Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have made the surprising discovery of methane emissions coming from a brown dwarf, or “failed star.” The find suggests that the brown dwarf features aurorae, and might even be orbited by an undiscovered exomoon, researchers said. The JWST brown dwarf discovery is surprising, because these cold and […]
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To see the word’s premier astronomical observatory in its full-size glory, you need to go to Lagrange Point 2, a location in deep space on the opposite side of Earth from the sun that is farther away than any human has ever traveled. Or, soon, you can visit Colorado. Northrop Grumman, NASA’s lead contractor for […]
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In science, it’s often said that the data doesn’t care what you think. That is especially true when it comes to sophisticated new tools like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). So it hasn’t been a shock that some of the data from the JWST isn’t quite what scientists expected. In the 2024 Isaac Asimov […]
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Refresh 2024-04-04T14:31:45.286Z Investigating the starburst Cigar Galaxy An image of the heart of the Cigar Galaxy M82 as seen by the JWST in long-wavelength infrared light (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Bolatto (UMD)) Using its powerful and sensitive infrared eye, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has peered through the dense gas and […]
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The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has zoomed in to the heart of the Cigar Galaxy, a region of space that is ablaze with an explosive bout of star-birth. This starburst galaxy, also known as Messier 82 (M82), has a compact but turbulent environment at its core that could give scientists a clearer picture of […]
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Three definitely isn’t a crowd for planets around a distant infant star. Astronomers had already discovered two planets forming in the disk of gas and dust, or protoplanetary disk, around the infant star PDS 70. Now, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers with the MIRI mid-infrared Disk Survey (MINDS) project have seen hints of […]
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Astronomers are hunting for planets in the process of forming around infant stars using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The powerful space telescope quickly delivered the goods, albeit in an unexpected way. These infant planets take shape in swirling clumps of gas and dust called protoplanetary disks, gathering more mass as they do so. […]
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