Astronomers discover a multiplanet system nearby

Just 33 light years from Earth, the system appears to host two rocky, Earth-sized planets.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
June 15, 2022 ~7 min

New maps of asteroid Psyche reveal an ancient world of metal and rock

The varied surface suggests a dynamic history, which could include metallic eruptions, asteroid-shaking impacts, and a lost rocky mantle.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
June 15, 2022 ~7 min


Astronomers snap first-ever image of supermassive black hole Sagitarrius A*

The image reveals a glowing, donut-shaped ring at the Milky Way’s heart.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
May 12, 2022 ~8 min

Astronomers discover a rare “black widow” binary, with the shortest orbit yet

The system is orbited by third stellar companion and may have originated near the center of the Milky Way.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
May 4, 2022 ~7 min

Search reveals eight new sources of black hole echoes

The findings will help scientists trace a black hole’s evolution as it feeds on stellar material.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
May 2, 2022 ~7 min

Scientists develop the largest, most detailed model of the early universe to date

Named after a goddess of the dawn, the Thesan simulation of the first billion years helps explain how radiation shaped the early universe.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
March 24, 2022 ~7 min

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a planet? Nope, just a star

Among thousands of known exoplanets, MIT astronomers flag three that are actually stars.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
March 15, 2022 ~6 min

A “hot Jupiter’s” dark side is revealed in detail for first time

The planet’s night side likely hosts iron clouds, titanium rain, and winds that dwarf Earth’s jetstream.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Feb. 21, 2022 ~7 min


Could acid-neutralizing life-forms make habitable pockets in Venus’ clouds?

A new study shows it’s theoretically possible. The hypothesis could be tested soon with proposed Venus-bound missions.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Dec. 20, 2021 ~7 min

Super-bright stellar explosion is likely a dying star giving birth to a black hole or neutron star

The discovery, based on an unusual event dubbed “the Cow,” may offer astronomers a new way to spot infant compact objects.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Dec. 13, 2021 ~6 min

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