Physicists observationally confirm Hawking’s black hole theorem for the first time
Study offers evidence, based on gravitational waves, to show that the total area of a black hole’s event horizon can never decrease.
Kavli Institute
LIGO and Virgo detect rare mergers of black holes with neutron stars for the first time
In a 3Q, Salvatore Vitale describes how gravitational-wave signals suggest black holes completely devoured their companion neutron stars.
Physicists bring human-scale object to near standstill, reaching a quantum state
The results open possibilities for studying gravity’s effects on relatively large objects in quantum states.
CHIME telescope detects more than 500 mysterious fast radio bursts in its first year of operation
Observations quadruple the number of known radio bursts and reveal two types: one-offs and repeaters.
Professor Emeritus Gordon Pettengill, radio astronomy pioneer, dies at 95
Planetary physicist and former director of the MIT Center for Space Research and the Arecibo Observatory helped repurpose military radar technology for science and space exploration.
Supermassive black holes devour gas just like their petite counterparts
Regardless of size, all black holes experience similar accretion cycles, a new study finds.
Fast-spinning black holes narrow the search for dark matter particles
Certain ultralight bosons would be expected to put the brakes on black holes, but new results show no such slowdown.
School of Science announces 2021 Infinite Mile awards
Thirteen staff members recognized for dedication to School of Science and to MIT.
MIT astronomers discover new galaxy clusters hiding in plain sight
Lesson learned from the CHiPS survey must inform future cluster searches, researchers say.
Research updates from TESS: Hunting for worlds beyond our solar system
MIT scientists present exoplanet data at the 237th American Astronomical Society meeting.
School of Science presents 2021 Infinite Expansion Awards
Thirteen postdocs and research scientists honored for contributions to the Institute with awards formerly known as Infinite Kilometer.
An art lover dreams of space
Senior Alana Sanchez combines her interests in visual arts and space research to fulfill a childhood curiosity about the cosmos.
Astronomers detect extended dark matter halo around ancient dwarf galaxy
Findings suggest the first galaxies in the universe were more massive than previously thought.
TESS discovers four exoplanets orbiting a nearby sun-like star
MIT-led NASA mission finds a multi-planetary system that could be an “ideal laboratory” to study planetary formation and evolution.
Search for axions from nearby star Betelgeuse comes up empty
Results significantly narrow the range of possible places to find the hypothetical dark matter particles.