The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made a weather report for a distant planet. The powerful space telescope predicts extreme wind speeds, blistering hot temperatures and blankets of rock clouds for the world, called Wasp-43b. As such, the extrasolar planet, or ‘exoplanet’, shows just how strange alien planets outside the solar system can be. … Read more
The glorious, billowing Southern Ring Nebula is the cocoon of a dying star – and it has a secret. Scientists have discovered that this nebula exhibits a double ring structure, revealing not one, but possibly three stars at its heart. The Southern Ring Nebula, also called NGC 3132, is a planetary nebula located about 2,000 … Read more
Dr. Sebastian Voltmer | www.voltmer.photo Claim: A real photo taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse. Judgement: Rating: Wrong subtitles Context: The real photo [pictured above] was not created by JWST nor will it be in 2024. The image that went viral is a digital drawing that … Read more
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists have finally solved the mysterious origins of the ‘BOAT’, possibly the largest cosmic explosion since the Big Bang. The brightest gamma-ray burst of all time (hence the abbreviation The Brightest Of All Time), also called the BOOT, appears to have been launched by a supernova explosion that … Read more
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question that you would like an expert to answer, please send it to Curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. If the James Webb telescope were ten times more powerful, could we see the beginning of time? – Sam H., age 12, Prosper, Texas The James Webb … Read more
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question that you would like an expert to answer, please send it to Curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. If the James Webb telescope were ten times more powerful, could we see the beginning of time? – Sam H., age 12, Prosper, Texas The James Webb … Read more
Astronomers use the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to hunt for planets that form around young stars. The powerful space telescope delivered the goods quickly, albeit in an unexpected way. These young planets take shape in swirling clumps of gas and dust called protoplanetary disks, gathering more and more mass as they go. Humanity has … Read more
A very young star is forming in the dark cloud L1527 (top left), the “Cosmic Cliffs” (top right), the Tarantula Nebula (bottom left) and the molecular cloud Chameleon I (bottom right).NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Webb ERO production team. Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Mahdi Zamani (ESA/Webb). NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has … Read more
Scientists may have discovered how a supernova relatively close to Earth became adorned with a remarkable “string of pearls” formation. Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A) represents the remnants of a massive cosmic explosion that ripped apart a massive star and left behind a neutron star surrounded by stellar material. It is located in a satellite galaxy … Read more
Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s science newsletter Wonder Theory. To receive it in your inbox, Register for free here. There are constant reminders in our daily environment of the many chapters of life that have unfolded on Earth. Rocks and dirt preserve traces of the eras that preceded ours, such … Read more