Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

Galaxies Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

Researchers analyzing data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have pinpointed three galaxies that may be actively forming when the universe was only 400 to 600 million years old. Webb’s data show these galaxies are surrounded by gas that the researchers suspect to be almost purely hydrogen and helium, the earliest elements to exist in the cosmos. 

These findings are published in the May 24 issue of the journal Science.

Winter Board of Visitors Meeting Explores Artificial Intelligence

Winter Board of Visitors Meeting Explores Artificial Intelligence

The 2024 Board of Visitors Winter Meeting took place February 23-24 at The University of Texas at Austin. Over 150 Board of Visitors members attended.

Through a series of talks, the event explored some of the ways artificial intelligence (AI) is making an impact within UT’s Astronomy Department and McDonald Observatory, and how it may shape the future of scientific research.

Astronomers Uncover Methane Emission on a Cold Brown Dwarf

Astronomers Uncover Methane Emission on a Cold Brown Dwarf

Using new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered methane emission on a brown dwarf, an unexpected finding for such a cold and isolated world. Published today in the journal Nature, the findings suggest that this brown dwarf might generate aurorae similar to those seen on our own planet as well as on Jupiter and Saturn.

April 8 Partial Eclipse at McDonald Observatory

April 8 Partial Eclipse at McDonald Observatory

On Monday, April 8, parts of North America will experience a total solar eclipse. This happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, completely covering the Sun’s disk. The brief moment when the Sun is 100% covered is called “totality.” To see it, you must be within the “path of totality,” a narrow band about 100 miles wide.

The path of totality for April’s eclipse travels from Mazatlán, Mexico, to the island of Newfoundland, Canada. It will sweep into the Lone Star State at Eagle Pass and exit near Texarkana. 

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