Astronomy news
Largest Ever Radio Sky Survey Maps the Universe in Unprecedented Detail
An international collaboration using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) has unveiled an exceptionally detailed radio sky map, revealing 13.7 million cosmic sources and delivering the most complete census yet of actively growing supermassive black holes. It showcases an extraordinary variety of systems powered by these black holes, whose radio emission can extend for millions of light-years. The newly released LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS-DR3) marks a major milestone in radio astronomy and international scientific collaboration. The result is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
European observatories and administrations in dialogue on satellite interference
On Friday 23 January, representatives from radio astronomy observatories and administrations of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden, together with members of the Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies (CRAF) and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), met at the Paris Observatory to exchange views on the challenges posed by unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR) from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations.
The detection of radio bursts from stellar and exoplanetary systems
Building on the expertise of researchers at Paris Observatory – PSL and ASTRON, an international team has developed a novel analysis method capable of uncovering previously undetectable stellar and exoplanetary signals hidden within archival radio-astronomical data.
Improving our understanding of AI and the Universe
Many properties of our Universe remain a mystery due to great observational challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) is already assisting astronomers in their research into these open questions, and that role is set to grow. To better understand the foundations and future of this interaction, ASTRON and Leiden University are establishing a new research field. Prof. dr. Joeri van Leeuwen and team will develop astrophysics-informed AI, and then use it to uncover new astronomy.
Evidence of a massive stellar storm on a nearby star
An international team of astronomers, led by ASTRON (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy) and the Observatoire de Paris-PSL, have observed the first clear signal of a giant stellar eruption from a star beyond our Solar System. The stellar eruption is analogous to a coronal mass ejection (CME) seen on our Sun, and implies a devasting impact for any planet unlucky enough to orbit the star.
Vidi granted to Joe Callingham to create space weather reports for distant worlds
Dr. Joe Callingham, Head of ASTRON's SKA Science Group, has been awarded a prestigious Vidi grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The grant, worth up to €850,000, will enable him to establish a research group focused on one of astronomy's most fundamental questions: which planets beyond our solar system could support life?
Radio bursts reveal feisty magnetic arches
An international team has discovered a new type of radio emission originating from a red dwarf star.
Radio astronomers join global standards body seeking to address satellite interference
The Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies (CRAF) has been admitted as an I-member of the International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR), the international body that sets standards to prevent electronic devices from interfering with each other.
Astronomers pinpoint the source of the brightest one-off fast radio burst ever
An international team of astronomers has localized one of the brightest non-repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever observed to a nearby galaxy.
Astronomers uncover white dwarf system emitting bright radio pulses with strange rhythm
Researchers identify a mystifying Long-Period Transient with 100% polarized radio emission, suggesting new type of cosmic radio source. A team of astronomers at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, has discovered a mysterious new cosmic radio source that challenges current theories about how dead stars can produce such powerful emissions. Using the LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) radio telescope, the team picked up the unusual signal as part of a study led by astronomer Sanne Bloot. This research was published today in the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Exoplanet Sparks Stellar Fireworks
Astronomers have witnessed a planet causing storms to erupt on its parent star, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how planets and stars interact and evolve together. These findings are published today in the scientific journal Nature.
Invisible jets from tiny black holes sculpt the Galaxy
Black holes, even relatively small ones, leave dramatic "footprints" in space that extend far beyond their immediate vicinity—like ripples from a pebble dropped in a pond. New research using the MeerKAT radio telescope reveals that stellar-mass black holes (those formed from collapsed stars) shoot powerful jets of energy creating massive shockwaves, effectively carving out space and influencing their galactic neighbourhoods over thousands of years. The discoveries show smaller black holes play a much more significant role in shaping galaxies than previously thought. These findings are published today in two studies featured in the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.