In the intricate dance of solar activity, a new study led by solar physicist Kiran Jain at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Solar Observatory (NSO) has unveiled the captivating rhythms of Quasi-Biennial Oscillations (QBOs), shedding light on their elusive nature, and the symphony of periodicities within the Sun. Dr. Jain and her collaborators, Partha Chowdhury and Sushanta C. Tripathy, unraveled the nuanced variations in QBOs by using acoustic mode oscillation frequencies from NSF’s Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) spanning over 25 years—delving into the heart of solar cycles 23 and 24.
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This image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows a portion of the dense center of our galaxy in unprecedented detail, including never-before-seen features astronomers have yet to explain. The star-forming region, named Sagittarius C (Sgr C), is about 300 light-years from the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*.
The diminutive planet, LTT 1445Ac, was first discovered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in 2022. But the geometry of the planet’s orbital plane relative to its star as seen from Earth was uncertain because TESS does not have the required optical resolution. This means the detection could have been a so-called grazing transit, where a planet only skims across a small portion of the parent star’s disk. This would yield an inaccurate lower limit of the planet’s diameter.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope have united to study an expansive galaxy cluster known as MACS0416. The resulting panchromatic image combines visible and infrared light to assemble one of the most comprehensive views of the universe ever taken. Located about 4.3 billion light-years from Earth, MACS0416 is a pair of colliding galaxy clusters that will eventually combine to form an even bigger cluster.
Astronomers using the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, have captured the eroding remains of more than 100 dwarf galaxies as they transition into ultra-compact dwarf galaxies, objects with masses much greater than star clusters yet much smaller than dwarf galaxies. These findings confirm that many ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are likely the fossil remains of normal dwarf galaxies that have been stripped of their outer layers.
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Lotz as the Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Dr. Lotz will begin her five-year appointment as STScI Director starting February 12, 2024. Previously, Dr. Lotz was the Director of the International Gemini Observatory which is operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, and managed by AURA.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a new, never-before-seen feature in Jupiter’s atmosphere. The high-speed jet stream, which spans more than 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide, sits over Jupiter’s equator above the main cloud decks.
Astronomers have created a detailed atlas of almost 400,000 galaxies in our cosmic neighborhood. The Siena Galaxy Atlas was compiled using data from NSF’s NOIRLab telescopes, and is designed to be the pre-eminent digital galaxy atlas for large galaxies. It’s a treasure trove of information for researchers investigating everything from galaxy formation and evolution to dark matter and gravitational waves. It’s also freely available online for the public to explore.
Rubin Observatory will be a leading resource for cutting-edge astronomy and astrophysics when it comes online in 2025. Using an 8.4-meter telescope equipped with the largest digital camera in the world, it will scan the entire southern hemisphere sky every few nights for ten years, providing the most comprehensive view of the Universe we’ve ever seen.
A very rare, strange burst of extraordinarily bright light in the universe just got even stranger – thanks to the eagle-eye of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
AURA and the National Solar Observatory (NSO) are closely monitoring the harrowing, devastating wildfires which have severely impacted our local community in Maui, and stands in solidarity with those impacted by this tragedy—our hearts go out to everyone affected by it.
Today, the North American Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (NA-ROAD) announced the selection of ten astronomy for development projects to receive funding as part of the Women and Girls in Astronomy Program (WGAP). WGAP aims to inspire and support women, girls, and underrepresented genders in the field of astronomy.
On June 26, 2023, AURA sent the following letter to Dr. Sethruaman Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), reminding him of NSF’s important role in implementing the recommendations of the most recent decadal survey in astronomy and astrophysics, Astro2020.
The One Sky Project, led by the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center and sponsored by the Thirty Meter Telescope, has produced a series of seven short fulldome films and a compiled full-length feature film focusing on cultural and Indigenous astronomy.
Gemini North, part of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, is back observing the night sky following the repair and refurbishment of its primary mirror. The telescope’s debut observation captured the supernova dubbed SN 2023ixf, which was discovered on 19 May by Japanese astronomer Koichi Itagaki. This dazzling point of light, the closest supernova seen in the past five years, is located along one of the spiral arms of the Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101).
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