Darwin Lectures go to extremes
19 January 2017From climate change and extending the human lifespan to political extremism and reporting from war zones, this year’s Darwin College Lecture Series will focus on some of the extremes faced by society.
Gaia results revealed – first data release from the most detailed map ever made of the sky
14 September 2016The first results from the Gaia satellite, which is completing an unprecedented census of more than one billion stars in the Milky Way, are being released today to astronomers and the public.
Massive holes ‘punched’ through a trail of stars likely caused by dark matter
07 September 2016The discovery of two massive holes punched through a stream of stars could help answer questions about the nature of dark matter, the mysterious substance holding galaxies together.
Astronomers identify a young heavyweight star in the Milky Way
22 August 2016A young star over 30 times more massive than the Sun could help us understand how the most extreme stars in the Universe are born.
First atmospheric study of Earth-sized exoplanets using Hubble telescope
20 July 2016Two Earth-sized exoplanets have become the first rocky worlds to have their atmospheres studied using the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dead satellite finds a calm centre at the heart of brightest galaxy cluster in the sky
06 July 2016With its very first – and last – observation, the Hitomi x-ray observatory has discovered that the gas in the Perseus cluster of galaxies is much less turbulent than expected, despite being home to NGC 1275, a highly energetic active galaxy.
Using gravitational waves to catch runaway black holes
30 June 2016Black holes are the most powerful gravitational force in the Universe. So what could cause them to be kicked out of their host galaxies? Cambridge researchers have developed a method for detecting elusive ‘black hole kicks.’
Astronomers observe most distant oxygen ever
16 June 2016An international team of astronomers have detected glowing oxygen in a distant galaxy seen just 700 million years after the Big Bang. This is the most distant galaxy in which oxygen has ever been unambiguously detected, and it is most likely being ionised by powerful radiation from young giant stars. This galaxy could be an example of one type of source responsible for cosmic reionisation in the early history of the Universe.
First evidence of icy comets orbiting a sun-like star
19 May 2016Astronomers have found the first evidence of comets around a star similar to the sun, providing an opportunity to study what our solar system was like as a ‘baby’.
Three potentially habitable worlds found around nearby ultracool dwarf star
02 May 2016Three Earth-sized planets have been discovered orbiting a dim and cool star, and may be the best place to search for life beyond the Solar System.
