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.
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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104
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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When you look up at the night sky, it appears unchanging. But if you look deep enough you will find that the sky is in fact constantly shifting. Satellites, asteroids and interstellar objects pass by. Stars not only shine ...
Astronomy
Feb 26, 2026
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140
How did the construction of the Subaru Telescope transform Japanese astronomy? A new study provides a quantitative answer by analyzing scientific publications and their citation impact during the telescope's early years. ...
Astronomy
Feb 24, 2026
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Six planets are linking up in the sky at the end of February, and most will be visible to the naked eye.
Planetary Sciences
Feb 23, 2026
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40
Europe's ESO star-gazing organization on Monday welcomed plans to call off building a massive green energy project in the Chilean desert which threatened to spoil its telescopes' view of the darkest skies on Earth.
Astronomy
Feb 2, 2026
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Seeing a satellite zip across the night sky can be a fascinating sight. However, what may be spectacular for people on the ground is becoming a major problem for astronomers. A new study published on the arXiv preprint server ...
Using the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international team of astronomers have performed long-term photometric observations of a luminous blazar known as Ton 599. Results of the observations, published in the Astronomy ...
Gemini North captured new images of Comet 3I/ATLAS after it reemerged from behind the sun on its path out of the solar system. The data were collected during a Shadow the Scientists session—a unique outreach initiative that ...
Planetary Sciences
Dec 12, 2025
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