Sarah Millholland receives 2024 Vera Rubin Early Career Award
American Astronomical Society’s Division on Dynamical Astronomy honors the assistant professor and MIT Kavli member for contributions to the dynamics of multi-planet extrasolar systems.
The origin of the sun’s magnetic field could lie close to its surface
Sunspots and flares could be a product of a shallow magnetic field, according to surprising new findings that may help scientists predict space weather.
Using wobbling stellar material, astronomers measure the spin of a supermassive black hole for the first time
The results offer a new way to probe supermassive black holes and their evolution across the universe.
Newly discovered Earth-sized planet may lack an atmosphere
Circling a cold, Jupiter-sized star, the new world could offer an unobstructed view of its surface composition and history.
Astronomers spot a giant planet that is as light as cotton candy
The new world is the second-lightest planet discovered to date.
MIT researchers discover the universe’s oldest stars in our own galactic backyard
Three stars circling the Milky Way’s halo formed 12 to 13 billion years ago.
MIT astronomers observe elusive stellar light surrounding ancient quasars
The observations suggest some of earliest “monster” black holes grew from massive cosmic seeds.
Researchers detect a new molecule in space
Such discoveries help researchers better understand the development of molecular complexity in space during star formation.
Persistent “hiccups” in a far-off galaxy draw astronomers to new black hole behavior
Analysis reveals a tiny black hole repeatedly punching through a larger black hole’s disk of gas.
Study: Life’s building blocks are surprisingly stable in Venus-like conditions
Results suggest the clouds of Venus could be hospitable for some forms of life.
For all humankind
Political science and physics major Leela Fredlund wants to ensure fairness and justice prevail in humanity's leap into space.
Astronomers spot 18 black holes gobbling up nearby stars
The detections more than double the number of known tidal disruption events in the nearby universe.
Study: Stars travel more slowly at Milky Way’s edge
The findings suggest our galaxy’s core may contain less dark matter than previously estimated.
A carbon-lite atmosphere could be a sign of water and life on other terrestrial planets, MIT study finds
A low carbon abundance in planetary atmospheres, which the James Webb Space Telescope can detect, could be a signature of habitability.
Philip Erickson named director of MIT Haystack Observatory
Associate director and geospace lead scientist to succeed Colin Lonsdale.