Astrophysics

Obama hosts Dresselhaus, Graybiel and Luu in Oval OfficeThe three MIT scientists are among six winners of the 2012 Kavli Prizes to visit the White House.

Searching for solar systems like our ownJosh Winn’s hunt for exoplanets may someday reveal habitable, Earth-like worlds.

When the first stars blinked onThe very first stars may have turned on when the universe was 750 million years old.

A burst of activity in the middle of the Milky WayResearchers detect the brightest flare ever observed in our galaxy’s black hole.

Measuring the universe’s ‘exit door’For the first time, an international team has measured the radius of a black hole.

Most massive and luminous galaxy cluster identifiedDetection may confirm long-held theory.

Dresselhaus, Graybiel, Luu receive 2012 Kavli PrizesBiennial prizes in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience include a $1 million cash award in each field.

Newfound exoplanet may turn to dustA planet’s dust cloud may explain strange patterns of light from its star.

First light from a super-Earth spottedDetection reveals a searing planet.

X-ray monitoring mission comes to an endThe RXTE satellite retires after 16 years.

A model bursterResearchers find the first neutron star that bursts as predicted.

Mysterious electron acceleration explainedComputer simulation identifies source of aurora-causing high-speed electrons in space

An element that's rare on Earth is found far, far awayTellurium detected for the first time in ancient stars.

Astronomers find a dark matter galaxy far, far awayDiscovery could offer clues on the nature of dark matter.

Two new Earth-sized exoplanets discoveredSome 950 light-years away, team finds smallest exoplanets yet detected.

Adam Riess ’92 wins Nobel Prize for physicsMIT alum cited for studying the universe’s expansion.

Stellar eclipse gives glimpse of exoplanetNew data reveals a ‘super-Earth’ next door, astronomically speaking

EAPS, physics professor James Elliot dies at 67Led team that discovered the rings of Uranus in 1977.

3 Questions: Sara Seager on discovering a trove of new planetsNASA’s Kepler orbiting telescope has found hundreds of new possible planets, including 54 in the so-called 'habitable zone.'

Explained: Transiting exoplanetsHow astronomers learn whether a planet is habitable by observing slight changes in light emanating from its parent star.

And then there was lightAstronomers probe ancient radio waves for clues about the universe’s first light.

Learning from hot JupitersBy studying how massive planets may have formed, MIT astrophysicist sets the stage for studying smaller, more Earthlike planets.

Building a list of Earth candidatesMIT researchers increase their odds of detecting an Earthlike planet by working on a combination of satellite missions.

Astronomers detect first carbon-rich exoplanetDiscovery opens door to new class of exoplanets, including rocky planets rich in diamond and graphite.

Robert J. Butler, former design research engineer at MIT, dies at 89An MIT engineer for 25 years, he helped design instruments for NASA’s Voyager spacecraft.

Explained: the Doppler effectThe same phenomenon behind changes in the pitch of a moving ambulance’s siren is helping astronomers locate and study distant planets.

Haystack’s Alan Rogers wins Reber Medal

In a first, astronomers detect strong winds on an exoplanetResearchers see tempestuous atmosphere on a planet located 150 light years from Earth.

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

Powering cube satellitesAn electric propulsion technology for miniature satellites aims to give them more mobility — and may eventually allow them to take on deep-space missions.