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.
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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By analyzing the available optical spectroscopic data, astronomers have investigated a nearby planetary nebula designated IC 418, also known as the Spirograph Nebula. Results of the study, published August 20 in The Astrophysical ...
New results from OSIRIS-REx, NASA's first asteroid sample return mission, reveals why some gray asteroids reflect light at different wavelengths, like red or blue, more strongly. How these asteroids reflect light at red and ...
Planetary Sciences
Aug 26, 2025
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Astronomers from Seoul National University, South Korea and elsewhere report the detection of 62 new luminous quasars as part of the All-sky BRIght, Complete Quasar Survey (AllBRICQS). The discovery was detailed in a research ...
Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA), a six-telescope interferometer, excels at studying stars. It's been observing them for 20 years and has contributed to 276 published papers. ...
Astronomy
Jul 24, 2025
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The race to connect the world through satellite internet has created an unexpected casualty: our view of the cosmos. A new study reveals that major satellite constellations, including Starlink, BlueBird, and OneWeb, are significantly ...
Astronomy
Jul 15, 2025
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Imagine a space telescope with a mirror stretching 50 meters across! That's larger than the width of a U.K. soccer field and nearly eight times wider than the James Webb Space Telescope. Now imagine that this enormous mirror ...
Astronomy
Jul 10, 2025
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With the recent first light milestone for the Vera Rubin Observatory, it's only a matter of time before one of astronomy's most long-awaited surveys begins. The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is set to start on November ...
Astronomy
Jul 9, 2025
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