Astronomy

New research suggests that an English monk identified Halley's comet as a repeating visitor nearly seven centuries before Edmond Halley received credit for the discovery. Eilmer of Malmesbury reportedly recognized the comet seen in 1066 as the same object he had observed in 989.

May 13, 2026 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

An asteroid designated 2026JH2 will fly past Earth at a distance of 90,917 kilometres on 18 May. The object measures between 16 and 36 metres across and carries enough mass to damage a city if it struck, though experts confirm no impact risk for at least a century.

Astronomers at the University of Warwick have used a new AI system called RAVEN to confirm more than 100 exoplanets from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data. The discoveries include 31 newly identified worlds, many orbiting close to their stars, along with thousands of candidates. The findings reveal rare planet types and precise measurements of planetary occurrence rates around Sun-like stars.

May 02, 2026 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

Astronomers have identified the source of unusual X-rays from the bright star gamma-Cas as a hidden white dwarf companion siphoning material from it. High-resolution data from the XRISM space mission confirmed that the emissions arise from matter heating up as it falls onto the unseen star. The discovery ends a puzzle that has intrigued scientists since the 1970s.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected thick water ice clouds on Epsilon Indi Ab, a cold gas giant resembling Jupiter. The finding, led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, reveals less ammonia than expected in the planet's atmosphere. This challenges existing models and advances techniques for studying distant worlds.

April 22, 2026 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

About 65 percent of Saturn's moon Titan consists of uniform flat plains likely coated in up to a meter of fluffy organic material from its atmosphere. Researchers analyzing radar data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft propose a two-layer surface model. This finding could inform future missions to the hazy moon.