Project News

Shining a Light on Cool Pools of Gas in the Galaxy

Herschel • News Release • June 11th, 2013

The stuff of stars is not always easy to see. Thanks to the Herschel Space Observatory, invisible pools of gas in our galaxy are being mapped better than before.

Herschel Space Observatory Finds Galaxy Mega Merger

Herschel • News Release • May 22nd, 2013

A massive and rare merging of two galaxies has been spotted in images taken by the Herschel space observatory, a European Space Agency mission with important NASA participation.

Milky Way Black Hole Snacks on Hot Gas

Herschel • Feature • May 7th, 2013

The supermassive black hole at the core of our Milky Way galaxy is gobbling up hot gas, according to a new study from the Herschel space observatory.

Herschel Completes Its 'Cool' Journey In Space

Herschel • News Release • April 29th, 2013

Herschel has produced an intricate view of the remains of a star that died in a stellar explosion a millennium ago. It has provided further proof that the interstellar dust which lies throughout our Galaxy is created when massive stars reach the end of their lives.

Herschel Links Water Around Jupiter to Comet Impact

Herschel • Feature • April 23rd, 2013

Astronomers trace water in Jupiter's intermediate atmospheric layer back to the famous Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact of 19 years ago.

Kepler Discovers its Smallest Habitable Zone Planets

Kepler • Project News • April 18th, 2013

NASA's Kepler mission has discovered two new planetary systems that include three super-Earth-size planets in the "habitable zone," the range of distance from a star where the surface temperature of an orbiting planet might be suitable for liquid water.

Astronomers Discover Massive Star Factory in Early Universe

Herschel • Feature • April 17th, 2013

Busy-bee galaxy seen churning out stars when our universe was just a baby.

Planetarium-Friendly Versions of Planck All-Sky Maps Available

Planck • Feature • April 15th, 2013

Planck's all sky maps showing the oldest light in our universe, as well as the calculated distribution of mass of the universe, are now available in a format suitable for use in planetarium systems and other 3D software.

Retired Star Found with Planets and Debris Disk

Herschel • Feature • April 9th, 2013

The Herschel Space Observatory has provided the first images of a dust belt - produced by colliding comets or asteroids - orbiting a subgiant star known to host a planetary system

Gravity-Bending Find Leads to Kepler Meeting Einstein

Kepler • Project News • April 4th, 2013

NASA's Kepler space telescope has witnessed the effects of a dead star bending the light of its companion star. The findings are among the first detections of this phenomenon -- a result of Einstein's theory of general relativity -- in binary, or double, star systems.

Shining a Light on Cool Pools of Gas in the Galaxy

Herschel • June 11th, 2013

The stuff of stars is not always easy to see. Thanks to the Herschel Space Observatory, invisible pools of gas in our galaxy are being mapped better than before.

Herschel Space Observatory Finds Galaxy Mega Merger

Herschel • May 22nd, 2013

A massive and rare merging of two galaxies has been spotted in images taken by the Herschel space observatory, a European Space Agency mission with important NASA participation.

Milky Way Black Hole Snacks on Hot Gas

Herschel • May 7th, 2013

The supermassive black hole at the core of our Milky Way galaxy is gobbling up hot gas, according to a new study from the Herschel space observatory.

Herschel Completes Its 'Cool' Journey In Space

Herschel • April 29th, 2013

Herschel has produced an intricate view of the remains of a star that died in a stellar explosion a millennium ago. It has provided further proof that the interstellar dust...

Herschel Links Water Around Jupiter to Comet Impact

Herschel • April 23rd, 2013

Astronomers trace water in Jupiter's intermediate atmospheric layer back to the famous Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact of 19 years ago.

Kepler Discovers its Smallest Habitable Zone Planets

Kepler • April 18th, 2013

NASA's Kepler mission has discovered two new planetary systems that include three super-Earth-size planets in the "habitable zone," the range of distance from a star where the...

Astronomers Discover Massive Star Factory in Early Universe

Herschel • April 17th, 2013

Busy-bee galaxy seen churning out stars when our universe was just a baby.

Planetarium-Friendly Versions of Planck All-Sky Maps Available

Planck • April 15th, 2013

Planck's all sky maps showing the oldest light in our universe, as well as the calculated distribution of mass of the universe, are now available in a format suitable for use in...

Retired Star Found with Planets and Debris Disk

Herschel • April 9th, 2013

The Herschel Space Observatory has provided the first images of a dust belt - produced by colliding comets or asteroids - orbiting a subgiant star known to host a planetary system

Gravity-Bending Find Leads to Kepler Meeting Einstein

Kepler • April 4th, 2013

NASA's Kepler space telescope has witnessed the effects of a dead star bending the light of its companion star. The findings are among the first detections of this phenomenon --...