Gaia is so accurate it can predict microlensing events

The ESA's Gaia Observatory continues its astrometry mission, which consists of measuring the positions, distances, and motions of stars (and the positions of orbiting exoplanets) with unprecedented precision. Launched in ...

Hubble images galaxy IC 1776

The swirls of the galaxy IC 1776 stand in splendid isolation in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The galaxy lies over 150 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Pisces.

If rogue planets are everywhere, how could we explore them?

At one time, astronomers believed that the planets formed in their current orbits, which remained stable over time. But more recent observations, theory, and calculations have shown that planetary systems are subject to shake-ups ...

Astronomers observe light bending around an isolated white dwarf

Astronomers have directly measured the mass of a dead star using an effect known as gravitational microlensing, first predicted by Albert Einstein in his General Theory of Relativity, and first observed by two Cambridge astronomers ...

AI reveals unsuspected math underlying search for exoplanets

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms trained on real astronomical observations now outperform astronomers in sifting through massive amounts of data to find new exploding stars, identify new types of galaxies and detect ...

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