New standards in the fight against light pollution are helping bring darker skies to Chile — not only will this protect  our view of the stars, but also human health and biodiversity. Chile is an attractive location for astronomers because its skies are great for stargazing, particularly in the Atacama Desert where tall peaks, a…

JWST Images of six candidate massive galaxies, seen 500 million to 800 million years after the Big Bang. Credit: mages of six candidate massive galaxies, seen 500 million to 800 million years after the Big Bang. NASA/ESA/CSA/I. LabbeNASA/ESA/CSA/I. Labbe When the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) first delivered unprecedented images of some of the universe’s…

The radio telescope that discovered the Big Bang has survived a real estate battle — for now. A radio telescope that discovered evidence of the Big Bang in 1964, revolutionizing the study of the universe, will remain in its original place on Crawford Hill in Holmdel, N.J, town officials announced last week. Rakesh Antala, a…

On any given night, far from bright city lights, there’s a chance that you’ll see a beautiful streak shoot across the sky as a meteor flies overhead. But on special dates scattered throughout the year, skywatchers can catch a multitude of flares as meteor showers burst in the darkness. The next event is the Orionids,…

Comet Pons-Brooks underwent a second outburst in early October 2023, once again developing “horns,” as captured here while it was in Draco. Credit: Chris Schur Comets have gotten a lot of press this year, but not all of it good. In particular, numerous headlines have popped up about a “Devil Comet” that’s bigger than Mount…

Jupiter image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA. The image seen here is part of a NASA study which discovered a high-speed jet stream, a “never-before-seen feature in Jupiter’s atmosphere … which spans more than 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide, sits over Jupiter’s equator above the main cloud decks.” “This is something…

Artist’s impression of a large satellite constellation in low Earth orbit circling above LOFAR, an operational radio array designed to pick up low frequencies.Daniëlle Futselaar The skies are getting crowded: Anyone who has looked up at the stars during one of these autumn evenings has seen a satellite or three (or 30!) pass overhead. Thosee…

When completed, the Square Kilometer Array Observatory (SKAO) will be the world’s most sensitive and most powerful radio telescope — that is, if SpaceX’s Starlink satellites don’t ruin its view. Private companies have begun launching scores of “constellations” of communications satellites into low and medium Earth orbits, with the stated goal of blanketing the globe…