Category: Space and Astronomy

  • This ‘forbidden’ exoplanet is way too massive for its star

    Astronomers have discovered a massive extrasolar planet, or “exoplanet,” orbiting an ultracool dwarf star that is way too small to host such a world, challenging scientists’ models of how planets and planetary systems are born.  The planet in question, designated LHS 3154 b, is 13 times as massive as Earth, meaning that it has a…

  • Astronomers discover massive exoplanet which ‘should not’ have existed

    Astronomers discover massive exoplanet which ‘should not’ have existed

    The astronomers were forced to question the theories surrounding the planet’s formation after they stumbled upon an exoplanet which shouldn’t have existed technically. The discovered planet, which has a mass similar to Neptune and more than 13 times as big as Earth, was spotted orbiting an ultracool M-dwarf star named LHS 3154. Ironically, the star…

  • Astronomers discover massive exoplanet which ‘should not’ have existed

    Astronomers discover massive exoplanet which ‘should not’ have existed

    The astronomers were forced to question the theories surrounding the planet’s formation after they stumbled upon an exoplanet which shouldn’t have existed technically. The discovered planet, which has a mass similar to Neptune and more than 13 times as big as Earth, was spotted orbiting an ultracool M-dwarf star named LHS 3154. Ironically, the star…

  • A Star Is Born: UVA Undergrad Leads Team Studying Stellar Formation

    A Star Is Born: UVA Undergrad Leads Team Studying Stellar Formation

    His team is poring over infrared-light images from the telescope and other data from the extreme environment, captured during the September observation window. “There’s never been any infrared data on this region with the level of resolution and sensitivity we get with Webb, so we are seeing lots of features here for the first time,”…

  • A Star Is Born: UVA Undergrad Leads Team Studying Stellar Formation

    A Star Is Born: UVA Undergrad Leads Team Studying Stellar Formation

    His team is poring over infrared-light images from the telescope and other data from the extreme environment, captured during the September observation window. “There’s never been any infrared data on this region with the level of resolution and sensitivity we get with Webb, so we are seeing lots of features here for the first time,”…

  • The Rainbow Village at AAS: A Gathering Place for People of Color in Astronomy

    The Rainbow Village at AAS: A Gathering Place for People of Color in Astronomy

    This post was written and motivated based on the personal experience of the listed authors and editors. They are not necessarily representative of the views of the American Astronomical Society or other institutions with whom our authors are affiliated. Written and edited by Rainbow Village partners: Arianna Long, Nicole Cabrera Salazar, Ashley Walker and Junellie…

  • The Rainbow Village at AAS: A Gathering Place for People of Color in Astronomy

    The Rainbow Village at AAS: A Gathering Place for People of Color in Astronomy

    This post was written and motivated based on the personal experience of the listed authors and editors. They are not necessarily representative of the views of the American Astronomical Society or other institutions with whom our authors are affiliated. Written and edited by Rainbow Village partners: Arianna Long, Nicole Cabrera Salazar, Ashley Walker and Junellie…

  • A mysterious river of gas flowing into the Milky Way has stars inside after all

    A mysterious river of gas flowing into the Milky Way has stars inside after all

    A river of hydrogen gas flows outward from the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies located in the outskirts of the Milky Way. The contents of this river, called the Magellanic Stream, has puzzled astronomers for decades. But now, for the first time, a team of researchers has been able to locate stars…

  • A mysterious river of gas flowing into the Milky Way has stars inside after all

    A mysterious river of gas flowing into the Milky Way has stars inside after all

    A river of hydrogen gas flows outward from the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies located in the outskirts of the Milky Way. The contents of this river, called the Magellanic Stream, has puzzled astronomers for decades. But now, for the first time, a team of researchers has been able to locate stars…

  • How to see and track the Tiangong Chinese space station

    Although it’s more challenging to observe than the International Space Station (ISS), the Chinese space station, officially known as Tiangong, can be seen from Earth’s surface. Tiangong, which means “Heavenly Palace” in Mandarin ,  appears fainter than the ISS because the Chinese space station, along with its solar panel area, is smaller —  about 20% the…