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AURA Astronomy

@aura-astronomy.bsky.social

AURA is a leading organization in developing and operating world-class facilities to deliver forefront #astronomy #science #telescope #astrophysics #NASA #NSF

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Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 7h ago

What did STScI work on during the first half of 2026? Learn about our work for Hubble, Webb, Roman, MAST, and the Habitable Worlds Observatory concept—along with how we help explain astronomers’ discoveries: https://bit.ly/4pRf4ke

The words STScI Updates, How We Support You run over an image of space that shows distant galaxies against a black background.

AURA Astronomy @aura-astronomy.bsky.social · 7h ago

Scientists using the U.S. National Science Foundation Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have made a major breakthrough in solar physics! Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability on the surface of the sun that could help explain explosive solar activity. https://bit.ly/4fESA2j 🔭

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 2d ago

At STScI’s spring symposium in Baltimore, astronomers discussed some of the big questions being raised and explored with #NASAWebb.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 2d ago

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is seeking a leader for the Data Science Mission Office to serve as the senior strategic and scientific leader of the Institute’s data science and AI initiatives: https://bit.ly/4pTnd7z

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 5d ago

A new view of a familiar field 🤩 Meet NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's breathtaking view of the renowned COSMOS field🌀✨ rubinobservatory.org/news/rubin-n... 🔭🧪 🧵

A dense field of countless pinpoint stars fills the frame against the deep black of space, creating a fine, grainy texture like fine sand spread across a smooth table. Dozens of particularly bright stars in blue, yellow, and orange glitter across the scene like jewels.

Wispy, grayish clouds of galactic dust drift across the center and right sides of the image, appearing soft and powder-like against the dark background.

Scattered throughout the entire scene are stars and faint objects in shades of blue, yellow, and red. Some appear as sharp, solid points, while others are soft, diffuse smudges. Zooming in reveals that many of these tiny, faint smudges scattered between the stars are actually distant galaxies, varying from smooth, pebble-like blobs to faint, stretched lines.

Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · 2w ago

Nice 🧵 about the power of Rubin Observatory, the newest big telescope 🔭 in the portfolio managed by @aura-astronomy.bsky.social

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory@vrubinobs.bsky.social · 2w ago

Talk about a cosmic glow-up✨📸 This progression of images of galaxy group RSCG 55 shows the evolution of ground-based sky surveys spanning more than three decades🤯, ending with NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's view. 🔭🧪

Five-panel image showing the progressive evolution of sky surveys from 1994 to 2025, revealing more and more detail in a triple merging galaxy system and the surrounding sky.

AURA Astronomy @aura-astronomy.bsky.social · 5d ago

We are incredibly grateful to the teams working to recover from the massive winter storm that hit our facilities in Chile.

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory@vrubinobs.bsky.social · 6d ago

Chile Storm Recovery Update: 30 July 2026 Recovery efforts continue at NSF NOIRLab’s facilities in Chile, which include NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, after historic winter storms across the Coquimbo Region. Full recovery will take several weeks, but teams are making progress. 🔭🧪

Illustration of a boot-shaped observatory against a dark blue background. Bilingual text reads "Severe Storms Impacting Rubin Operations in Chile: 30 July 2026 update. Sistema frontal impactó las operaciones de Rubin en Chile: Actualización del 30 de julio de 2026."

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 5d ago

We are fewer than 30 days from the launch of #NASARoman! Roman is set to launch on August 30 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The telescope was assembled at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and had to travel to Kennedy for its launch. 🔭 Credit: NASA's GSFC; Music: “Unity for Liberty,” UPM

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 5d ago

What do little red dots become as the universe ages? It’s been a question since they were discovered in the high-redshift universe by #NASAWebb in 2022. With each new observation, astronomers have gradually learned more about the nature of these mysterious red sources. (1/4) 🧵 🔭

$A rectangular image with thousands of galaxies of various shapes and colors on the black background of space. Some are noticeably spirals, either face-on or edge-on, while others are blobby ellipticals. Many are too small to discern any structure. One prominent foreground star at top center features Webb’s signature 8-point diffraction spikes. At upper right, a box shows a zoomed in portion of the image. The pullout features a spiral galaxy labeled “WISEA J123635.56+621424.2.” The galaxy has a bright yellow center and faint brown arms speckled with regions of blue that appear to wind clockwise around the galaxy’s core.$

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 3w ago

📬 You've got mail! Except "mail" is "millions of alerts from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory every night." Rubin's alert brokers ingest, contextualize, and help scientists sort events in the public alert stream, like a cosmic “mark as important.” ⭐ 🔗: https://ow.ly/o2vT50ZoEmJ

Low-angle view of a large observatory dome with louvered panels beneath a clear, starry sky. The Milky Way's bright core and wispy dust lanes arc diagonally overhead. Credit: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/H. Stockebrand

Illustration of a white, boot-shaped observatory on a mountain ridge beneath starry sky and a teal Milky Way band stretching from lower left to upper right. Dozens of "DATA ALERT" icons are scattered across the sky. Credit: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

The light of a distant quasar, RX J1131, has been warped by an elliptical galaxy, creating a jeweled ring in this #NASAWebb image. This is created by gravitational lensing, which occurs as light bends around massive objects. Credit: ESA, NASA, CSA, A. Nierenberg.

$Two galaxies, one of which is distorted into a blue ring that surrounds the other. At the top of the ring, there are three bright, fuzzy orange orbs, which each give off a dim diffraction pattern. At 7 o’clock on the ring, there is a dimmer orange orb. A bright blue dot is in the center of this ring. These objects are set on the black background of space.$

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 2w ago

Protostar IRAS 04302+2247 will one day emerge from its “cocoon” of gas and dust. 🦋 #NASAWebb and Hubble looked at this baby star, capturing aspects like the protoplanetary disk and two wing-shaped reflection nebulas. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, M. Villenave et. al.

Toward the top left is protostar IRAS 04302+2247, which looks like a butterfly against the black background of space. The nebula’s bright core is split by a narrow, vertical dark band, its “body.” Two rainbow lobes of light radiate outward from the dark band, shaped like butterfly wings. The right lobe is more diffuse and significantly larger than the left lobe, extending toward the bottom right. Numerous background galaxies and stars are visible across the field.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

This cosmic symphony represents one of many types of discoveries expected from #NASARoman. One of Roman’s surveys is expected to detect about 100 tidal disruption events, in which a wandering star is shredded by a supermassive black hole, in a year.

SOUND ON! Tidal Disruption Symphony Over Cosmic Time -- Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

This cosmic symphony represents one of many types of discoveries expected from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. One of Roman's surveys is expected to detect about 100 tidal disruption events, in which a wandering star is shredded by a supermassive...

youtu.be

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 3w ago

Solar System reviews: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☄️Comet 3I/ATLAS: "Nice place. Just passing through." NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory captured this NOIRLab #ImageOfTheWeek on 19 Dec 2025. Rubin is expected to reveal more interstellar objects, helping scientists compare our Solar System with other systems.

Comet 3I/ATLAS colored blue, with a bright rounded coma at upper right and a broad, faint blue tail sweeping diagonally left across a field dotted with stars and faint galaxies. Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/C. Chandler

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

As part of its primary mission, #NASARoman will observe 12% of the entire sky—equivalent to about 25,500 full moons—to help astronomers investigate the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, and the universe’s accelerating expansion. Credit: STScI.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

This video is based on 20+ years of Hubble archival data and recent #NASAWebb data, used to measure the small movements of Omega Centauri’s stars over time. With this approach, a star was located orbiting an invisible object that is—according to calculations—so hefty that it must be a black hole.

Animation of Black Hole Binary in Omega Centauri — Hubble Space Telescope #shorts

YouTube video by Space Telescope Science Institute

youtube.com

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

Tune in to hear a year’s worth of tidal disruption events, courtesy of the upcoming #NASARoman mission. Notice how the more distant ones are represented lower in pitch and last longer due to the effects of the expanding universe: https://news.stsci.edu/4vxvz6Q

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 3w ago

Check out this view ➡️ 🤩 Cerro Pachón definitely understood the assignment. This panoramic sunset view captures NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory atop its summit site above the Chilean landscape. 🔭🧪 The night skies here are spectacular, but the mountains put on quite a show before the stars come out too 🌟

Panoramic sunset over rugged mountain landscape. A winding road recedes under orange‑pink clouds, and a large boot-shaped white telescope building stands at right beside a metal guardrail.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

A new planet has been found orbiting a nearby young star, Beta Pictoris. When studying the system with #NASAWebb, astronomers found the unmistakable fingerprint of a giant exoplanet where they did not expect it: https://news.stsci.edu/4aJ6IVl

Artist's concept of the Beta Pictoris planetary system. One edge of a smooth, dusty disk that looks like clouds extends across the upper third of the image at an angle from 9 o’clock to 2 o’clock. Just below that, in the left third of the image, the star glows white and is small. Just to the left of the star there is a tiny white dot, representing planet Beta Pictoris c. To the right of the star, about twice the distance between Beta Pictoris c and the star is another bright dot, representing planet Beta Pictoris b. A third planet, Beta Pictoris d is larger than the other two, and appears in the right third of the illustration. The planet has subtle orange cloud bands, and the side facing the star is illuminated. Below this planet, the other wispy edge of the dusty disk that circles the star crosses the bottom right corner of the illustration below Beta Pictoris d from 4 o’clock to 7 o’clock. The black background of space is speckled with distant stars.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

EVENT: On July 21, STScI's Dr. Macarena Garcia Marin will explore #NASAWebb's record-breaking performance, scientific breakthroughs, and astonishing discoveries. We will also look ahead and ask the questions that will shape Webb's future science.

youtube.com

Sarah Kendrew @sarahkendrew.bsky.social · 3w ago

Astronomers, please consider signing up for our upcoming workshop in Baltimore on Slitless Spectroscopy with HST, JWST, Euclid, Roman and beyond! I think posters can still be accepted if you'd like to present work. www.stsci.edu/contents/eve... 🔭

Surveying the Universe in 4D: Beating Cosmic Variance with Wide-Field Slitless Spectroscopy from HST, JWST, Euclid, Roman, and Beyond

stsci.edu

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is seeking a Project Manager who will be responsible for successfully leading and managing projects and performing analysis of business processes and information: https://bit.ly/4w7TBpa

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

This animation is based on 20+ years of combined Hubble and #NASAWebb data. It tracks a segment of a star’s path around its stellar-mass black hole companion in Omega Centauri. From the data, the rest of the star’s orbit can be calculated: https://news.stsci.edu/3SUGysD

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

In a tidal disruption event, a supermassive black hole shreds a star that gets too close. #NASARoman will be able to spot these events in the early universe, up to 11 billion years ago: https://news.stsci.edu/4vxvz6Q

An illustration. At upper right is an outline of a bright orange circle, with a mostly black interior. The interior represents a black hole. Bright orange lines swirl several times around the circle, with one narrow orange band crossing in front, representing light that is gravitationally lensed by the black hole. To the right, set off by an orange and red haze, are irregular streaks of orange gas that fan out, arcing toward the viewer and all the way to the left. The line becomes more continuous toward the left, ending in what looks like a bright orange teardrop. This teardrop represents a star being shredded as it approached a black hole. Text at the lower right reads, artist’s concept.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 4w ago

Throughout the coming weeks, technicians plan to test #NASARoman’s six solar array panels, inspect the space telescope’s insulation and thermal blankets, and test the spacecraft’s propellant tanks.

NASA's Roman Launch Preparations Proceed

With less than two months until the launch of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, engineers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are preparing the observatory for its trip to space.

science.nasa.gov

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 4w ago

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is seeking a Human Resources Division Head to serve as a senior leader responsible for aligning HR strategy with STScI's institutional vision and goals: https://bit.ly/4bmi9CD

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 4w ago

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is seeking a Senior Benefits Administrator to play a critical role in delivering strategic and operational HR support across the Institute: https://bit.ly/3TrRFcI

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

From the deepest infrared image of the distant universe (at the time) to the detailed analysis of the atmosphere of a distant planet, #NASAWebb signaled the start of its science operations four years ago today. Relive the excitement of that first day: https://go.nasa.gov/4fFYPTU

Vertical image showing a three-panel film roll. The top image in the panel shows glowing cloud with a distorted ring-like shape. The second panel shows a group of galaxies. The third image shows thousands of distant galaxies. The film panel lays on top of an image showing a bright blue background filled with stars, and a brown and orange rugged cloud. The words “James Webb Space Telescope” and “First Images July 12, 2021” appear in blue boxes overlaying the film panel.

Colorful near-infrared light image from a glowing cloud with a distorted ring-like shape, illuminated from within by a bright star.

Colorful near- and mid-infrared light image of a group of galaxies, with hundreds of background galaxies and numerous foreground stars.

Thousands of distant galaxies of different shapes, sizes, colors, and brightness, with a scattering of bright foreground stars.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 3w ago

NEWS: The case of Omega Centauri’s missing stellar-mass black holes is beginning to be solved with 20+ years of Hubble data and recent #NASAWebb data. Scientists detected a star in the cluster and found it to be orbiting a stellar-mass black hole: https://news.stsci.edu/3SUGysD

A Hubble image of globular star cluster Omega Centauri, which looks like a dense field of stars. Some stars appear a bit larger and brighter than others; most appear blue, orange, or yellow. The colors appear uniformly distributed, like grains of sand. Stars toward the cluster’s center are packed closer together, creating a more luminous area at the globular cluster’s core. A very small red square frame is superimposed on the cluster near the image’s center. It connects to a square pullout in the top-right corner, which shows the outlined area in greater detail. Among the blue- and orange-colored stars is a small blue-white dot highlighted by a small red circle.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 4w ago

The vibrant layers of the Helix Nebula, expelled during the death of a large star, are illuminated by the heat of its remnant core. Learn more about this legendary planetary nebula with a printable poster of this observation from #NASAWebb: https://go.nasa.gov/4vJQ8Nz

A horizontally oriented poster with a portion of the Helix Nebula against a black background. Thousands of orange and gold comet-like pillars stream upward from the bottom, which are organized in an orange, semi-circular arc. The pillars are denser and orange at the bottom, but thinner and more golden toward the top. The background of space is more visible toward the top. A few large blue stars are on the right side. Along the bottom of the poster is a series of thin vertical bars ranging from purple at left to blue, green, yellow, orange, and red at right. These bars are separated slightly, with black in between. Bar colors are brightest at the bottom, fading up to black. Brightness varies from bar to bar, giving the array an undulating feel. At upper right is text that reads, “National Aeronautics and Space Administration” and NASA’s blue, white, and red meatball insignia. Title text appears at lower left that says, “James Webb Space Telescope: Helix Nebula.”