decade in the life of the universe
NASA's WISE mission has a dramatic view of the universe based on more than a decade of research, gazing into the deep sky with infrared vision.
Our Guide to Tuesday’s Partial Solar Eclipse for Europe
Europe, the Middle East, and northeast Africa will see the final partial solar eclipse of 2022 next Tuesday.
Shadow hunters capture Didymos asteroid eclipsing stars
After months of effort, astronomers have succeeded in capturing the momentary shadow cast by the Didymos asteroid, from tens of million km away as it passed in front of far-distant stars – a feat of observation only made possible when both the trajectory of the asteroid and the precise location of the stars are known. Even in that case, to have a chance of success, several observers had to be placed in meticulously predicted locations across the path of the shadow, to glimpse the fleeting fading of the star within just a fraction of a second.
Amateur Finds New Images of Uranus’ Rings in 35-Year-Old Data
What else is hidden in archival data?
Info session from the ESA Council meeting
Video: 00:31:00
Watch the replay of our Q&A with the media to learn about the outcomes of the 310th session of the ESA Council. Updates are provided on the ambitious package presented by ESA for the 22/23 November ESA Ministerial Meeting in Paris, but also on the further expansion of ESA memberships, the future of ExoMars, Space Transportation and the overall, delicate economic situation.
Meta Quest 2 review: revisiting the artist formerly known as Oculus
Comfortable and relatively compact, the Meta Quest 2 is still the best way to enjoy VR gaming without wires.
Mapping planet Earth for better positioning: ESA’s GENESIS mission
ESA’s Navigation Directorate is planning a new satellite whose results will enable the generation of an updated global model of Earth – the International Terrestrial Reference Frame, employed for everything from land surveying to measuring sea level rise – with an accuracy down to 1 mm, while tracking ground motion of just 0.1 mm per year. This improvement, at a stroke, will have a major impact in multiple navigation and Earth science applications, including enhancing the precision of the Galileo navigation system. This mission, called GENESIS, is being proposed to ESA’s Council Meeting at Ministerial Level next month.
