Optical astronomy is the research area focused on observing and analyzing electromagnetic radiation in the optical band, typically encompassing near-ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths accessible to ground- and space-based telescopes using optical elements and detectors. It employs instruments such as imaging cameras, spectrographs, and polarimeters on refracting or reflecting telescopes to study the photometric, spectroscopic, and polarimetric properties of astronomical sources. The field addresses topics including stellar and galactic structure, interstellar medium characterization, planetary systems, and cosmological parameters, and it relies on advanced techniques in adaptive optics, precision calibration, and data reduction to mitigate atmospheric and instrumental effects.
Using preliminary data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists have discovered over 11,000 new asteroids. The data were confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (MPC), making this the ...
Planetary Sciences
Apr 2, 2026
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Historical observations from an observatory in Germany have now independently verified evidence for brief, mysterious flashes of light in the night sky, first picked up by an American astronomical survey in the 1950s. Through ...
Here's a thought experiment. Imagine looking at Earth from a distant star system, armed with a powerful telescope capable of capturing its reflected light. Could you tell the planet was alive? The answer, remarkably, might ...
Astrobiology
Mar 30, 2026
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Finding life beyond our solar system goes beyond measuring an exoplanet's size, as rocky, Earth-sized worlds might not have the conditions for life as we know it. While exoplanets can be directly imaged by blocking their ...
Astrobiology
Mar 30, 2026
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A team of NASA researchers is developing new types of optical masks that could help enable the many orders of magnitude of starlight suppression needed for future space observatories to pick out very faint habitable exoplanets ...
Astrobiology
Mar 25, 2026
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This March 16, 2026, image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope takes a closer look at the core of Messier 101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy.
Astronomy
Mar 23, 2026
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The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is alarmed by the threat to ground-based astronomy posed by proposals put forward by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Reflect Orbital. SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites to act ...
Space Exploration
Mar 16, 2026
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31
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has started releasing its first discoveries: including supernovae, variable stars and asteroids, which will from now on be discovered at an astonishing rate as it begins its Legacy Survey of ...
Astronomy
Mar 3, 2026
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It's been about eight months since the Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO) saw first light. Now the telescope is scanning the night sky to detect transient changes and sending alerts to astronomers and observatories around the world ...
Astronomy
Mar 2, 2026
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103
Thanks to Fink, a software package created by two CNRS engineers, it is now possible to track millions of transient celestial phenomena observed in the sky by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, in real time and with ...
Astronomy
Feb 26, 2026
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