An international team led by the Universities of Geneva (UNIGE) and Montreal published the first results today from the NIRPS spectrograph installed on the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) 3.6-meter telescope in La Silla, Chile. This new instrument, which operates in the near infrared, offers exceptional performance in detecting and characterising exoplanets, particularly around red dwarfs. By combining NIRPS with the HARPS spectrograph, which operates in visible light, astronomers have access to unrivalled spectral coverage for studying exoplanets. The first five scientific papers can be found in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

A new study from NYU Abu Dhabi has found that high-energy particles from space, known as cosmic rays, could create the energy needed to support life underground on planets and moons in our solar system. 

Bridges endure constant environmental and operational stresses—some visible, others imperceptible.

Can an exoplanet that is perpetually locked into a never-ending, blistering hot day on one half and a permanent beyond freezing night on the other support life? “Just looking at the extreme temperatures on the day and night sides might lead one to conclude these exoplanets are too harsh for life,” says postdoctoral researcher in the School of Arts & Sciences Daisuke Noto. “But life might find a way.”

Construction scientists and engineers are learning lessons in space that can be applied for better construction here on the home planet.