Astronomy

Astronomers detected the most distant oxygen ever recorded—emitted just 500 million years after the Big Bang. Key Takeaways: Scientists confirmed that the first stars formed when the universe was less than 2% of its current age. The discovery of ancient oxygen suggests that stars ignited just 250 million years after the Big Bang. Using ALMA,…

A high-powered laser beacon could be visible to alien astronomers up to 20,000 light-years away. Key Takeaways: MIT researchers propose using existing laser technology to create a beacon for extraterrestrial civilizations. A 1-2 megawatt laser, focused through a large telescope, could send signals deep into space. The laser could be detected by alien astronomers in…

LHS 1140b, a super-Earth 39 light-years away, may have the right conditions for life. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered LHS 1140b, a rocky planet in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. This exoplanet is considered one of the most promising candidates for finding alien life. Unlike many planets around red dwarfs, LHS 1140b…

A newly discovered moon cave, the size of 14 tennis courts, could shelter future astronauts. Key Takeaways: Scientists have found a large underground cave on the moon that could serve as a future lunar base. The cave, accessible through a pit in Mare Tranquillitatis, offers natural protection from space hazards. Measuring 45 meters wide and…

A black hole was kicked out of its galaxy at a staggering 3 million mph. Key Takeaways: Scientists found strong evidence that a black hole was ejected from its galaxy after a lopsided merger. The newly formed black hole is speeding through space at 3 million mph, likely never to return. Unequal black hole mergers…

A 13.5-billion-year-old star, among the universe’s oldest, is quietly hiding in our galaxy. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered one of the oldest stars in the universe, just 2,000 light-years away. This ancient red dwarf, 13.5 billion years old, formed from nearly pristine Big Bang material. The star’s low mass challenges the idea that the first…

Jupiter’s lightning bolts are three times more powerful than Earth’s strongest superbolts. Key Takeaways: NASA’s Juno spacecraft, Hubble, and Gemini Observatory are teaming up to study Jupiter’s storms. By combining space and ground-based telescopes, scientists are probing Jupiter’s deep atmosphere like never before. Juno detects radio waves from lightning, while Hubble and Gemini provide global…

A massive star 75 million light-years away has disappeared—without even leaving a supernova. Key Takeaways: A giant star in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy, once shining brightly, has mysteriously vanished. Scientists expected to see a supernova, but instead, the star simply faded from view. One possible explanation is that the star collapsed directly into a black…

NASA’s TESS telescope found a planet just 31 light-years away that could have liquid water. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered a potentially habitable exoplanet, GJ 357 d, just 31 light-years away. This exoplanet orbits within its star’s habitable zone and could support liquid water if it has a thick atmosphere. GJ 357 d is at…

The lowest-mass binary ever found consists of two Jupiter-sized objects drifting freely through space. Key Takeaways: Astronomers have discovered a pair of free-floating planetary-mass objects traveling together in the Milky Way. This binary system, 2MASS J11193254–1137466AB, consists of two objects with just 3.7 Jupiter masses each. Scientists estimate the pair to be about 10 million…