Observatory

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found knots moving at different speeds within jets blasted by the black hole at the centre of the Centaurus A galaxy. The X-ray data revealed that these knots travel faster in X-ray wavelengths than in radio wavelengths. This discovery raises questions about how these jets work, with astronome...

A supernova recorded in 1181, known as SN 1181, has been linked to the Pa 30 nebula, revealing a rare “zombie star.” Advanced 3D imaging from the Keck Observatory has shown unusual filaments expanding from this star, marking it as a unique case in supernova studies. This zombie star survived a thermonuclear explosion on a white dwarf, challengi...

The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) observatory has been inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh, at an altitude of over 4,300 metres. This state-of-the-art facility will advance India's capabilities in cosmic-ray research and high-energy astrophysics. Inaugurated by Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, the observ...

A giant sphere 700 m (2,300 ft) underground with thousands of light-detecting tubes will be sealed in a 12-storey cylindrical pool of water in coming months for an experiment that will shine new light on elusive subatomic particles called neutrinos.

Researchers from NASA and India’s ISRO have collaborated to study the interaction between a massive black hole and a star that ventured too close. Using multiple observatories, including AstroSat, they discovered the link between tidal disruption events and quasi-periodic eruptions. This research offers new insights into the expanding debris disk...

The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment observatory, the largest imaging Cherenkov telescope in Asia, has been inaugurated at Hanle in Ladakh, giving a boost to scientific research.

Historically, the Sahara was once covered in vegetation and lakes between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago

Chinese scientists have made a major breakthrough in lunar exploration by analysing samples from the far side of the Moon, collected during the Chang'e-6 mission. The study, conducted by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other leading institutions, has revealed significant differences in the composition ...

Mars may have once had a larger moon, possibly named Nerio, which could explain its odd ellipsoidal shape and unique terrain features like the Tharsis bulge and massive volcanoes. Michael Efroimsky, an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, proposes this idea, although more research is needed to confirm it. The disappearance of this moon might h...

Astronomers have detected two closely spaced supermassive black holes in the galaxy MCG-03-34-64, located 800 million light-years away.

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,500-year-old astronomy observatory in Buto, Egypt, within a temple complex dedicated to the goddess Wadjet. This significant discovery dates back to the sixth century BCE, a period marked by political instability as pharaonic power began to wane. The observatory, spanning 850 square metres, is the largest known fro...

Quasars are the extremely bright cores of galaxies, powered by supermassive black holes at their centres.

On August 8, 2024, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) may have documented a record-breaking number of sunspots in a single day, marking a significant event in Solar Cycle 25. These sunspots, which are dark, cooler areas on the Sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity, play a crucial role in the Sun's behaviour and have a direct impa...

The GROWTH-India telescope at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh recently captured a building-sized asteroid on its approach to Earth.

The observatory aims to detect signs of extraterrestrial life on Earth-like planets by 2050, with a focus on identifying various biosignatures.

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found knots moving at different speeds within jets blasted by the black hole at the centre of the Centaurus A galaxy. The X-ray data revealed that these knots travel faster in X-ray wavelengths than in radio wavelengths. This discovery raises questions about how these jets work, with astronome...

A supernova recorded in 1181, known as SN 1181, has been linked to the Pa 30 nebula, revealing a rare “zombie star.” Advanced 3D imaging from the Keck Observatory has shown unusual filaments expanding from this star, marking it as a unique case in supernova studies. This zombie star survived a thermonuclear explosion on a white dwarf, challengi...

The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) observatory has been inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh, at an altitude of over 4,300 metres. This state-of-the-art facility will advance India's capabilities in cosmic-ray research and high-energy astrophysics. Inaugurated by Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, the observ...

A giant sphere 700 m (2,300 ft) underground with thousands of light-detecting tubes will be sealed in a 12-storey cylindrical pool of water in coming months for an experiment that will shine new light on elusive subatomic particles called neutrinos.

Researchers from NASA and India’s ISRO have collaborated to study the interaction between a massive black hole and a star that ventured too close. Using multiple observatories, including AstroSat, they discovered the link between tidal disruption events and quasi-periodic eruptions. This research offers new insights into the expanding debris disk...

The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment observatory, the largest imaging Cherenkov telescope in Asia, has been inaugurated at Hanle in Ladakh, giving a boost to scientific research.

Historically, the Sahara was once covered in vegetation and lakes between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago

Chinese scientists have made a major breakthrough in lunar exploration by analysing samples from the far side of the Moon, collected during the Chang'e-6 mission. The study, conducted by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other leading institutions, has revealed significant differences in the composition ...

Mars may have once had a larger moon, possibly named Nerio, which could explain its odd ellipsoidal shape and unique terrain features like the Tharsis bulge and massive volcanoes. Michael Efroimsky, an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, proposes this idea, although more research is needed to confirm it. The disappearance of this moon might h...

Astronomers have detected two closely spaced supermassive black holes in the galaxy MCG-03-34-64, located 800 million light-years away.

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,500-year-old astronomy observatory in Buto, Egypt, within a temple complex dedicated to the goddess Wadjet. This significant discovery dates back to the sixth century BCE, a period marked by political instability as pharaonic power began to wane. The observatory, spanning 850 square metres, is the largest known fro...

Quasars are the extremely bright cores of galaxies, powered by supermassive black holes at their centres.

On August 8, 2024, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) may have documented a record-breaking number of sunspots in a single day, marking a significant event in Solar Cycle 25. These sunspots, which are dark, cooler areas on the Sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity, play a crucial role in the Sun's behaviour and have a direct impa...

The GROWTH-India telescope at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh recently captured a building-sized asteroid on its approach to Earth.

The observatory aims to detect signs of extraterrestrial life on Earth-like planets by 2050, with a focus on identifying various biosignatures.