U of A astronomers are learning more about a galaxy that existed when the universe was just 2% of its current age. One unexpected finding: significant amounts of oxygen.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have discovered that planet-forming disks of gas and dust around tiny stars live much longer than previously thought. The findings provide new insights into planet formation and the habitability of planets outside our solar system.
"Universe of Science" is an interactive exhibit that explores everything from microscopic worlds to monsoon storms to the farthest reaches of deep space.
Some of the most common types of planets in the Milky Way may be very different than astronomers imagined, according to researchers probing the atmosphere of planet GJ 1214 b.
From canine companionship to intergalactic intrigue, U of A research, scholarship and expertise generated news around the world in 2024.
Astronomers used the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes to take an in-depth look at the debris disk surrounding Vega, a nearby star. Surprisingly, they found no obvious evidence of large planets plowing through the disk, as is common around other young stars.
Every second, more than 3,000 stars are born in the visible universe. Many are surrounded by protoplanetary disks – swirling "pancakes" of hot gas and dust, from which planets form. U of A researchers have obtain detailed insights into the forces that shape protoplanetary disks.
A group of researchers, including U of A astronomers, observed the atmosphere of a hot and uniquely inflated exoplanet using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
How much time do planets have to form from a swirling disk of gas and dust around a star? A new University of Arizona-led study gives scientists a better idea of how our own solar system came to be.
The observations will help astronomers refine their theories about the processes involved in planet formation and shed light on what our sun did when it was very young.