After Christmas dinner in 2021, our family was glued to the television, watching the nail-biting launch of NASA’s US$10 billion (AU$15 billion) James Webb Space Telescope. There had not been such a leap forward in telescope technology since Hubble was launched in 1990. En route to its deployment, Webb had to successfully navigate 344 potential points of failure. Thankfully, the …
Read More »
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed a hidden “doomed” star that could help solve a giant astrophysical mystery. The star is a massive red supergiant, which JWST snapped just before the star exploded in a fiery supernova. Massive red supergiants should, in theory, cause most supernovas, but they’re rarely observed. The latest JWST observation, described in a new …
Read More »
Astronomers say they’ve captured the clearest look yet of a star on the brink of supernova. An international team used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to backtrack and find the original star that suffered a cataclysmic explosion on June 29. The discovery is an unprecedented accomplishment for the observatory. Identifying the original star was harder to achieve than it sounds. …
Read More »
Astronomers say NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope may have spotted the universe’s first “dark stars,” primordial bodies of hydrogen and helium that bear almost no resemblance to the nuclear fusion-powered stars we’ve come to know. As detailed in a recent paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team suggests that the very early days …
Read More »
The second most distant object ever spotted by the James Webb telescope may be a ‘dark star’ powered by dark matter rather than nuclear fusion. By looking at the wavelengths of light picked up by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers have identified four dark star candidates — with one seemingly possessing a “smoking gun” helium absorption signature, the …
Read More »
Astronomers have observed a gigantic cosmic “contrail” in a distant galaxy. The trail of gas and dust may have been churned out by a passing massive black hole, although there are other possible causes, scientists report in a new study. The contrail was spotted in the spiral galaxy NGC 3627, located roughly 31 light-years from our solar system in the …
Read More »
IN A NUTSHELL 🔭 The Rubin Observatory and JWST offer complementary astronomical insights through wide-field surveys and infrared observations. 🌌 Located in Chile, the Rubin Observatory utilizes optimal conditions for ground-based wide-field sky mapping. 🚀 The James Webb Space Telescope operates at the L2 point, offering precise infrared capabilities and detailed follow-up observations. 🛰️ Together, they facilitate a comprehensive understanding …
Read More »
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco Quick facts What it is: Eight “Einstein rings,” officially known as gravitational lenses Where it is: The deep sky When it was shared: Sept. 30, 2025 As telescopes peer into the universe, …
Read More »
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to deliver awe-inspiring views of the cosmos and the art world has taken notice. Digital artist Ashley Zelinskie took that inspiration to the next level with the first of a three part exhibit in 2022, called “Unfolding the Universe: First Light” at Onassis ONX Studio in New York City.The exhibit highlighted NASA’s contributions …
Read More »
Quick facts What it is: Eight “Einstein rings,” officially known as gravitational lenses Where it is: The deep sky When it was shared: Sept. 30, 2025 As telescopes peer into the universe, they sometimes see quirks of nature that magnify faraway objects. These eight galaxies recently imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) appear stretched, warped or even bent …
Read More »