Telescope

Spitzer's final mosaic shows how these images are normally seen by scientists – as the products of two different detectors (seen as cyan and red) imaging different wavelengths of light, before being combined into one (grey)

Space

NASA farewells Spitzer Space Telescope with final mosaic image

The Spitzer Space Telescope was decommissioned on Jan. 30 this year, after more than 16 years in operation. Now NASA has released the observatory’s last-ever mosaic image, giving us a glimpse into how it works and revealing new features of a nebula.

Artist's impression of the lunar telescope showing key elements – to the bottom is a graphic showing how the telescope is protected from Earthly interference by the mass of the Moon

Space

NASA funds concept for gigantic radio telescope on far side of Moon

NASA is exploring the potential of building an enormous radio telescope on the far side of the Moon in a huge impact crater. The telescope’s reflector would be comprised of a 1-km diameter wire mesh, pulled into place by wall-climbing robots.

Space

NASA unfolds James Webb Telescope's huge mirrors in deployment test

The James Webb Space Telescope has crossed another milestone on the path to its long-awaited launch. NASA engineers have now completed a deployment test, unfurling the telescope’s gigantic mirror into the configuration it will take in space.

The boiling plasma surface of the sun at incredibly high resolution. Bright areas are plasma rising up to the surface, dark channels are cooling plasma heading back under, the bright areas in the dark channels represent powerful magnetic fields

Space

Watch the sun boiling in the most detailed photos and video to date

The first images and videos are in from the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, and they show the bubbling, explosive surface of our sun in unprecedented detail. The sheer scale, beauty and violence is breathtaking.

Artist's impression of an exoplanet being evaporated by a white dwarf

Space

Evaporating Neptune-like giant exoplanet found orbiting dying star

Scientists have discovered a massive planet evaporating as it orbits the remains of a Sun-like star. This is the first time evidence of a huge planet orbiting a white dwarf has been observed, and it could help reveal the fate of our own solar system.

Volunteers and staff with components of the Great Melbourne Telescope at Moreland Annexe

Science

The Great Melbourne Telescope reassembled for 150th anniversary

Once the second-largest telescope in the world, Australia's Great Melbourne Telescope has been restored thanks to an 11-year volunteer effort after being severely damaged in a bushfire in 2003.

An image of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov (left) accompanied by a composite image showing the Earth for scale (right)

Space

Hawaiian telescope captures new view of visiting interstellar comet

Scientists have captured a close-up view of the ancient alien comet 2l/Borisov, which is currently careening through our solar system before it shoots back out into interstellar space, never to be seen again.

View of the Milky Way's center, created from radio wave data captured by the Murchison Widefield Array located in the Australian outback

Space

Stunning radio wave imagery captures the hidden beauty of our galaxy

A new view of the Milky Way has revealed how the galactic center would appear to human beings if our eyes were able to detect low-frequency radio waves.

The JWST pictured during sunshield testing

Space

NASA successfully tests James Webb Space Telescope sunshield

NASA has completed a milestone test of the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) sunshield, which will protect the flagship observatory from the Sun’s radiation as it unravels the secrets of the cosmos.

The first direct image of a black hole, as produced by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration

Science

First direct black hole image wins Breakthrough Prize

Back in April the world got its first direct glimpse of a black hole. Now the team behind this historic work is being awarded a Breakthrough Prize.

The CHIME radio telescope has picked up eight new repeating fast radio bursts

Space

Eight new repeating radio signals detected from deep space

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are one of the most intriguing mysteries of modern astronomy. Now a whopping eight new repeating signals have been detected.

An artist's rendition of an asteroid swinging past Earth

Space

Long-missing, potentially dangerous asteroid finally rediscovered – and it won't hit Earth

Of all the things you don’t want to lose, an asteroid with a chance of striking Earth is pretty high up the list. A potentially dangerous space rock called 2006 QV89 has been missing in action for 13 years, but now astronomers have finally found it, and ruled out an impact within the next century.