Topic
Kavli Institute
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Sprawling galaxy cluster found hiding in plain sight
Bright light from black hole in a feeding frenzy had been obscuring surrounding galaxies.
August 16, 2018 -
3Q: A bold mission to touch the sun
MIT’s John Belcher discusses the launch of the Parker Solar Probe, which will fly directly into the sun’s atmosphere.
August 13, 2018 -
X-ray data may be first evidence of a star devouring a planet
New data may explain star’s mysterious dimming.
July 18, 2018 -
Could gravitational waves reveal how fast our universe is expanding?
Signals from rare black hole-neutron star pairs could pinpoint rate at which universe is growing, researchers say.
July 12, 2018 -
Nearly 80 exoplanet candidates identified in record time
Search considered successful “dress rehearsal” for exoplanet hunter TESS.
June 20, 2018 -
Meet the School of Science’s tenured professors for 2018
Six faculty members are granted tenure in four departments.
June 4, 2018 -
TESS takes initial test image
Exoplanet-seeking satellite developed by MIT swings by moon toward final orbit.
May 18, 2018 -
Ushering in the next phase of exoplanet discovery
Professor Sara Seager previews a new era of discovery as a leader of the TESS mission, which is expected to find some 20,000 extrasolar planets.
May 3, 2018 -
Three MIT graduate students awarded 2018 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Award honors immigrants’ contributions to the United States.
April 17, 2018 -
TESS readies for takeoff
Satellite developed by MIT aims to discover thousands of nearby exoplanets, including at least 50 Earth-sized ones.
April 12, 2018 -
Dense stellar clusters may foster black hole megamergers
Black holes in these environments could combine repeatedly to form objects bigger than anything a single star could produce.
April 10, 2018 -
Scientists detect radio echoes of a black hole feeding on a star
Signals suggest black hole emits a jet of energy proportional to the stellar material it gobbles up.
March 18, 2018 -
Modeling the universe
MIT's Mark Vogelsberger and an international astrophysics team have created a new model pointing to black holes’ role in galaxy formation.
January 31, 2018 -
Citizen scientists discover five tightly packed exoplanets
The planetary system’s dense configuration gives clues to its formation
January 11, 2018 -
Scientists observe supermassive black hole in infant universe
Findings present a puzzle as to how such a huge object could have grown so quickly.
December 6, 2017 -
Scientists detect comets outside our solar system
Team of professional and citizen scientists identifies tails of comets streaking past a distant star.
October 25, 2017 -
MIT researchers discuss the new "multi-messenger" era of astrophysics research
Mavalvala, Evans, Frebel, Katsavounidis, and Vitale discuss the science behind LIGO's observations of a neutron star collision.
October 18, 2017 -
3Q: Scott Hughes on cosmic distances and the future of gravitational wave astronomy
Professor of physics describes our understanding of the expansion of the universe through “standard sirens.”
October 16, 2017 -
LIGO and Virgo make first detection of gravitational waves produced by colliding neutron stars
Discovery marks first cosmic event observed in both gravitational waves and light.
October 16, 2017 -
MIT physicist Rainer Weiss shares Nobel Prize in physics
LIGO inventor and professor emeritus of physics recognized “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.”
October 3, 2017