Institute of Astronomy

News and Press Releases

The Scientific Quest to Explain Tabby's Star

Published on 10/10/2017 

One of the most mysterious stellar objects may be revealing some of its secrets at last.

Black Holes with Ravenous Appetites Define Type I Active Galaxies

Published on 28/09/2017 

New research suggests that the central black holes in Type I and Type II active galaxies consume matter at different rates, upending popular theory

For decades, astronomers have tried to pin down why two of the most common types of active galaxies, known as Type I and Type II galaxies, appear different when observed from Earth. Although both galaxy types host voracious supermassive black holes known as active galactic nuclei, which actively swallow matter and emit massive amounts of radiation, Type I galaxies appear brighter to astronomers’ telescopes.

An inferno world with titanium skies

Published on 13/09/2017 

An international team of astronomers has detected titanium oxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time. The results, reported in the journal Nature, provide unique information about the chemical composition and the temperature and pressure structure of the atmosphere of this unusual and very hot world.

Flashes of light on dark matter

Published on 19/07/2017 

Studying the intergalactic space using the light coming from very distant quasars: thanks to simulations using a supercomputer, new research has offered new evidence on one of the great mysteries of the Universe.

A star the size of Saturn

Published on 08/07/2017 

The smallest star yet measured has been discovered by a team of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge. With a size just a sliver larger than that of Saturn, the gravitational pull at its stellar surface is about 300 times stronger than what humans feel on Earth. This star is likely about as small as stars can possibly become, meaning that this is one of the most compact instance of a naturally occurring hydrogen-fusion reactor.