Articles about Astronomy

"Ocean of Stars" image showing stars in the constellation Lupus

Rubin Observatory kicks off 10-year campaign to capture ‘the greatest cosmic movie ever made’

Legacy Survey of Space and Time is expected to find millions of asteroids and perhaps shed light on dark matter and dark energy, with an assist from University of Washington astronomers. Read More

Model of the inner solar system with sprays of light teal representing newly discovered asteroids

Rubin Observatory team discovers 11,000 new asteroids, with help from University of Washington software

Advanced algorithms speed up the search for small solar system objects, and astronomers say there’s much more to come. Read More

Total lunar eclipse will turn the full moon red — but will the skies be clear enough to see it?

March weather could turn your chance to see a blood-red moon into an iffy proposition. Read More

Illustration: Data alerts indicated in night sky with Rubin Observatory in the mountains below

Rubin Observatory sends out thousands of data alerts with an assist from Seattle astronomers

A software system developed at the University of Washington generates 800,000 alerts about moving asteroids, exploding stars and other celestial changes on its first night of full-fledged operation. Read More

Illustration: Asteroid 2025 MN45 and other rocks in the main asteroid belt

Rubin Observatory spots an asteroid that spins fast enough to set a record

A nearly half-mile-wide space rock called 2025 MN45 makes one full revolution in less than two minutes. Read More

UW astronomer Zeljko Ivezic with picture of Rubin Observatory

University of Washington celebrates Rubin Observatory’s debut — and looks ahead

It’s been more than two decades since the University of Washington helped kick off the effort to get the Vera… Read More

Rubin Observatory view of Trifid and Lagoon nebulas

The Rubin Observatory makes its debut — and the discoveries have already begun

After more than 20 years of planning and construction, astronomers celebrated the release of the first images from the Vera… Read More

Rubin Observatory beneath colorful star trails

The Rubin Observatory is throwing a big party to reveal its first pictures — and you’re invited

After more than 20 years of planning and construction, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is ready for its grand opening, and the… Read More

Scientists process test images at Rubin Observatory in preparation for ‘First Look’

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has begun generating test images of the night sky, thanks to the Simonyi… Read More

‘We have a telescope!’ Rubin Observatory construction team installs its huge mirror

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope in Chile has now been equipped with all three of its… Read More

Simonyi Survey Telescope under construction

Podcast

Tech leader Charles Simonyi provides a wide-angle view of the telescope that bears his family name

Hubble. Webb. Chandra. Spitzer. Rubin. Roman. And now, Simonyi. With the ramping up of the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the… Read More

Spectators at Gas Works Park for 2017 solar eclipse

Three options for seeing the solar eclipse, from expensive to iffy to absolutely free

After a seven-year gap, a total solar eclipse is once again due to make a coast-to-coast run across North America,… Read More

Study highlights concerns over satellite interference with Hubble observations

An analysis of more than 100,000 images from the Hubble Space Telescope, conducted with the aid of artificial intelligence and… Read More

Fireball lights up the skies over Seattle

It’s cool to see a fireball — but even cooler to capture it on video. At least that’s the way… Read More

NASA’s Webb Space Telescope scores big at America’s premier astronomy meeting

It’s not yet clear whether the Seahawks will be in the Super Bowl, but Seattle is in the spotlight this… Read More

Total lunar eclipse could be tricky to watch in the sky — but it’s sure to shine online

If you’re on the West Coast, watching tonight’s total lunar eclipse will require a willingness to stay awake in the… Read More

Feast your eyes on the first course of a celestial smorgasbord from NASA’s Webb Space Telescope

A day after NASA showed how far the James Webb Space Telescope could dive into the cosmic frontier, scientists released… Read More

Deep-field image from James Webb Space Telescope

Biden unveils first image from Webb Space Telescope, expanding the space frontier

President Joe Biden got in on today’s celebration of the first full-color image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a… Read More

Starlink satellites with Venus and the Pleiades

Astronomers set up a new center to address issues raised by SpaceX and Amazon satellite networks

The International Astronomical Union is heading up the creation of a new center to deal with the complications created by… Read More

Webb Telescope fires thrusters to settle in at destination, a million miles from Earth

The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope successfully fired its thrusters today to put it in position at the destination… Read More

Astronomers breathe a sigh of relief after Webb Telescope unfolds its mirror in space

Two weeks after its Christmas launch, the James Webb Space Telescope finished unwrapping itself today, delighting astronomers in the process.… Read More

Telescope’s launch makes Christmas merry for space fans, but the ride has just begun

The most expensive telescope in the known universe has begun its journey to a vantage point a million miles from… Read More

High cost, high risk, high hopes: There’s a lot riding on the $10B James Webb Space Telescope’s launch

The launch of NASA’s $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope from French Guiana could mark a triumph in a tale… Read More

Astronomy professor Emily Levesque looks out at massive stars and back at history of her profession

When Emily Levesque was 2 years old, Halley’s Comet made its most recent close pass to Earth. Her older brother… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Meet Charles Simonyi; cosmic rays; Star Brews Beer Festival; and more

— Not many people can say they’ve traveled to space. Not many can say they were also the original developer… Read More

Scientists unveil Event Horizon Telescope’s first image of a galaxy’s monster black hole

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Scientists today shared the first picture to show the immediate surroundings of a galaxy’s supermassive black hole,… Read More

Rapid-response telescope team shares greatest hits from ZTF sky scanner

A state-of-the-art astronomical camera system in California known as the Zwicky Transient Facility is rolling out an early batch of… Read More

Could Barnard’s Star harbor an icy home for life? Astronomers weigh the options

Where’s the nearest exoplanet with conditions that are right for life? Over the past couple of years, astrobiologists have talked… Read More

Supernova leftovers preserve evidence of a messy blowup that wrecked two stars

In what sounds like a cosmic episode of “CSI,” sleuthing astronomers have figured out what touched off a stellar explosion… Read More

Hubble team has bad news for aliens: Red dwarfs seem to wipe out life’s necessities

Red dwarf stars have been seen as the biggest potential frontier for alien life, in part because they’re the most… Read More