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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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Ultra-hot lava world has thick atmosphere, upending expectations

A Carnegie-led team of astronomers detected the strongest evidence yet of an atmosphere around a rocky planet beyond our solar system. Their work, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, used NASA’s JWST to reveal an alien atmosphere in an unexpected place—an ancient, ultra-hot super-Earth that likely hosts a magma ocean.

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Gemini and Blanco telescopes unlock clues to origin of longest gamma-ray burst ever observed

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the most powerful explosions in the universe, second only to the Big Bang. The majority of these bursts are observed to flash and fade within a few seconds to minutes. But on 2 July 2025, astronomers were alerted to a GRB source that was exhibiting repeating bursts and would end […]

Flaring black hole whips up ultra-fast winds

Leading X-ray space telescopes XMM-Newton and XRISM have spotted a never-seen-before blast from a supermassive black hole. In a matter of hours, the gravitational monster whipped up powerful winds, flinging material out into space at eye-watering speeds of 60,000 km per second.

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Astronomers explore the double nucleus of galaxy NGC 4486B

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has observed an elliptical galaxy known as NGC 4486B. Results of the observational campaign, published Dec. 16 on the arXiv preprint server, deliver important insights into the properties of the double nucleus of this galaxy.

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Supernova from the dawn of the universe captured by James Webb Space Telescope

An international team of astronomers has achieved a first in probing the early universe, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), detecting a supernova—the explosive death of a massive star—at an unprecedented cosmic distance.

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Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus is an attractive target in the search for life—new research

A small, icy moon of Saturn called Enceladus is one of the prime targets in the search for life elsewhere in the solar system. A new study strengthens the case for Enceladus being a habitable world.

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Observations catch galaxy cluster in the process of merging

Astronomers have used the Keck Observatory’s DEIMOS multi-object spectrograph to observe a nearby galaxy cluster designated RXC J0032.1+1808. As a result, they found that the cluster undergoes a major merging event. The finding was presented in a research paper published December 16 on the pre-print server arXiv.

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