How the universe got its magnetic field

By studying the dynamics of plasma turbulence, MIT researchers are helping to solve one of the mysteries of the origins of cosmological magnetic fields.

Martin Greenwald | Plasma Science and Fusion Center • mit
May 25, 2022 ~8 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

Physicists embark on a hunt for a long-sought quantum glow

A new approach could make it possible detect the elusive Unruh effect in hours, rather than billions of years.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
April 26, 2022 ~8 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


Early findings from HERA telescope promise deeper understanding of the cosmic dawn

Scientists including MIT’s Jacqueline Hewitt and Nicholas Kern share long-awaited results, getting closer to the universe’s first stars.

Maria Rose | MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research • mit
Feb. 11, 2022 ~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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