Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.
In honor of Global Astronomy Month, we’re exploring the science of space. Learn how astronomy connects us through curiosity, discovery, and a shared wonder for what lies beyond.
Latest News Releases
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Nov-2025 20:11 ET (8-Nov-2025 01:11 GMT/UTC)
Stellar minds: CWRU women astronomers map universe’s mysteries
Case Western Reserve UniversityAug. 1 is Women Astronomers Day, highlighting the historical achievements of women in astronomy. The designation honors the birthdate, in 1818, of Maria Mitchell, the first American woman astronomer and professor of astronomy.
At Case Western Reserve University, astrophysicists Idit Zehavi and Johanna Nagy work in theoretical and experimental cosmology, respectively; fields that straddle astronomy and physics.
Beyond the shadow of a black hole
University of Texas at Austin- Journal
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Funder
- U.S. National Science Foundation
NASA installs key ‘sunblock’ shield on Roman Space Telescope
NASA/Goddard Space Flight CenterBusiness Announcement
Technicians have successfully installed two sunshields onto NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s inner segment. The panels (together called the Lower Instrument Sun Shade), will play a critical role in keeping Roman’s instruments cool and stable as the mission explores the infrared universe.
Sun dogs, other celestial effects could appear in alien skies
Cornell UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Ice crystals in Earth’s atmosphere sometimes align just right to create various striking visual effects, from a halo around the moon, to bright spots called sun dogs on either side of the sun in a winter sky, or a rainbowed pillar, called a crown flash, above a storm cloud. Similar phenomena can appear in the skies over some exoplanets of the “hot Jupiter” variety, a common type of gaseous giant that always orbits close to its host star, Cornell astronomers have found.
- Journal
- The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Black hole vibes
Kyoto UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Kyoto, Japan -- Black holes embody the ultimate abyss. They are the most powerful sources of gravity in the universe, capable of dramatically distorting space and time around them. When disturbed, they begin to "ring" in a distinctive pattern known as quasinormal modes: ripples in space-time that produce detectable gravitational waves.
In events like black hole mergers, these waves can be strong enough to detect from Earth, offering a unique opportunity to measure a black hole's mass and shape. However, precise calculation of these vibrations through theoretical methods has proven a major challenge, particularly for vibrations that are rapidly weakening.
This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to try a new method of calculating the vibrations of black holes. The scientists applied a mathematical technique called the exact Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin, or exact WKB analysis to carefully trace the behavior of waves from a black hole out into distant space. While this method has long been studied in mathematics, its application to physics -- especially to black holes -- is still a newly developing area.
- Journal
- Physical Review D
- Funder
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science