Astronomy

Coordinated stargazingMIT astronomer leads the first team to study a Kuiper Belt object during a stellar occultation.

In the search for Earthlike exoplanets, GJ 436b has much to tell usFirst detailed analysis of the atmosphere of a Neptune-sized planet reveals surprisingly low methane levels, presents "new territory" for researching planets outside our solar system

Unraveling black hole spinRetrograde spin of supermassive black holes may create jets that control galaxy evolution

Extreme makeovers in spaceResearch suggesting that near-Earth encounters can ‘shake’ asteroids opens the door to a new field: asteroid seismology

Team predicts satellite could locate hundreds of Earth-sized planetsResearchers say proposed satellite could represent astronomy’s ‘next big leap’ — one that may help find signs of life elsewhere in the universe.

A massive star is bornTime-lapse movie shows that massive stars — which may hold clues about the origins of life — form like their smaller siblings.

ET: Check your voicemailNew message beamed to the stars commemorates Earth’s first attempt to reach out to intelligent aliens

3 Questions: Sara Seager on searching for Earth-like planetsMIT planetary scientist discusses projects that aim to discover distant planets similar to our own, and what we can learn when we find them

A faraway planet intriguesAn exoplanet with an extremely tilted orbit raises new interest in stellar astronomy.

Tracking icy objects, across the globePilot project sets the stage for MIT-led globe-girdling efforts to learn about icy relics of the solar system's birth.

Oddball stars explainedNew observations solve longstanding mystery of tipped rotation. In addition to shedding light on how binary stars form, the explanation knocks down a possible challenge to Einstein's theory of relativity.

The hunt for dark matterMIT physicists are working on new detectors that may, at last, help them find the elusive particles thought to constitute up to a quarter of the universe.