Astronomy

Aug. 14, 2017

In Hunting Supernovae, 'Get Them While They're Young'

Astronomers have caught the fleeting explosion of a Type Ia supernova in detail. Understanding how they form could have implications for dark energy measurements.

Bright blue dot: Supernovae such as SN 2017cbv appear as "stars that weren't there before," which is why multiple images taken over time are necessary to reveal their true identity. SN 2017cbv lies in the outskirts of a spiral galaxy called NGC 5643 that

July 10, 2017

UA Astronomers Track the Birth of a 'Super-Earth'

"Synthetic observations" simulating nascent planetary systems could help explain a puzzle — how planets form — that has vexed astronomers for a long time.

This is an artist’s impression of a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk in which planets are forming.

May 2, 2017

Four Questions: A Ride On NASA's Eye in the Sky

UA astronomer Kate Su talks about her experience aboard the "jetliner observatory" SOFIA. Su and her team confirmed that a nearby star system resembles our solar system in its youth.

Kate Su with her colleague and fellow "passenger scientist," Massimo Marengo from Iowa State University, after the safety training.

March 24, 2017

NASA Selects Airborne Observatory for Funding

From a pool of eight proposed missions competing for funding in NASA's Explorer category, the space agency has chosen to fund the UA-led GUSTO mission. The goal of the $40 million endeavor is to send a balloon to near-space, carrying a telescope that will study the interstellar medium.

Christopher Walker's team successfully launched the Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory from McMurdo in Antarctica on Dec 8, 2016.

Jan. 23, 2017

Ex-President Shelton to Oversee GMT Buildout

The appointment of Robert Shelton is further evidence of the UA's central role in the Giant Magellan Telescope — the first of a new crop of extremely large observatories tasked with studying the first stars and galaxies in the universe and the exploration of planets orbiting other stars.

Robert Shelton, who served as the UA's 19th president from 2006 until 2011, will lead the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization behind the development of the world's largest telescope.

Nov. 30, 2016

It's a Bird … It's a Plane … It's the Tiniest Asteroid!

A team led by UA astronomer Vishnu Reddy has characterized the smallest known asteroid using Earth-based telescopes. Asteroid 2015 TC25 measures just 6 feet across.

Small near-Earth asteroids are important targets of study because not much is known about them. By characterizing the smallest of the bunch, scientists can better understand the population of objects from which they originate: large asteroids, which have

Nov. 16, 2016

Cracked, Frozen and Tipped Over: New Clues From Pluto's Past

Research by two UA planetary scientists reveals fascinating clues about Pluto, suggesting that the small world at the solar system's fringe is much more active than anyone imagined.

In this image of Pluto taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, different colors represent different compositions of surface ices, revealing a surprisingly active body.

Oct. 21, 2016

More Evidence for Ninth Planet on Solar System's Fringes

Research led by UA professor Renu Malhotra provides additional support for the possible existence of such a world and narrows the range of its parameters and location.

An artist's illustration of Planet Nine, a hypothesized Neptune-size planet orbiting in the distant reaches of our solar system

Oct. 19, 2016

One Man's Mars Mission, 30 Years in the Making

UA professor Bill Boynton has contributed to 10 NASA missions in his lifetime, including OSIRIS-REx, which began its journey to the asteroid Bennu last month. But this month, Boynton can’t help but think about Mars and the Odyssey mission, celebrating its 15th anniversary.

Sept. 16, 2016

UA Team Part of International Space Surveillance Conference

The conference is the largest international civil-military conference dedicated to space surveillance. The UA's prominence reinforces its lead in the emerging space surveillance industry.

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Astronomy