Astronomy Content

First Images Revealed From Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Andy Fell — June 23, 2025 - 10:47am

The results of two decades of scientific and technological innovation were unveiled today with the reveal of the first imagery captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a facility jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

Tony Tyson: Sifting Through the Cosmic Noise

Andy Fell — February 07, 2025 - 9:51am

In a dark, light-tight room on the fifth floor of the �� Physics Building, researchers recreate the night sky. But the simulated sky isn’t projected onto a wall or ceiling. Instead, a large, tube-like device, housed in a transparent cage, uses a reticle mask, also known as a photomask, to achieve the simulation. Wires crisscross the instrument — known as an optical simulator — and liquid nitrogen cools it when it’s in use.

Simulations Explain Abundance of Bright Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn

Andy Fell — October 03, 2023 - 12:41pm

When researchers glimpsed the first images and data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), humanity’s largest and most powerful space telescope, they noticed something peculiar. A large number of bright galaxies deep in the universe formed during a period called “Cosmic Dawn,” when the first stars and galaxies formed within 500 million years after the Big Bang.

Making Better Measurements of the Composition of Galaxies

Andy Fell — April 20, 2023 - 8:00am

A study using data from telescopes on Earth and in the sky resolves a problem plaguing astronomers working in the infrared and could help make better observations of the composition of the universe with the James Webb Space Telescope and other instruments. The work is published April 20 in Nature Astronomy.

Newly Discovered Gravitational Lenses Could Reveal Ancient Galaxies and the Nature of Dark Matter

Andy Fell — September 29, 2022 - 4:38pm

An international team of astronomers has discovered dozens of strong gravitational lenses that will allow astronomers to look deep into the universe, revealing ancient structures and giving insight into the nature of dark matter.

Astronomers Look Forward to Webb Telescope Projects

Andy Fell — July 13, 2022 - 11:24am

The release of the first images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope this week has scientists and laypeople alike swooning over the quality and beauty of the images. Astronomers are also getting ready to use the JWST in their research projects.

Associate Professor Tucker Jones and postdoctoral research Ryan Sanders, both in the �� Department of Physics and Astronomy, are each leading programs that will make use of the JWST.

Long Ago, Far Away and Hard to See

Andy Fell — June 22, 2022 - 10:13am

The ancestors of galaxy clusters, the largest structures in the universe, have been identified by a team of astronomers including Brian Lemaux, who is affiliated with the �� Department of Physics and Astronomy. Galaxies in the newly identified protoclusters are surprisingly sparse and dim, which may be why they have been so difficult to find until now. The work was published June 15 in Nature.

New, Third Type of Supernova Observed

Andy Fell — June 28, 2021 - 12:00pm

An international team of astronomers has observed the first example of a new type of supernova. The discovery, confirming a prediction made four decades ago, could lead to new insights into the life and death of stars. The work is published June 28 in Nature Astronomy.