Australian technology runs world's largest single-dish radio telescope in China

The world’s largest filled single-dish radio telescope launched at the weekend. The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in the southwestern province of Guizhou, China is now operational.

China's new radio observatory is 200 meters larger than Arecibo

Now a Chinese observatory has superseded Arecibo. Installation of the 500-meter FAST radio telescope is complete, with the last triangular reflector put into place. The observatory is expected to begin observing the heavens in September.

China finished the world's largest single-aperture telescope

The 500-meter dish will now listen out for signs of extra-terrestrial life.

Astronomers just switched on a device that lets them observe the Milky Way's black hole

Astronomers working with the European Space Agency's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile have just announced that a black hole-observing device called GRAVITY is now fully operational and it's has already provided one accurate measurement.

Astrophysicists find triple star system with 'hot Jupiter'

Crisp, clear images of a "hot Jupiter" system captured by a physicist were vital in determining that a newly found planet inhabits a three-star system, a phenomenon documented only a few times before.

Ten Trillion-Degree Quasar Astonishes Astronomers

A newly deployed space telescope has struck pay dirt almost immediately, discovering a quasar - a superheated region of dust and gas around a black hole - that is releasing jets at least seventy times hotter than was thought possible.

Astronomers Snap Stunning Nebula Photo

An infant star lights up the nebula IC 2631 in this remarkable new image from the MPG/ESO 2.2-m telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory, Chile.

ASTRO-H X-ray telescope aims to solve black hole mysteries

A Japanese space telescope with X-ray vision sharpened by Canadian technology heads into orbit on Friday. Canadian scientists believe it will help them solve longstanding mysteries about black holes and supernovas.

Searching for Another Earth Around a Neighboring Star

Are there Earth-like planets in a neighboring star system? A new campaign called “Pale Red Dot” aims to show the public in real-time how to push astronomy to its limits to possibly find out.

Signs of second largest black hole in the Milky Way: Possible missing link in black hole evolution

Astronomers using the Nobeyama 45-m Radio Telescope have detected signs of an invisible black hole with a mass of 100 thousand times the mass of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way.

Finally some answers on dark energy, the mysterious master of the Universe

The world's fourth-largest optical telescope has a new experiment coming online.

Outstanding Time-Lapse of a Stellar Explosion From Hubble

In January 2002, astronomers discovered a massive explosion coming from V838 Monocerotis. They initially thought they were witnessing a supernova, but after the initial flash of light began to dim (as expected), it began to brighten again in infrared wavelengths at the beginning of March. After that brightening faded, another one happened in April.

Powerhouse in the Crab Nebula: MAGIC telescopes observe pulsar at highest energies yet and strongly challenge current theories

The pulsar at the center of the famous Crab Nebula is a veritable bundle of energy. Astronomers observed the pulsar in the area of very high energy gamma radiation from 25 up to 400 gigaelectronvolts (GeV), a region that was previously difficult to access with high energy instruments, and discovered that it actually emits pulses with the maximum energy of up to 400 GeV -- 50 to 100 times higher than theorists thought possible. These latest observations are difficult for astrophysicists to explain.

Four-telescope linkup creates world’s largest mirror

The European Southern Observatory (Eso) has linked up its four telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory to form a virtual