Scientists develop the largest, most detailed model of the early universe to date
Named after a goddess of the dawn, the Thesan simulation of the first billion years helps explain how radiation shaped the early universe.
Look! Up in the sky! Is it a planet? Nope, just a star
Among thousands of known exoplanets, MIT astronomers flag three that are actually stars.
A “hot Jupiter’s” dark side is revealed in detail for first time
The planet’s night side likely hosts iron clouds, titanium rain, and winds that dwarf Earth’s jetstream.
Early findings from HERA telescope promise deeper understanding of the cosmic dawn
Scientists including MIT’s Jacqueline Hewitt and Nicholas Kern share long-awaited results, getting closer to the universe’s first stars.
OSIRIS-REx mission carrying MIT student experiment wins Space Foundation award
John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration honors project team’s success harvesting a sample from asteroid Bennu.
School of Science announces 2022 Infinite Expansion Awards
Eight postdocs and research scientists within the School of Science honored for contributions to the Institute.
Five MIT faculty elected 2021 AAAS Fellows
Dincă, Feng, Hunter, Shoemaker, and Wang are recognized for their efforts to advance science.
TESS Science Office at MIT hits milestone of 5,000 exoplanet candidates
Catalog of planet candidates nearly doubles in size during 2020-21.
Could acid-neutralizing life-forms make habitable pockets in Venus’ clouds?
A new study shows it’s theoretically possible. The hypothesis could be tested soon with proposed Venus-bound missions.
Super-bright stellar explosion is likely a dying star giving birth to a black hole or neutron star
The discovery, based on an unusual event dubbed “the Cow,” may offer astronomers a new way to spot infant compact objects.
“Newer, nimbler, faster:” Venus probe will search for signs of life in clouds of sulfuric acid
Report led by MIT scientists details a suite of privately-funded missions to hunt for life on Earth's sibling planet.
NASA selects three MIT alumni for astronaut training
Marcos Berríos ’06, Christina Birch PhD ’15, and Christopher Williams PhD ’12 make up a third of the 2021 NASA astronaut candidate class.
TESS discovers a planet the size of Mars but with the makeup of Mercury
The boiling new world, which zips around its star at ultraclose range, is among the lightest exoplanets found to date.
One year on this giant, blistering hot planet is just 16 hours long
A newly discovered “ultrahot Jupiter” has the shortest orbit of any known gas giant.
American Physical Society honors nine with MIT ties for physics research
Faculty, staff, and alumni recognized for outstanding contributions to physics research, education, and policy.