European Southern Observatory

Shown in this nighttime image are the three telescopes of the BlackGEM array at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds can be seen just above the telescopes. The BlackGEM array can quickly scan large areas of the sky to find a source that has emitted gravitational waves detected by LIGO and Virgo.

Astronomy

New trio of telescopes scans the southern sky for gravitational waves

Able to detect gravitational waves and visible light sources, ESO's BlackGEM telescopic array at La Silla Observatory in Chile is on the hunt for ripples in space-time. And unlike existing observatories, it can pinpoint where they're coming from.

Artist's impression of a Jupiter-like exoplanet orbiting its parent star

Astronomy

Exoplanet with iron rain puzzles with even heavier atmospheric element

The exoplanets WASP-76 b and WASP-121 b are already known to be peculiar places, but a new discovery has raised even more questions about the composition of the exotic atmospheres around these celestial bodies.

The Very Large Telescope (VLT), which captured the new image

Astronomy

First-ever direct image of two giant planets orbiting Sun-like star

Although astronomers have detected over 4,000 planets outside our solar system, most of them appear as points of data. Now, astronomers have captured a very rare sight, with an image of two exoplanets orbiting a star very much like our own.

Mars as it may have looked 4.5 billion years ago

Astronomy

Mars may have had more water than the Arctic Ocean

NASA scientist's say that they have estimated that Mars may once have had enough water to form a vast body the size of the Arctic Ocean surrounding its north pole, where only plains remain.