The Universe

Astrophysics
Astrophysics Division
Goddard Space Flight Center
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
Science & Research
The Universe
In the early history of our solar system, scientists theorize that a Mars-sized object called Theia smashed into the infant Earth, vaporizing massive amounts of rock and blasting it into space. Some of that material coalesced into the Moon, where NASA’s Artemis program is returning humans, preparing for Mars, and shaping the future of space […]
Posted October 1, 2026
Astrophysics
Black Holes
Galaxies
Gamma Rays
Gamma-Ray Bursts
Goddard Space Flight Center
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
Swift Boost Mission
The Universe
Wallops Flight Facility
A commercial mission to boost NASA’s Swift observatory concluded without raising the spacecraft’s orbit, but the agency and industry vendor gained valuable experience that will benefit future in-space servicing programs.
Posted September 28, 2026
Astrophysics
Astrophysics Division
Galaxies
Goddard Space Flight Center
Hubble Space Telescope
The Universe
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope completed its 200,000th orbit around Earth on Sept. 19, marking another new milestone for an observatory that continues to transform our understanding of the universe. Hubble has traveled more than 5 billion miles around Earth over its 36-year lifetime, exceeding 1.7 million total observations.
Posted September 23, 2026
Astrophysics
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Goddard Space Flight Center
Neutron Stars
Pulsars
Stars
The Universe
X-ray Astronomy
X-ray Binaries
XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission)
Using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) observatory, astronomers have directly observed a giant star’s outflow, called a stellar wind, being captured by its compact companion and providing the power source for strong X-ray flares.
Posted September 18, 2026
Astrophysics
Astrophysics Division
Galaxies
Goddard Space Flight Center
Hubble Space Telescope
Spiral Galaxies
The Universe
Uncategorized
Though the spiral galaxy in this new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope seems serene, it hides a chaotic secret. This galaxy is NGC 4698, and it lies about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It’s one of over a thousand galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, the nearest large cluster of galaxies bound together by […]
Posted September 18, 2026
Exoplanet Detection Methods
Exoplanet Discoveries
Exoplanet Transits
Exoplanets
Gas Giant Exoplanets
Stars
The Universe
Astronomers have confirmed a world that’s less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from NASA-funded archives. Called Elias 2-24 b, the baby planet is still whirling in its natal disk of dust and gas. “Our planet-formation models already struggled to explain the previous record holders for the youngest known […]
Posted September 16, 2026
Astrophysics
Astrophysics Division
Brown Dwarfs
Goddard Space Flight Center
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
Nebulae
Reflection Nebulae
Science & Research
Stars
The Universe
This starry view of the nearby star-forming region IC 348 is one of the largest images released to date from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Using Webb, astronomers searched IC 348 for brown dwarfs, which are less massive than the smallest stars. The researchers discovered brown dwarfs just twice the mass of Jupiter, bringing the […]
Posted September 15, 2026
Black Holes
Dark Energy
Dark Matter
Exoplanets
Galaxies
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Stars
The Universe
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch at 7:26 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 30. While you wait to watch the launch, brush up on some key facts about this wide-view mission.
Posted August 27, 2026
Astrophysics
Exoplanet Atmosphere
Exoplanet Science
Goddard Space Flight Center
Pandora Mission
The Universe
Pandora, NASA’s newest exoplanet mission and the first satellite to launch through the agency’s Astrophysics Pioneers program, is now making unique observations of worlds beyond our solar system and the stars they orbit.
Posted August 25, 2026
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