JWST accidentally discovers 21 brown dwarfs

When you launch humanity's most powerful telescope, you expect results. The JWST has delivered excellent results by detecting ancient galaxies, identifying chemicals in exoplanet atmospheres, and peering into star-forming ...

Webb discovers methane, carbon dioxide in atmosphere of K2-18 b

Carbon-bearing molecules have been discovered in the atmosphere of the habitable zone exoplanet K2-18 b by an international team of astronomers using data from the NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. These results are consistent ...

Hunting for supermassive black holes in the early universe

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs)—black holes with masses exceeding a million times that of the sun—are known to prevail in the universe today. However, it is not clear yet when, where, and how they formed during the 13.8 ...

Closest supernova in a decade reveals how exploding stars evolve

Alex Filippenko is the kind of guy who brings a telescope to a party. True to form, at a soiree on May 18 this year, he wowed his hosts with images of star clusters and colorful galaxies—including the dramatic spiral Pinwheel ...

'Thermometer' molecule confirmed on exoplanet WASP-31b

Chromium hydride (CrH), a molecule that's relatively rare and particularly sensitive to temperature, is useful as a "thermometer for stars," according to astronomer Laura Flagg, because it's abundant only in a narrow range ...

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