Using data from both the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes, an international team of astronomers, including the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Distinguished Professor Daniela Calzetti, have been able to, for the first time, glimpse one of the most mysterious parts of a star’s life: the moments just after birth, when the star is still wrapped in its “natal cloud.” This glimpse does more than shine a bright light on stars’ lifecycle; it also answers one of the thorniest questions from the early universe: how did the early universe manage to re-ionize itself after it cooled down from the Big Bang?

Area residents looking to build a career in the life sciences have a place to gain essential professional experience at an expanded Bioversity laboratory and training space at UMass Lowell.

Climate extremes reshape the benefits of group living: A 33-year study of wild capuchin monkeys shows that droughts and heavy rains can disrupt the balance between cooperation and competition within animal societies.

Bigger groups aren’t always better: While large groups usually offset competition by dominating space and resources, extreme climate events erode these advantages and increase the costs of living together.

Changing climates may alter animal societies: As extreme events become more frequent, social groups may fragment or reorganize, potentially reshaping population structure and ecosystem dynamics.

The Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes have revealed thousands of young star clusters emerging from their birth clouds. The observations, published in Nature Astronomy, show that more massive clusters clear away their natal gas faster than lower-mass clusters. The result has important implications for our understanding of star formation and how the young stars affect their surroundings.

Solar storms can quietly disrupt satellites, power grids, and communication systems across the globe. After a 2022 geomagnetic event knocked out dozens of Starlink satellites, the risks are no longer hypothetical. At EGU26, scientists unveil Swarm-AWARE, a new ESA project using satellite data and machine learning to distinguish space weather signals from natural hazards, paving the way for smarter forecasting and more resilient infrastructure.

Concordia researchers developed a high-fidelity CPR simulator that replicates blood flow in reduced gravity, using a mannequin with a 3D-printed cardiovascular system. Tests in parabolic flights showed it reproduces realistic pressure patterns while revealing key differences in blood flow under hypogravity, helping improve CPR techniques for future space missions.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers measured the composition of a mini-Neptune inside the orbit of a hot Jupiter. They say this highly unusual planetary system probably formed out beyond its star’s “frostline,” in the colder region of the system’s early disk of protoplanetary material.