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Einstein Probe detects an X-ray flare from nearby star

Using the Einstein Probe (EP), astronomers have detected a new X-ray transient event, which turned out to be an X-ray flare from the star PM J23221-0301 located about 150 light years away. The finding was reported in a research paper published December 18 on the arXiv preprint server.

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Wind-battered Lick Observatory rushes to shield historic telescope after dome damage

Winds exceeding 110 mph that tore across the top of Mount Hamilton early Christmas morning blasted a massive steel protective door off the iconic white dome at Lick Observatory.

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NASA’s Chandra rings in the new year with the Champagne Cluster

Celebrate the New Year with the “Champagne Cluster,” a galaxy cluster seen in this new image from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical telescopes.

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Most sensitive radio observations to date find no evidence of technosignature from 3I/ATLAS

Since the interstellar object (ISO) 3I/ATLAS was first discovered on July 1, 2025, it has garnered much attention, including speculation, hopes and fears that it may somehow contain evidence of technologically advanced civilizations outside of our solar system.

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The year’s first meteor shower and supermoon clash in January skies

The year’s first supermoon and meteor shower will sync up in January skies, but the light from one may dim the other.

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Image: JWST captures colliding spiral galaxies

Mid-infrared observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, shown in white, gray, and red, are combined here with X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, highlighted in blue. Together, these different wavelengths reveal a detailed and layered view of a pair of colliding spiral galaxies, captured in an image released on Dec. 1, 2025.

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ASKAP discovers a spectacular outflow in a nearby galaxy

Using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), an international team of astronomers has discovered a spectacular bipolar outflow from the disk of a nearby galaxy known as ESO 130-G012. The finding was reported in a paper published December 17 on the pre-print server arXiv.

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Venus cloud research highlights value of combining light and polarization measurements

A research team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has advanced the characterization and retrieval capability evaluation of microphysical properties of Venusian clouds and haze.

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The Star of Bethlehem might have actually been a comet described in an ancient Chinese text

Many researchers have spent decades attempting to decode biblical descriptions and link them to verifiable historical events. One such description is that of the Star of Bethlehem—a bright astronomical body that was said to lead the Magi to Jesus shortly after his birth.

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Video: Fly through Webb’s cosmic vistas

On the launch anniversary of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, ESA presents a unique compilation of zooms into stunning cosmic views.

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Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet

How did life begin on Earth? While scientists have theories, they don’t yet fully understand the precise chemical steps that led to biology, or when the first primitive life forms appeared.

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Before we build on the moon, we have to master the commute

Even most rocket scientists would rather avoid hard math when they don’t have to do it. So when it comes to figuring out orbits in complex three-body systems, like those in cis-lunar space, which is between Earth and the moon, they’d rather someone else do the work for them.

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Veritas explores the nature of a mysterious gamma-ray emitter

Astronomers have employed the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) to observe a mysterious gamma-ray emitting source designated HESS J1857+026. Results of the observational campaign, published December 19 on the pre-print server arXiv, shed more light on the nature of this source.

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The moon and sun figure big in the new year’s lineup of cosmic wonders

The moon and sun share top billing in 2026.

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ALMA datasets elucidate nearby galaxy NGC 1266’s massive molecular outflow

By analyzing the archival data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international team of astronomers has inspected the outflow of a nearby galaxy known as NGC 1266. Results of the new study, presented Dec. 11 on the arXiv pre-print server, could help us better understand the nature of this galaxy.

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