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.
During the 1240s, Richard Fishacre, a Dominican friar at Oxford University, used his knowledge of light and color to show that the stars and planets are made of the same elements found here on Earth. In so doing, he challenged ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 10, 2025
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Last week, four lasers were projected into the sky above the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Paranal site in Chile. The lasers successfully created an "artificial star" that astronomers can use to measure and then correct ...
Astronomy
Nov 10, 2025
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Earth's atmosphere is an impediment to astronomical observations. Not only is cloudy weather a problem, but temperature fluctuations in the atmosphere mean that ground-based telescopes require sophisticated adaptive optics ...
Astronomy
Nov 5, 2025
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A spooky bat has been spotted flying over the European Southern Observatory's (ESO's) Paranal site in Chile, right in time for Halloween. Thanks to its wide field of view, the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) was able to capture ...
Astronomy
Oct 31, 2025
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On October 18, 2025, the 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) facility, installed on the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Paranal Observatory in Chile, obtained its first light. ...
Astronomy
Oct 26, 2025
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Radio astronomy opens a window onto the invisible universe. While our eyes can detect visible light, countless objects in space emit radiation at much longer wavelengths, in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. ...
Astronomy
Oct 14, 2025
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The SOAR Telescope, located on Cerro Pachón in Chile, has received a major upgrade with the installation of the SOAR Telescope Echelle Spectrograph (STELES). The long-awaited instrument achieved first light in August with ...
Astronomy
Sep 29, 2025
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An international team of astronomers has conducted detailed multicolor photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2022xlp—a type Iax supernova. Results of the observational campaign, published September 9 on the arXiv ...
A research team led by Ph.D. candidate Wang Haozhi under the supervision of Prof. Ali Esamdin at the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has revealed the genuine source of the ...
Astronomy
Sep 5, 2025
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A new systematic study of the atmospheric conditions at the Muztagh Station in western China has revealed the site's unique suitability for optical observations. Researchers from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory of the ...
Astronomy
Sep 4, 2025
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