Astronomy & Astrophysics
-
Astronomers observe the first radiation belt seen outside of our solar system
High-resolution imaging of radio emissions from an ultracool dwarf show a double-lobed structure like the radiation belts of Jupiter.
-
Big Questions: Astronomer Father and Artist Daughter
An astrophysicist, musician, mentor, and inspiration, Bill Mathews died in September 2021. His daughter, Amey Mathews, began drawing portraits of him in his memory.
-
NASA’s search for life in the cosmos is focus of April 17 lecture and discussion
‘Whispers from Other Worlds,’ a public lecture and discussion at the Rio Theater, features NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen and science journalist Nadia Drake.
-
JWST’s first direct spectrum of planetary-mass object reveals dynamic atmosphere
The most detailed spectrum ever for a planetary-mass object outside our solar system covers an unprecedented range of wavelengths, providing a wealth of new insights.
-
Young Supernova Experiment releases first set of transient survey data
UC Santa Cruz astronomers organized the survey, which has discovered thousands of cosmic explosions and other transient events of interest to astronomers and astrophysicists.
-
First images released from James Webb Space Telescope’s largest general observer program
Mosaic images from the COSMOS-Web program offer a treasure trove of early galaxies, including dazzling examples of spiral galaxies, gravitational lensing, and evidence of galaxy mergers.
-
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz wins 2023 AAAS Mentor Award
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded the 2023 AAAS Mentor Award to Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz.
-
Major expansion of Lick Observatory education programs will benefit Bay Area students
Scientific Teaching through Astronomy Research (STARs), a suite of new outreach and education programs at UC’s Lick Observatory, will reach a diverse population of K-12 and college-age students.
-
Astronomers observe light bending around an isolated white dwarf
The first detection of gravitational lensing for a single, isolated star other than our sun comes 100 years after a landmark experiment using the sun to confirm Einstein’s prediction.
-
Study finds active galactic nuclei are even more powerful than thought
A new study indicates that scientists have substantially underestimated the energy output of active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes because their light is dimmed by dust.
-
Astronomers find the most distant stars in our galaxy halfway to Andromeda
A search for variable stars called RR Lyrae has found some of the most distant stars in the Milky Way’s halo a million light years away.
-
Astronomers report most distant known galaxies, detected and confirmed by Webb telescope
Spectroscopic observations with the James Webb Space Telescope confirm four early galaxies dating back to less than 400 million years after the Big Bang, three of which are the most distant confirmed to date.