Project News

IRSA Newsletter: Issue 2023.4

Infrared Science Archive • Project News • May 24th, 2023

The latest IRSA Newsletter has information about ZTF Data Release 17, COSMOS2020 Catalog Release, availability of data from the IRTF/TEXES instrument, and IRSA Viewer updates.

Radio signals reveal the origin of a supernova

ZTF • News Release • May 17th, 2023

NASA’s Spitzer, TESS Find Potentially Volcano-Covered Earth-Size World

Spitzer • News Release • May 17th, 2023

Astronomers have discovered an Earth-size exoplanet, or world beyond our solar system, that may be carpeted with volcanoes. Called LP 791-18 d, the planet could undergo volcanic outbursts as often as Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active body in our solar system.

NASA Completes Heart of Roman Space Telescope’s Primary Instrument

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • Project News • May 16th, 2023

The heart of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was recently delivered to Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, for integration into the WFI (Wide Field Instrument). Called the FPS (Focal Plane System), it serves as the core of Roman’s camera.

Caught in the Act: Astronomers Detect a Star Devouring a Planet

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • Project News • May 3rd, 2023

A new study published online Wednesday, May 3, in the journal Nature documents the first observation of an aging star swallowing a planet. After running out of fuel in its core, the star began to grow in size, shrinking the gap with its neighboring planet, eventually consuming it entirely.

ZTF sees a star eating its world

ZTF • News Release • May 3rd, 2023

For the first time, astronomers have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet whole. The sun-like star, called ZTF SLRN-2020, lies about 15,000 light-years away in our galaxy and is thought to have engulfed a hot gas giant about the size of Jupiter or smaller.

Euclid on the way to launch site

Euclid • News Release • April 26th, 2023

The Euclid mission will explore the dark universe. The Euclid satellite has been shipped from Italy, and is en route to its launch site in Florida, U.S.A.. The launch is scheduled for early July 2023.

Framework for NASA’s Roman Spacecraft Moves to Goddard Clean Room

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • Project News • April 26th, 2023

The primary structure that will serve as the “bones” of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has moved into the big clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The spacecraft bus, Roman’s primary support element, will now be built upon this skeletal framework.

Goddard Team Builds, Tests Calibrator for NASA’s Roman in Record Time

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope • Project News • April 19th, 2023

A vital subsystem for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was recently delivered to Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, and installed in the spacecraft’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI). Called the Simplified Relative Calibration System (sRCS), this component will allow astronomers to measure...

NEOWISE 2023 Data Release

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • Project News • March 22nd, 2023

The Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) and IPAC at the California Institute of Technology announce the NEOWISE 2023 Data Release.