News – Page 6 – Astronomy Now

20 August 2026

Asymmetric magnetic fields may explain two-faced white dwarf

20 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found what amounts to a two-faced white dwarf with one side dominated by hydrogen and the other by helium in what could be a transition from one phase to another.

ALMA spots exoplanet and possible sibling sharing same orbit

19 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Trojan planets – two worlds sharing the same orbit around their star – are possible in theory, but none have been found. Now, the ALMA radio telescope array may have done just that.

Telling the difference between earthly radio ‘noise’ and signals from ET

17 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Researchers develop a technique for making sure signals from ET are legitimate and not the result of earthly radio interference.

NASA celebrates Webb science anniversary with mesmerising new image

12 July 2023 William Harwood

NASA marks the first anniversary of Webb science observations with a spectacular look into a nearby stellar nursery where 50 young sun-like stars are lighting up their surroundings.

ESO reports good progress building the Extremely Large Telescope

11 July 2023 Astronomy Now

ESO’s aptly named Extremely Large Telescope is now roughly halfway complete, with its dome quickly rising in Chile and the telescope coming together in Europe.

Webb spots most distant active supermassive black hole in stunning deep-field mosaic

7 July 2023 Astronomy Now

Pushing deeper and deeper, the James Webb Space Telescope has found the most distant active supermassive black hole yet confirmed, dating back to within 570 million years of the Big Bang.

An early filament of the ‘cosmic web’ spotted by Webb

3 July 2023 Astronomy Now

The James Webb Space Telescope spots 10 young galaxies strung out like gems along a cosmic filament.

Euclid prepares to blast off on a mission to discover the fate of the Universe

30 June 2023 Keith Cooper

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid space telescope will blast off from Cape Canaveral on 1 July on a mission to shed light on the ‘dark universe’ dominated by dark matter and dark energy.

Supernova magnified 25 times and split into multiple images by galactic lens

19 June 2023 Astronomy Now

The Zwicky Transient Facility finds a supernova split into multiple images by the gravity of a foreground galaxy in a remarkable example of strong gravitational lensing.

Phosphorous detection strengthens case for Enceladus’ habitability

16 June 2023 Astronomy Now

Researchers find high concentrations of phosphorous in water ice spewed from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, more evidence of a habitable sub-surface environment.