Farewell, Gaia: spacecraft operations come to an end
27 March 2025The European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft has been powered down, after more than a decade spent gathering data that are now being used to unravel the secrets of our home galaxy.
Webb Telescope sees galaxy in mysteriously clearing fog of early Universe
26 March 2025Astronomers have identified a bright hydrogen emission from a galaxy in the very early Universe. The surprise finding is challenging researchers to explain how this light could have pierced the thick fog of neutral hydrogen that filled space at that time.
Cambridge Festival Speaker Spotlight: Dr Matt Bothwell
12 February 2025Dr Matthew Bothwell is an astrophysicist, science communicator and author, and the current Public Astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. Part of Matt’s work is to deliver outreach to schools, run stargazing evenings, give public lectures, and write about all things astronomical. He is also a Bye-Fellow at Girton College, University of Cambridge.
Scientists reveal structure of 74 exocomet belts orbiting nearby stars
17 January 2025An international team of astrophysicists has imaged a large number of exocomet belts around nearby stars, and the tiny pebbles within them.
Origins of black holes revealed in their spin, study finds
07 January 2025Gravitational waves data held clues for high-mass black holes’ violent beginnings.
Massive black hole in the early universe spotted taking a ‘nap’ after overeating
18 December 2024Scientists have spotted a massive black hole in the early universe that is ‘napping’ after stuffing itself with too much food.
Researchers deal a blow to theory that Venus once had liquid water on its surface
02 December 2024A team of astronomers has found that Venus has never been habitable, despite decades of speculation that our closest planetary neighbour was once much more like Earth than it is today.
Cancer researchers and astronomers join forces in fight against disease
13 September 2024A unique collaboration of astronomers and cancer researchers at Cambridge has been awarded more than £5m to establish the Spatial Profiling and Annotation Centre of Excellence (SPACE) to open up access to their groundbreaking cancer mapping technology and establish collaborations with other scientists to enable them to investigate tumours in 3D.
Astronomers uncover risks to planets that could host life
05 August 2024Astronomers have discovered that red dwarf stars can produce stellar flares that carry far-ultraviolet (far-UV) radiation levels much higher than previously believed.
New instrument to search for signs of life on other planets
05 June 2024The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has signed an agreement for the design and construction of ANDES, the ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph.
