Astronomy

NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope may detect dozens of isolated neutron stars in the Milky Way through gravitational microlensing. A new study shows the observatory could measure the masses of these otherwise invisible objects. Researchers expect the mission to provide the first large sample of such stars detected solely by their gravitational effects.

14 Mwezi wa tano, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI

Scientists have detected traces of iron-60 in Antarctic ice up to 80,000 years old, showing that the solar system is moving through material from an ancient stellar explosion. The findings come from a study published in Physical Review Letters and point to the Local Interstellar Cloud as the source of the radioactive isotope.

Astronomers have identified a rare planetary system 190 light-years from Earth featuring a hot Jupiter sharing its orbit with a mini-Neptune closer to the star. This configuration was once considered nearly impossible. New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope provide fresh insights into how the planets formed.

5 Mwezi wa tano, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI

A team of astronomers in Japan has discovered evidence of a faint atmosphere surrounding the small trans-Neptunian object 2002 XV93. Previously, only Pluto was known to retain an atmosphere among bodies beyond Neptune due to its stronger gravity. The finding, made via a rare stellar occultation on January 10, 2024 and published in Nature Astronomy, indicates a short-lived atmosphere requiring continuous replenishment.