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Eye-level view of a distant galaxy cluster acting as a gravitational lens

Astronomers Identify Potential First Generation Stars in Distant Galaxy

For years, astronomers have hunted for Population III (Pop III) stars. These are the first stars ever born, composed *only* of the hydrogen and helium left over from the Big Bang. They were massive, lived short, violent lives, and died out long ago. Now, a team led by Ari Visbal believes they've spotted their signature in a distant galaxy called LAP1-B, and it's the first candidate to match all theoretical predictions.

NIRCam mosaic of Sagittarius B2 showcases a vivid color composite with F480M in red, F360M in green, and F150W in blue, highlighting the intricate structure of this massive star-forming region. Credit: arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2509.11771.

New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope peer into one of the Milky Way's most active and extreme star-forming clouds

Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) is a titan of star formation, a dense cloud near our galactic center churning out new stars at a furious pace. Using the unprecedented power of the James Webb Space Telescope's infrared eyes, astronomers have pierced through the obscuring dust to get their clearest view yet of this stellar nursery, revealing hidden structures and challenging previous assumptions about how stars form in extreme environments.

Mosaic image of asteroid Bennu, compiled from photographs taken by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona.

Samples returned from Asteroid Bennu reveal a time capsule containing ingredients from before our solar system was even born

The OSIRIS-REx mission has successfully brought back pieces of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, and the findings are extraordinary. More than just a simple space rock, Bennu is a composite object, assembled from the rubble of a much larger parent body. Its chemistry tells a story of materials gathered from the hot inner solar system, the icy outer reaches, and even from ancient stars that died long before our sun ignited.

Astronomers Identify Potential First Generation Stars in Distant Galaxy

For years, astronomers have hunted for Population III (Pop III) stars. These are the first stars ever born, composed *only* of the hydrogen and helium left over from the Big Bang. They were massive, lived short, violent lives, and died out long ago. Now, a team led by Ari Visbal believes they've spotted their signature in a distant galaxy called LAP1-B, and it's the first candidate to match all theoretical predictions.

7 days ago1 min read

Density projections of galactic bulges showing dark matter, stellar, and quadratic dark matter densities. Each row represents a different galaxy, while columns display the respective density types. Only stars older than 3 billion years are considered for stellar density calculations.

A Mysterious Glow in the Milky Way

Johns Hopkins researchers may have identified a compelling clue in the ongoing hunt to prove the existence of dark matter. A mysterious diffuse glow of gamma rays near the center of the Milky Way has stumped researchers for decades. Now, new research published in Physical Review Letters suggests two leading theories—colliding dark matter particles or rapidly spinning neutron stars—are equally likely to be the cause.

Oct 171 min read

ALMA data highlights four regions within the NGC 6334 molecular cloud, with overlays revealing the complex interplay of magnetism and gravity in star formation.

New observations reveal the dramatic interplay between gravity and magnetic fields in the birth of giant stars.

Astronomers have captured the clearest picture yet of how massive stars are born. A team led by Dr. Qizhou Zhang from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to conduct the largest and most detailed survey to date of magnetic fields in 17 regions where clusters of massive stars are forming.

Oct 91 min read

Blog

The Role of Izaña-2 in Ensuring a Safer Orbital Environment for Satellites

As the threat from space debris becomes a daily concern for satellite operators, the European Space Agency is developing innovative technologies to keep our orbits safe. At the Izaña station in Spain, ESA's Izaña-1 and Izaña-2 laser-ranging stations are testing a high-precision method to track debris, prevent collisions, and eventually, even nudge junk out of the way.

Sandeep K S

Aug 28

TESS Telescope Reveals Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Before Official Discovery

When an object from another star system visits ours, astronomers race to learn its secrets. But sometimes, the first clues are found not by looking forward, but by looking back. A new study reveals that the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)—a telescope designed to find planets around other stars—had captured images of our newest interstellar visitor, 3I/ATLAS, as far back as May 2025. Unearthing this "pre-discovery" data required a clever technique to find a faint,

Sandeep K S

Aug 28

The Beauty of Atmospheric Effects on Exoplanets and Their Implications

From strange bright lights flanking the sun to rainbow-like halos seen from an airplane, Earth's atmosphere creates a stunning variety of optical displays. These phenomena are more than just beautiful—they are scientific clues, telling us about the properties of atmospheric particles. A recent paper suggests we can use this same science to decode the atmospheres of planets far beyond our solar system.

Sandeep K S

Aug 28