Robert Simcoe named director of MIT Kavli Institute
An expert in instrumentation and early universe observations, Simcoe succeeds Jacqueline Hewitt as head of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.
X-ray pulse detected near event horizon as black hole devours star
Pulse pattern suggests distant black hole must be spinning at least at 50 percent the speed of light.
Revolutionary radio telescope detects bevy of fast radio bursts
Researchers use CHIME telescope to detect fast radio bursts at low frequencies and a second repeating burst.
Astronomers observe evolution of a black hole as it wolfs down stellar material
Halo of highly energized electrons around the black hole contracts dramatically during feeding frenzy.
MIT adds computational Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences to its PhD offerings
New EAPS thesis field is the most recent to join the computational science and engineering doctoral program within the Center for Computational Engineering.
TESS discovers its third new planet, with longest orbit yet
Measurements indicate a dense, gaseous, “sub-Neptune” world, three times the size of Earth.
Tiny satellites could be “guide stars” for huge next-generation telescopes
Researchers design CubeSats with lasers to provide steady reference light for telescopes investigating distant planets.
Nuno Loureiro: Understanding turbulence in plasmas
Theoretical physicist's focus on the complexity of plasma turbulence could pay dividends in fusion energy.
Anna Frebel is searching the stars for clues to the universe’s origins
MIT astronomer and writer investigates ancient starlight and shares her excitement about the cosmos.
Stamp of approval
MIT’s Mark Vogelsberger and the Illustris project are honored by Germany's postal service with an official stamp.
MIT research honored with Physics World “Breakthrough of the Year” awards
"Magic-angle" graphene named 2018 Breakthrough of the Year; first ionic plane and earliest evidence of hydrogen gas named to top 10 breakthroughs.
Laser-pointing system could help tiny satellites transmit data to Earth
Platform offers the precision that shoebox-sized CubeSats need to beam down hefty data packets.
3 Questions: MIT goes interstellar with Voyager 2
MIT Kavli's John Richardson describes MIT's role in the historic passing of the Voyager 2 craft past the heliopause and into the interstellar medium.
Terahertz laser for sensing and imaging outperforms its predecessors
High-power, tunable design could be used for chemical detection in outer space, medical imaging, more.
LIGO and Virgo announce four new gravitational-wave detections
The observatories are also releasing their first catalog of gravitational-wave events.