In 2024, astronomers surmised that Betelgeuse might have a stellar “buddy.” If this hypothetical companion existed, it would help answer some questions about the red supergiant’s strange glowing patterns. As it turns out, these suspicions were correct. After numerous false signals and empty search results, astronomers with NASA’s Ames Research Center have confirmed that Betelgeuse does, […]
Astronomers Just Created the Most Detailed 3D Map of Cosmic Dust Yet
Astronomers at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy just constructed a detailed, three-dimensional map of the cosmic dust in our galaxy. The map makes use of 130 million spectra from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission to reveal properties of the dust, which clouds the cosmos between our world and just about everything else in […]
Subaru Telescope’s Insect-Like Compound Eye to Debut in February
The Subaru Telescope in Hawai‘i is adding a new instrument to its arsenal, one that will observe the cosmos through a compound eye. The compound eye will allow Subaru to observe about 2,400 objects in space, offering an extremely wide field of view and permitting simultaneous spectroscopic observation of the thousands of objects. Subaru’s new […]