Research news
- Image of the supermassive black hole in the Milky Way 2022-05-12 Today, the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy was released.
- CHEOPS observes dark-blue giant planet 2022-03-04 The planet around the star HD 209458 was the first discovered to transit its star. This enabled precise measurements of the planet’s mass and size. The planet HD 209458 b, or Osiris as it’s nicknamed, is bigger and lighter than Jupiter, and orbits its star tightly taking 3.5 days for a single revolution. Now the space telescope CHEOPS has measured reflected light from the planet by observing how flux from the star-planet system decreases when the planet passes behind the star.
- Massive stars explode as a new kind of supernova 2022-01-12 A new kind of stellar explosions are described in the latest issue of the journal Nature – coined Type Icn supernovae.
- Ragnhild Lunnan receives ERC starting grant 2022-01-12 Ragnhild Lunnan at the Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University receives an ERC starting grant. Congratulations, Ragnhild!
- A new planet discovered around a heavy binary star 2021-12-08 A new planet has been discovered around the star b Centauri, which can be found in the constellation of Centaurus.
- New type of massive explosion explains mystery star 2021-07-08 An ancient star with a unique chemical composition has been discovered by an international research team.
- Students observe supernovae 2021-05-20 Students in the course Observational astrophysics II observed ten supernovae using the Nordic optical telescope (NOT).
- High-energy neutrino from disruptive event 2021-03-03 A high-energy neutrino recently detected by IceCube is believed to come from a disruptive event when a star came too close to a supermassive black hole, about 700 million lightyears away.
- Space telescope CHEOPS discovers unique planetary system 2021-01-25 The space telescope CHEOPS, launched about a year ago, has discovered a unique planetary system consisting of six exoplanets, out of which five are locked in a rare rhythmic dance as they orbit their central star.
- When galaxies collide 2021-01-07
- Star ripped apart by supermassive black hole 2020-10-12
- Nobel prize with an astronomical touch 2020-10-09 The Nobel prize in physics for 2020 is awarded for discoveries about black holes.
- Optical counterparts to gravitational-wave events 2020-09-29
- Funding of the Nordic Optical Telescope 2020-05-06 NordForsk will fund The Nordic Optical Telescope Science Centre.
- A new energy record for gamma-ray bursts 2019-11-26 Gamma-ray bursts are known to be among the most energetic events in the Universe. Researchers have now, surprisingly, discovered that gamma-ray bursts can be many times more energetic than previously found. Magnus Axelsson at the Department of Astronomy is a member of the international team working on this project.
- Fermi satellite reveals its highest-energy gamma-ray bursts 2019-06-13 Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions known in the Universe, yet we still don’t understand the physics behind their high-energy radiation. An international team partly led by Magnus Axelsson at Stockholm University has studied nearly 200 events observed over 10 years, the largest sample collected at these energies thus far. While the study reveals many new observational findings, it also tells us that there is still a lot we don’t know.
- Jesper Sollerman is awarded funding for study of macronovae 2019-04-15
- First image of a black hole 2019-04-15
- Meet astronomer Ragnhild Lunnan when IgNobel comes to Albanova 2019-04-09
- Astronomers see distant eruption as black hole destroys star 2018-06-14 Researchers at the Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, contributed to a new study, directly imaging the jet of material formed when a black hole rips a star apart. The results are published in the journal Science.
- Astronomers Release Most Complete Ultraviolet-Light Survey of Nearby Galaxies 2018-05-24 NASA and ESA have recently announced the release of the most comprehensive ultra-violet light survey of nearby galaxies. The data have been acquired with the Hubble space Telescope which provides superb spatial resolution at this spectral range. An international team formed by more than 50 astronomers across 4 continents has carefully analysed the data.
- SPICA candidate for ESA’s next medium-class science mission 2018-05-09 The infrared space telescope SPICA has been selected from about 25 mission proposals to be further developed and studied in full detail by the European Space Agency. The selection of SPICA is a crucial step towards solving a number of fundamental questions in modern astronomy – with SPICA the growth and evolution of galaxies from over cosmic time can be fully characterised, in addition and also it will allow us to better understand the conditions that promote the formation of planetary systems like our own.
- Solving the riddle of why the Suns atmosphere is so hot 2018-05-09 Using a new instrument at the Swedish 1-m solar telescope researchers at our department have observed the Suns atmosphere in unprecedented detail. In a study published in the international scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics they have been able to demonstrate that the magnetic field plays a crucial role in heating the solar atmosphere.
- Update on Neutron Star Smash-Up: Jet Hit a Roadblock 2017-12-21 Light detected from a neutron star merger is not from a super-fast jet as previously suspected, but rather a bubble-like cocoon. Poonam Chandra, Guest Professor at the Department of Astronomy, contributes to this new study.
- Zwicky Transient Facility sees "first light" 2017-11-20 A new robotic camera with the ability to capture hundreds of thousands of stars and galaxies in a single shot has taken its first image of the sky, an event astronomers refer to as "first light." The recently installed camera is part of a new automated sky-survey project called the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), in which Stockholm University is a partner. Observations are done at Palomar Observatory, USA.
- One of the brightest supernova explosions ever? 2017-11-13
- iPTF14hls, a strange supernova with swaying brightness 2017-11-09 Supernova iPTF14hls was discovered in 2014 with a survey telescope on Palomar Mountain, USA, by a collaboration where the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University took part. This supernova, located 500 million light years away in the constellation of the Great Bear, is puzzling.
- Per Olof Lindblad turns 90 years 2017-10-23
- MOSAIC at the ELT: A Gigantic Step into the Deep Universe 2017-10-20 The Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University, together with colleagues at the universities in Lund and Uppsala, delivers the Swedish contribution to the new MOSAIC spectrograph. This instrument is planned for the upcoming European 39 metre telescope E-ELT. During a conference in Toledo, Spain, 17-19 October, scientific studies possible to perform with MOSAIC are being discussed.
- Merging neutron stars detected in gravitation waves and electromagnetic radiation 2017-10-17 Researchers at the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University are involved in the international co-operation aiming at detecting and explaining merging compact objects. The project is not only about observations at different wavelengths, but also utilizes results from computer simulations. Participants from the Department of Astronomy are Cristina Barbarino, Alexis Brandeker, Poonam Chandra, Stephan Rosswog, Jesper Sollerman and Francesco Taddia, and Magnus Axelsson affiliated to both the Department of Astronomy and Fysikum.
- Aina Elvius turns 100 years old 2017-06-26
- The Swedish Research Council has granted support to the GREAT research environment 2017-03-03
- Data from the AlbaNova telescope in new PhD thesis on supernovae 2015-05-25
- Ultraviolet light from young stellar explosion 2015-05-22
- New findings on coronal heating 2014-10-17
- Flash spectroscopy of a supernova reveals its progenitor star 2014-05-22 The intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) and researchers at the Department of Astronomy of Stockholm University have observed the supernova SN 2013cu a few hours after explosion, unveiling the nature of its precursor, a massive Wolf-Rayet star.
- Prospects brighten for solving cosmic reionization puzzle 2013-11-18 After the Big Bang, the Universe expanded, cooled off and eventually allowed protons and electrons to form neutral hydrogen atoms. However, at some point during the first billion years of cosmic history, the Universe was flooded with highly energetic photons which brought the hydrogen in the intergalactic medium back into a highly ionized state. The origin of these ionizing photons remains unclear, which makes cosmic reionization one of the great unsolved puzzles of the early Universe.
- Large grant for supernova research 2013-10-03 Researchers at the Department of astronomy have received a grant of 30 million SEK from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation.
- Light and dust in a nearby starburst galaxy 2013-04-03
- Magnetic tornadoes on the Sun 2012-06-27
- Dwarf galaxy questions current galaxy formation models 2012-03-08 Researchers from the Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (Center for Astrophysics of the University of Porto) observed the dwarf galaxy I Zw 18, and found that much of what is known about galaxy formation and evolution might need substantial revision.
- Why many surveys of distant galaxies miss 90% of their targets 2011-12-02 A team of astronomers have shown why the distant galaxies are ten times as many than we can see. The results are published in the latest issue of Nature.
- New method to unveil the details in galactic nuclei 2011-11-21 A research group at the Department of Astronomy has used a new method to try to map what goes on in the centres of active galaxies.
- Doctoral dissertation on AGB stars by Matthias Maercker 2011-11-21 On January 18, Matthias Maercker will defend his thesis "Asymptotic Giant Branch stars viewed up-close and far-off: The physics, chemistry, and evolution of their circumstellar envelopes".
- Odin observes LCROSS' crash-landing on the Moon 2011-11-21 Researchers at the Department of Astronomy participate in a new experiment trying to find water on the Moon.
- The reionization of the universe gathers international researchers 2011-11-21 Researchers from all over the world gather at the AlbaNova University Center to discuss how new observations will increase our understanding of how the first stars and galaxies lit up the universe.
- New discoveries concerning the Crab pulsar 2011-11-21 Researchers at the Department of Astronomy have studied the Crab pulsar and its closest surroundings in optical and infrared light.
- Campaign for young promising researchers in natural science 2011-11-21 Göran Östlin, professor at the Department of Astronomy, is one of six young researchers to receive financial support in a new campaign at the Faculty of Science.
- Nuclear spiral arms connect galaxies to supermassive black holes 2011-11-21 The Department of Astronomy has been involved in a study of the nuclear spiral arms that feed the black hole at the center of the active galaxy NGC 1097.
- Doctoral dissertation on AGB stars by Sofia Ramstedt 2011-11-21 On June 4, Sofia Ramstedt will defend her thesis "Molecules and Dust around AGB stars: Mass-loss rates and molecular abundances".
- A new eye towards the infrared universe 2011-11-21 On May 14, ESA launched the telescope Herschel into space. Researchers at the Department of Astronomy have contributed during the development phase and look forward to revolutionising discoveries of how stars and planets form.
- Does the Crab have a shell? 2011-11-21 Researchers at the Department of Astronomy have searched for a shell of ejected material surrounding the Crab nebula.
- AlbaNova telescope observes new supernova 2011-11-21 Using the AlbaNova telescope, astronomers at the Department of Astronomy became the first to confirm supernova SN 2009ab. This shows that the telescope can also be used for scientifically interesting observations, besides education and instrumental development.
- Doctoral dissertation on exoplanets by Miguel de Val Borro 2011-11-21 On December 15, Miguel de Val Borro will defend his thesis "Studies of Gas Disks in Binary Systems".
- Doctoral dissertation on supernovae by Per Gröningsson 2011-11-21 On December 4, Per Gröningsson will defend his thesis "The rebirth of Supernova 1987A: a study of the ejecta-ring collision".
- Oskar Klein Centre inaugurated 2011-11-21 The newly established centre for cosmoparticle physics, the Oskar Klein Centre, will seek the answers to some of the most fundamental questions about the nature of the Universe.
- Could our closest galactic neighbour harbour habitable planets? 2011-11-21 An international team lead by the Department of Astronomy has studied the possibility of having terrestrial planets with liquid water in the binary star alpha Centauri.
- CRISP analyses the Sun 2011-11-21 New instrument on the Swedish Solar Telescope will be a goldmine for solar physics.
- Doctoral dissertation on black holes by Magnus Axelsson 2011-11-21 On October 30, Magnus Axelsson will defend his thesis "X-ray variability of Galactic high-mass black hole binaries".
- New results on two black hole binaries 2011-11-21 Researchers at the Department of Astronomy have studied the high-energy radiation emitted from the innermost regions around black holes.
- ERC Advanced Investigator Grant awarded to Axel Brandenburg 2011-11-21 The grant will fund the AstroDyn project at NORDITA which aims to improve the understanding of astrophysical dynamos.
- Licentiate seminar on a young pulsar 2011-11-21 On August 14, Natalia Lundqvist, PhD student at the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University, defends her licentiate thesis titled "The young pulsar PSR B054-69.3 and its surroundings".