Project News

NASA’s Roman and ESA’s Euclid Will Team Up To Investigate Dark Energy

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • Project News • June 27th, 2023

A new space telescope named Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with important contributions from NASA, is set to launch in July to explore why the universe’s expansion is speeding up. Scientists call the unknown cause of this cosmic acceleration “dark energy.” By May 2027, NASA’s...

Astronomers Discover Extremely Warped Supernova

ZTF • News Release • June 12th, 2023

Astronomers have captured a bizarre image of a supernova, the powerful explosion of a star, whose light was so warped by the gravity of another galaxy that it appears as multiple images in the sky. This effect, known as gravitational lensing, occurs when the gravity of a dense object...

IRSA Newsletter: Issue 2023.4

Infrared Science Archive • Project News • May 24th, 2023

The latest IRSA Newsletter has information about ZTF Data Release 17, COSMOS2020 Catalog Release, availability of data from the IRTF/TEXES instrument, and IRSA Viewer updates.

Radio signals reveal the origin of a supernova

ZTF • News Release • May 17th, 2023

Astronomers from the Zwicky Transient Facility collaboration based at the University of Stockholm, Sweden have uncovered the origin of a thermonuclear supernova explosion. Strong emission lines of helium and the first detection of such a supernova in radio waves show that the...

NASA’s Spitzer, TESS Find Potentially Volcano-Covered Earth-Size World

Spitzer • News Release • May 17th, 2023

Astronomers have discovered an Earth-size exoplanet, or world beyond our solar system, that may be carpeted with volcanoes. Called LP 791-18 d, the planet could undergo volcanic outbursts as often as Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active body in our solar system.

NASA Completes Heart of Roman Space Telescope’s Primary Instrument

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • Project News • May 16th, 2023

The heart of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was recently delivered to Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, for integration into the WFI (Wide Field Instrument). Called the FPS (Focal Plane System), it serves as the core of Roman’s camera.

Moon Gazing: The Long Story of Lunar Research at Caltech

Lunar Trailblazer • Project News • May 15th, 2023

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission marks a new chapter in Caltech’s enduring exploration of Earth’s closest celestial companion.

Caught in the Act: Astronomers Detect a Star Devouring a Planet

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • Project News • May 3rd, 2023

A new study published online Wednesday, May 3, in the journal Nature documents the first observation of an aging star swallowing a planet. After running out of fuel in its core, the star began to grow in size, shrinking the gap with its neighboring planet, eventually consuming it entirely.

ZTF sees a star eating its world

ZTF • News Release • May 3rd, 2023

For the first time, astronomers have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet whole. The sun-like star, called ZTF SLRN-2020, lies about 15,000 light-years away in our galaxy and is thought to have engulfed a hot gas giant about the size of Jupiter or smaller.

Framework for NASA’s Roman Spacecraft Moves to Goddard Clean Room

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • Project News • April 26th, 2023

The primary structure that will serve as the “bones” of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has moved into the big clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The spacecraft bus, Roman’s primary support element, will now be built upon this skeletal framework.

NASA’s Roman and ESA’s Euclid Will Team Up To Investigate Dark Energy

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • June 27th, 2023

A new space telescope named Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with important contributions from NASA, is set to launch in July to explore why the universe’s...

Astronomers Discover Extremely Warped Supernova

ZTF • June 12th, 2023

Astronomers have captured a bizarre image of a supernova, the powerful explosion of a star, whose light was so warped by the gravity of another galaxy that it appears as...

IRSA Newsletter: Issue 2023.4

Infrared Science Archive • May 24th, 2023

The latest IRSA Newsletter has information about ZTF Data Release 17, COSMOS2020 Catalog Release, availability of data from the IRTF/TEXES instrument, and IRSA Viewer updates.

Radio signals reveal the origin of a supernova

ZTF • May 17th, 2023

Astronomers from the Zwicky Transient Facility collaboration based at the University of Stockholm, Sweden have uncovered the origin of a thermonuclear supernova explosion....

NASA’s Spitzer, TESS Find Potentially Volcano-Covered Earth-Size World

Spitzer • May 17th, 2023

Astronomers have discovered an Earth-size exoplanet, or world beyond our solar system, that may be carpeted with volcanoes. Called LP 791-18 d, the planet could undergo volcanic...

NASA Completes Heart of Roman Space Telescope’s Primary Instrument

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • May 16th, 2023

The heart of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was recently delivered to Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, for integration into the WFI (Wide Field Instrument). Called...

Moon Gazing: The Long Story of Lunar Research at Caltech

Lunar Trailblazer • May 15th, 2023

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission marks a new chapter in Caltech’s enduring exploration of Earth’s closest celestial companion.

Caught in the Act: Astronomers Detect a Star Devouring a Planet

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • May 3rd, 2023

A new study published online Wednesday, May 3, in the journal Nature documents the first observation of an aging star swallowing a planet. After running out of fuel in its core,...

ZTF sees a star eating its world

ZTF • May 3rd, 2023

For the first time, astronomers have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet whole. The sun-like star, called ZTF SLRN-2020, lies about 15,000 light-years away in...

Framework for NASA’s Roman Spacecraft Moves to Goddard Clean Room

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • April 26th, 2023

The primary structure that will serve as the “bones” of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has moved into the big clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in...