Project News

NEOWISE: A Yearlong Look at the Sky

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • Project News • January 15th, 2015

NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft discovered and characterized 40 near-Earth objects (NEOs) in the first year after the mission was re-started in December 2013. Eight of the discoveries have been classified as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), based on...

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NASA’s Kepler Marks 1,000th Exoplanet Discovery, Uncovers More Small Worlds in Habitable Zones

Kepler • Project News • January 6th, 2015

How many stars like our sun host planets like our Earth? NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope continuously monitored more than 150,000 stars beyond our solar system, and to date has offered scientists an assortment of more than 4,000 candidate planets for further study -- the 1,000th of which was...

SPHEREx Proposal Submitted

SPHEREx • News Release • December 19th, 2014

SPHEREx Proposal submitted today.

Herschel’s view of the early Universe reveals galaxy cluster fireworks

Herschel • News Release • December 18th, 2014

Astronomers using ESA’s Herschel space observatory have found, for the first time, fireworks of star birth within galaxies at the dense core of a massive early Universe galaxy cluster. This frenzy of star formation reveals the young lives of now “red and dead” elliptical galaxies and gives new...

Warm Gas Pours 'Cold Water' on Galaxy's Star-Making

Herschel • Feature • December 5th, 2014

One galaxy devoured remnants of another galaxy, quenching the formation of new stars.

Slow-Growing Galaxies Offer Window to Early Universe

Herschel • Feature • October 15th, 2014

What makes one rose bush blossom with flowers, while another remains barren? Astronomers ask a similar question of galaxies, wondering how some flourish with star formation and others barely bloom.

NASA Telescopes Uncover Early Construction of Giant Galaxy

Herschel • News Release • August 27th, 2014

Astronomers have for the first time caught a glimpse of the earliest stages of massive galaxy construction. The building site, dubbed "Sparky," is a dense galactic core blazing with the light of millions of newborn stars that are forming at a ferocious rate.

NEOWISE Spots a Comet That Looked Like an Asteroid

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • Project News • July 23rd, 2014

Comet C/2013 UQ4 (Catalina) has been observed by NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft just one day after passing through its closest approach to the sun. The comet glows brightly in infrared wavelengths, with a dust tail streaking more than 62,000...

Young Sun’s Violent History Solves Meteorite Mystery

Herschel • Feature • July 1st, 2014

Astronomers using ESA’s Herschel space observatory to probe the turbulent beginnings of a Sun-like star have found evidence of mighty stellar winds that could solve a puzzling meteorite mystery in our own back yard.

New Molecules Around Old Stars

Herschel • External • June 17th, 2014

Astronomers have discovered that a molecule vital for creating water exists in the burning embers of dying Sun-like stars. When low- to middleweight stars like our Sun approach the end of their lives, they eventually become dense, white dwarf stars. In doing so, they cast off their outer layers...

NEOWISE: A Yearlong Look at the Sky

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • January 15th, 2015

NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft discovered and characterized 40 near-Earth objects (NEOs) in the first year after the mission was...

NASA’s Kepler Marks 1,000th Exoplanet Discovery, Uncovers More Small Worlds in Habitable Zones

Kepler • January 6th, 2015

How many stars like our sun host planets like our Earth? NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope continuously monitored more than 150,000 stars beyond our solar system, and to date has...

SPHEREx Proposal Submitted

SPHEREx • December 19th, 2014

SPHEREx Proposal submitted today.

Herschel’s view of the early Universe reveals galaxy cluster fireworks

Herschel • December 18th, 2014

Astronomers using ESA’s Herschel space observatory have found, for the first time, fireworks of star birth within galaxies at the dense core of a massive early Universe galaxy...

Warm Gas Pours 'Cold Water' on Galaxy's Star-Making

Herschel • December 5th, 2014

One galaxy devoured remnants of another galaxy, quenching the formation of new stars.

Slow-Growing Galaxies Offer Window to Early Universe

Herschel • October 15th, 2014

What makes one rose bush blossom with flowers, while another remains barren? Astronomers ask a similar question of galaxies, wondering how some flourish with star formation and...

NASA Telescopes Uncover Early Construction of Giant Galaxy

Herschel • August 27th, 2014

Astronomers have for the first time caught a glimpse of the earliest stages of massive galaxy construction. The building site, dubbed "Sparky," is a dense galactic core blazing...

NEOWISE Spots a Comet That Looked Like an Asteroid

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer • July 23rd, 2014

Comet C/2013 UQ4 (Catalina) has been observed by NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft just one day after passing through its closest...

Young Sun’s Violent History Solves Meteorite Mystery

Herschel • July 1st, 2014

Astronomers using ESA’s Herschel space observatory to probe the turbulent beginnings of a Sun-like star have found evidence of mighty stellar winds that could solve a puzzling...

New Molecules Around Old Stars

Herschel • June 17th, 2014

Astronomers have discovered that a molecule vital for creating water exists in the burning embers of dying Sun-like stars. When low- to middleweight stars like our Sun approach...