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Preview of a Forthcoming Supernova: Eta Carinae is one of the closest stars that is likely to explode in a supernova in the relatively near future (though in astronomical timescales, that could still be a million years from now).

Press Releases & Feature Stories

NASA's Spitzer Sees the Light of Alien 'Super Earth'

05.08.2012

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected light emanating from a "super-Earth" planet beyond our solar system for the first time.

NASA's Webb Telescope Flight Backplane Section Completed

04.24.2012

The center section of the backplane structure that will fly on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has been completed, marking an important milestone in the telescope's hardware development.

Fermi Observations of Dwarf Galaxies Provide New Insights on Dark Matter

04.02.2012

There's more to the cosmos than meets the eye. About 80 percent of the matter in the universe is invisible to telescopes, yet its gravitational influence is manifest in the orbital speeds of stars around galaxies and in the motions of clusters of galaxies.

NASA's Swift Narrows Down Origin of Important Supernova Class

03.20.2012

Studies using X-ray and ultraviolet observations from NASA's Swift satellite provide new insights into the elusive origins of an important class of exploding star called Type Ia supernovae.

NASA's Goddard, Glenn Centers Look to Lift Space Astronomy out of the Fog

03.12.2012

A fogbank is the least useful location for a telescope, yet today's space observatories effectively operate inside one.

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Division News

Congratulations to the HAWC++ Team!

04.25.2012

NASA HQ recently announced the selection of the JHU/GSFC proposed upgrade to the HAWC far-IR camera on SOFIA (the upgrade is called HAWC++). The team is led by Johannes Staguhn (JHU), and with the following Goddard co-Is: Dominic Benford (GSFC lead), Harvey Moseley, Eli Dwek, Ed Wollack and Christine Jhabvala (553). Darren Dowell (JPL) was also selected to provide a polarimeter for HAWC; Dave Chuss is a co-I on that team.

Congratulations to Neil Gehrels!

03.27.2012

Neil is the recipient of COSPAR's 2012 Massey Award. The award recognizes the outstanding contributions to the development of space research, interpreted in the widest sense, in which a leadership role is of particular importance.

Goddard View

12.01.2011

The James Webb Space Telescope and the Exoplanets Conference are both featured in Volume 7, Issue 8 of the Goddard View.

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Overview

The Astrophysics Science Division conducts a broad program of research in astronomy, astrophysics, and fundamental physics. Individual investigations address issues such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy, which planets outside our solar system may harbor life, and the nature of space, time, and matter at the edges of black holes.

Observing photons, particles, and gravitational waves enables researchers to probe astrophysical objects and processes. Researchers develop theoretical models, design experiments and hardware to test theories, interpret and evaluate the data, archive and disseminate the data, provide expert user support to the scientific community, and publish conclusions drawn from research. The Division also conducts education and public outreach programs about its projects and missions.

About the ASD