Space

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.

January 1, 2019

On Dec. 18, Deutsche Post issued a stamp to honor the research of the Illustris collaboration, a supercomputer simulation of galaxy formation, led at MIT by Mark Vogelsberger, an associate professor of physics in the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.

Stamp of approval

MIT’s Mark Vogelsberger and the Illustris project are honored by Germany's postal service with an official stamp.

December 27, 2018

Pablo Jarillo-Herrero (right), an associate professor of physics at MIT, was honored with Physics World's Breakthrough of the Year for his group's discovery of “magic-angle” graphene, a “promising technique for adjusting the electronic properties of graphene.” Graduate student Yuan Cao (left) was a lead researcher in the work.

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.

December 27, 2018

A new laser-pointing platform developed at MIT may help launch miniature satellites called CubeSats into the high-rate data game.

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.

December 14, 2018

NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes are both now located beyond the heliosphere, a protective bubble created by the sun. Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause, or the edge of the heliosphere, in August 2012. Heading in a different direction, Voyager 2 crossed another part of the heliopause in November 2018.

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.

December 10, 2018

A tiny terahertz laser designed by MIT researchers is the first to reach three key performance goals at once: high power, tight beam, and broad frequency tuning.

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.

December 10, 2018

The twin detectors of LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, are located in Louisiana and Washington. The Livingston detector site, located near Livingston, Louisiana, is pictured here.

LIGO and Virgo announce four new gravitational-wave detections

The observatories are also releasing their first catalog of gravitational-wave events.

December 3, 2018

MIT Kavli Institute director Jacqueline Hewitt stands with a prototype of one of the four cameras aboard the Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey (TESS) instrument. Hewitt, who has overseen the TESS mission from NASA proposal to satellite launch in April, will step down as Kavli Institute director in January.

Jacqueline Hewitt to step down as director of the MIT Kavli Institute

Physics professor brought leadership, resources, and an intellectual focus to the MIT astrophysics faculty and research staff during 15 years at the helm.

November 29, 2018

On ancient Mars, water carved channels and transported sediments to form fans and deltas within lake basins. Examination of spectral data acquired from orbit show that some of these sediments have minerals that indicate chemical alteration by water. In the Jezero Crater delta, sediments contain clays and carbonates. (This image combines information from two instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissanc...

Mars 2020 landing site offers unique opportunities

EAPS professors Summons, Bosak, and Weiss provide insight on how the Jezero Crater can advance the study of Martian history and the search for ancient life.

November 28, 2018