Scientists detect radio echoes of a black hole feeding on a star
Signals suggest black hole emits a jet of energy proportional to the stellar material it gobbles up.
Astronomers detect earliest evidence yet of hydrogen in the universe
Emitted just 180 million years after Big Bang, signal indicates universe was much colder than expected.
EAPS welcomes Heising-Simons fellow Ian Wong
The 51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellowship provides junior scientists the opportunity to conduct theoretical, observational, and experimental research in planetary astronomy.
Modeling the universe
MIT's Mark Vogelsberger and an international astrophysics team have created a new model pointing to black holes’ role in galaxy formation.
Citizen scientists discover five tightly packed exoplanets
The planetary system’s dense configuration gives clues to its formation
Scientists observe supermassive black hole in infant universe
Findings present a puzzle as to how such a huge object could have grown so quickly.
Study sheds light on turbulence in astrophysical plasmas
Theoretical analysis uncovers new mechanisms in plasma turbulence.
Scientists detect comets outside our solar system
Team of professional and citizen scientists identifies tails of comets streaking past a distant star.
MIT researchers discuss the new "multi-messenger" era of astrophysics research
Mavalvala, Evans, Frebel, Katsavounidis, and Vitale discuss the science behind LIGO's observations of a neutron star collision.
3Q: Scott Hughes on cosmic distances and the future of gravitational wave astronomy
Professor of physics describes our understanding of the expansion of the universe through “standard sirens.”
LIGO and Virgo make first detection of gravitational waves produced by colliding neutron stars
Discovery marks first cosmic event observed in both gravitational waves and light.
MIT physicist Rainer Weiss shares Nobel Prize in physics
LIGO inventor and professor emeritus of physics recognized “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.”
Gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger observed by LIGO and Virgo
Finding represents first joint detection of gravitational waves with both detectors.
Neighboring exoplanets may hold water, study finds
Observations and modeling suggest TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets may have held onto water, billions of years after their formation.
Investigating space weather effects of the 2017 solar eclipse
Atmospheric scientists at the MIT Haystack Observatory will study North American eclipse effects on space weather with radar and navigational satellites.