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Topic: NASA

May 23, 2024June 12, 2024 By Mike Peña
New exoplanets catalog showcases diverse, exotic worlds

New exoplanets catalog showcases diverse, exotic worlds

Our understanding of exoplanets, those strange worlds that orbit stars beyond our solar system, is now broader and deeper thanks to separate studies published this week featuring the work of researchers at UC Santa Cruz.

Topics: Astronomy & Astrophysics, NASA

November 22, 2023December 29, 2023 By Taylor Bell (BAERI), Luis Welbanks (ASU), & Renee Wall (UCSC)
NASA’s Webb Identifies Methane In an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere

NASA’s Webb Identifies Methane In an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b as it passed in front of and behind its host star, revealing spectra indicative of an atmosphere containing methane gas and water vapor.

Topics: Astronomy & Astrophysics, NASA

June 7, 2023June 14, 2023 By Emily Howard (UT Austin/McDonald Observatory)
Astronomers observe giant tails of helium escaping Jupiter-like planet

Astronomers observe giant tails of helium escaping Jupiter-like planet

The heat of its host star is evaporating the atmosphere from a “hot Jupiter” exoplanet, creating some of the longest gas tails ever observed around a planet

Topics: Astronomy & Astrophysics, NASA

May 31, 2023June 14, 2023 By Kristen Walbot (NASA/JPL) & Tim Stephens (UCSC)
Astronomers map temperatures and find traces of water in a super-hot gas giant’s atmosphere

Astronomers map temperatures and find traces of water in a super-hot gas giant’s atmosphere

Astronomers used the Webb Telescope to make a temperature map of the “hot Jupiter” exoplanet WASP-18b, revealing dramatic temperature gradients in its atmosphere

Topics: Astronomy and Astrophysics, NASA

April 3, 2023April 6, 2023 By Tim Stephens
NASA’s search for life in the cosmos is focus of April 17 lecture and discussion

NASA’s search for life in the cosmos is focus of April 17 lecture and discussion

‘Whispers from Other Worlds,’ a public lecture and discussion at the Rio Theater, features NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen and science journalist Nadia Drake.

Topics: Astronomy & Astrophysics, NASA

March 21, 2023April 6, 2023 By Rose Miyatsu
Collaboration with NASA uses eDNA technology to monitor biodiversity

Collaboration with NASA uses eDNA technology to monitor biodiversity

UCSC scientists collected environmental DNA samples in South Africa as part of the BioSCape project.

Topics: Genomics Institutes, NASA

December 9, 2022December 21, 2022 By Tim Stephens
Astronomers report most distant known galaxies, detected and confirmed by Webb telescope

Astronomers report most distant known galaxies, detected and confirmed by Webb telescope

Spectroscopic observations with JWST confirm four early galaxies dating back to less than 400 million years after the Big Bang, three of which are the most distant confirmed to date

Topics: Astronomy & Astrophysics, NASA

November 22, 2022December 21, 2022 By Tim Stephens
New JWST data reveal more details of exoplanet WASP-39b’s atmosphere

New JWST data reveal more details of exoplanet WASP-39b’s atmosphere

A ‘mystery molecule’ seen in the initial spectrum has been identified as sulfur dioxide produced by photochemical reactions in the planet’s atmosphere

Topics: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chemistry & Biochemistry, NASA

November 22, 2022December 21, 2022 By Loressa Uson
Batalha testifies at Congressional hearing on the initial scientific findings of the JWST

Batalha testifies at Congressional hearing on the initial scientific findings of the JWST

The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful telescope humans have sent to space and, Batalha asserts, it is ushering in a new era of exoplanet science

Topics: Astronomy and Astrophysics, NASA, Natalie Batalha

November 17, 2022December 21, 2022 By Christine Pulliam (STScI) & Tim Stephens (UCSC)
Webb telescope draws back the curtain on universe’s early galaxies

Webb telescope draws back the curtain on universe’s early galaxies

Initial findings from JWST Early Release Science programs include the discovery of two exceptionally bright galaxies in the early universe

Topics: Astronomy and Astrophysics, NASA

September 16, 2022September 21, 2022 By Jennifer Chu (MIT) & Tim Stephens (UCSC)
Saturn’s rings and tilt could be the product of an ancient, missing moon

Saturn’s rings and tilt could be the product of an ancient, missing moon

A “grazing encounter” may have smashed the moon to bits to form Saturn’s rings, a new study suggests.

Topics: Astronomy & Astrophysics, NASA

September 1, 2022September 16, 2022 By Tim Stephens
NASA releases Webb telescope’s first exoplanet image

NASA releases Webb telescope’s first exoplanet image

UCSC astronomers led the analysis of the first exoplanet images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Topics: Astronomy and Astrophysics, NASA, Science Communication

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Last modified: September 16, 2022