Astronomers spot a giant planet that is as light as cotton candy
The new world is the second-lightest planet discovered to date.
MIT astronomers observe elusive stellar light surrounding ancient quasars
The observations suggest some of earliest “monster” black holes grew from massive cosmic seeds.
Using deep learning to image the Earth’s planetary boundary layer
Lincoln Laboratory researchers are using AI to get a better picture of the atmospheric layer closest to Earth's surface. Their techniques could improve weather and drought prediction.
Erin Kara named Edgerton Award winner
The award recognizes exceptional distinction in teaching, research, and service at MIT.
Atmospheric observations in China show rise in emissions of a potent greenhouse gas
Global warming potential of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is more than 24,000 times that of carbon dioxide.
Persistent “hiccups” in a far-off galaxy draw astronomers to new black hole behavior
Analysis reveals a tiny black hole repeatedly punching through a larger black hole’s disk of gas.
Three MIT alumni graduate from NASA astronaut training
Marcos Berríos ’06, Christina Birch PhD ’15, and Christopher Williams PhD ’12, now eligible for spaceflight assignments, encourage MIT students to apply for the next astronaut class.
New exhibits showcase trailblazing MIT women
Materials from MIT’s Distinctive Collections reveal stories of women at the Institute.
Study determines the original orientations of rocks drilled on Mars
The “oriented” samples, the first of their kind from any planet, could shed light on Mars’ ancient magnetic field.
For all humankind
Political science and physics major Leela Fredlund wants to ensure fairness and justice prevail in humanity's leap into space.
Professor Emeritus Igor Paul, an expert in product design and safety, dies at 87
Longtime professor helped develop the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s design and manufacturing curriculum, contributed to artificial joints as well as NASA inertial guidance systems.
Astronomers spot 18 black holes gobbling up nearby stars
The detections more than double the number of known tidal disruption events in the nearby universe.
Researchers release open-source space debris model
The MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Tool lets users model the long-term future space environment.
A carbon-lite atmosphere could be a sign of water and life on other terrestrial planets, MIT study finds
A low carbon abundance in planetary atmospheres, which the James Webb Space Telescope can detect, could be a signature of habitability.
How to be an astronaut
Astronaut Woody Hoburg ’08 shares insights and advice with students in his first visit to campus since joining NASA.