NASA’s Hubble finds more black holes than expected in the early universe

With the help of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of researchers led by scientists in the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University has found more black holes in the early universe than has previously been reported. The new result can help scientists understand how supermassive black holes were created.

Available position: Research assistant in Astronomy

Star clusters observed within a galaxy in the early Universe for the first time

Understanding how stars and galaxies formed and evolved is one of astrophysics' biggest challenges. A new study led by Dr. Angela Adamo at Stockholm University offers fresh insights. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers studied the galaxy Cosmic Gems arc (SPT0615-JD), whose light was emitted 460 million years after the big bang. This galaxy, magnified by gravitational lensing, revealed five young massive star clusters. “The surprise and astonishment was incredible when we opened the JWST images for the first time” says Adamo.

The most distant quasar observed using the JWST

Using the space telescope JWST, astronomers have examined one of the most distant known black holes in the universe. Their observations provide a glimpse of the growth of black holes in the early universe, less than a billion years after the Big Bang. Surprisingly, the early black hole in question seems to be “feeding” in much the same manner as its more recent kin. Astronomers have been struggling for a while now to explain how the earliest black holes gained their considerable masses. The new results all but rule out unusually efficient feeding mechanisms at early times as a possible solution. The results have been published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

ANDES gets go-ahead to be installed at the Extremely Large Telescope

An agreement on the installation of ANDES, the ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph, at ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) has been signed. Sweden is directly involved in ANDES through SELTIC (Swedish ELT Instrument Consortium) which consist of scientists and engineers from Stockholm University, Uppsala University, and Lund University.

Astronomy art at Liljevalchs

Göran Östlin, Professor at the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University, is collaborating with artist Cecilia Ömalm in the exhibition “The Stockholm Cosmology” at the Liljevalchs Art Exhibition Centre this summer.

New insights about protoplanetary disks around low-mass stars

A new study conducted by an international collaboration reveals new insights in how planets might be formed around low-mass stars. The team studied a disk of gas around a young, low mass star using the James Webb Space Telescope. Their results can possibly give us information about what type of planets that might form around the low-mass star. Göran Östlin and Göran Olofsson, Professor and Professor Emeritus respectively at the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University, are two of the contributing parties.

Solar physicists at the Crafoord Days 2024

Two weeks ago, the Crafoord Days 2024 were celebrated in Lund and Stockholm. The celebrations took place between the 13th and the 16th of May. Jaime de la Cruz Rodriguez and Adur Pastor Yabar, researchers at the Institute for Solar Physics and Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University, participated in the celebrations.

Ragnhild Lunnan new member of the Young Academy of Sweden

Students discover and classify supernovae

Last week, master and PhD students utilized observations from the Nordic Optical Telescope to publish classifications of six different supernovae in the Observational Astrophysics II course.

Signs of atmosphere around Earth-like exoplanet

The exoplanet 55 Cancri e probably has an atmosphere dominated by carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, according to a new study published in Nature.

Exploding star made the Hubble telescope turn

In the latest issue of the journal Nature, researchers from Stockholm University participate in a study of a supernova explosion where the astronomers made the Hubble telescope turn and look in a different direction than planned. The ultraviolet light from the explosion shows that the exploding red giant star was embedded in gas that puffed out in the years before the final bang.

James Webb telescope detects traces of neutron star in iconic supernova

Scientists can finally show that a neutron star formed from our most well-studied supernova, SN 1987A. The breakthrough was made possible thanks to the James Webb telescope.

Swedish Solar Telescope in new documentary

The Swedish Solar Telescope (SST) was featured in the German documentary “Die Sonne”, produced by the European public service channel Arte. Jorrit Leenaarts (Professor) and Jaime de la Cruz Rodriguez (Docent) at the Institute for Solar Physics appear in the documentary and talk about the SST and show the audience how a day of an astronomer looks like.

Crafoord Prize in Astronomy laureates Announced!

This year’s Crafoord Prize in Astronomy is awarded to Douglas Gough, Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard and Conny Aerts for their development of methods that allow us to “see” the insides of stars and the Sun.

Researcher Highlight: Karin Lind

Karin Lind is an Associate Professor in the group for stars, planets and astrobiology at the Department of Astronomy.

Observations of Dramatic Galactic Collision Unlock Clues to the Reionization of the Universe

An international team, led by Dr. Alexandra Le Reste from Stockholm University and the Oskar Klein Centre, used the MeerKAT radio telescope to investigate processes at the origin of the Epoch of Reionization, a crucial period occurring a billion years after the Big Bang. The study, made possible by MeerKAT's increased sensitivity relative to older telescopes, reveals how galaxy mergers might have influenced the transformation of the Universe during this epoch.

Exploding star makes a black hole and eats companion

A supernova explosion powered by a black hole consuming its binary companion. This is an interpretation forwarded in the latest issue of the journal Nature, where astronomers from Stockholm University participate in a study of a recent cosmic explosion.

Astronomers Crack the Code on the Formation of Super Heavy Elements in the Universe

Where do we come from? How were all our atoms created? These are some of the intriguing questions that a group of astronomers called the R-Process Alliance are trying to answer. Today, they publish a new groundbreaking study in the prestigious scientific journal Science, where they show footprints from the cosmic creation of super heavy elements. Terese Hansen, researcher at the Department of Astronomy, is one of the co-authors.

Christmas Lecture

Every year, Fysikum hosts a Christmas Lecture where physics experiments for all ages are presented.

Karin Lind and Jaime de la Cruz Rodriguez receives prizes from the KVA

On Tuesday, the 28th of November, two of our researchers were honored at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Karin Lind was awarded the Strömer-Ferrner Prize 2023, and Jaime de la Cruz Rodriguez received the Letterstedt’s prize for impressive research 2023 for their contributions to science and astronomy.

Observations of planetary cradles reveal rocky planets can form in extreme environments

Planets like our Earth, including planets with water, could form even in the harshest known star-forming environments, drenched by hard UV light from massive stars. That is a main result of analyses of new observations of such an environment with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The observations are the first of their kind – before the JWST, this kind of detailed observation had not been possible. This is good news for Earth-like planets, and for life in the universe: there is a great variety of environments in which such planets can form. The results have now been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Researcher Highlight: Jorrit Leenarts

Today we introduce Jorrit Leenaarts, the director of the Institute for Solar Physics.

Researcher Highlight - Jesper Sollerman

Today we introduce Jesper Sollerman, Professor in the supernova group that studies the explosions of massive stars.

Fast flickering black hole caught in breakout

In the latest issue of the journal Nature, astronomers from Stockholm University participate in a study of an optical transient displaying fast flickering of light. A small black hole in a distant galaxy could lie behind the phenomenon.

James Webb telescope detects water vapor, sulphur dioxide and sand clouds around a nearby exoplanet

A team of European astronomers recently utilized observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope to study the atmosphere of the nearby exoplanet WASP-107b. By peering deep into WASP-107b's fluffy atmosphere, they discovered not only water vapor and sulfur dioxide but even clouds of silicates (i.e., sand). The results of the study were published today in the prestigious journal Nature.

Barred spiral galaxy M83 captured using JWST by SU researchers

The James Webb telescope continues to capture spactacular images of spiral galaxies as part of Angela Adamos research at the Department of Astronomy. The most recent instalment is the galaxy M83.

Researcher Highlight - Markus Janson

Researcher highlight - Evan O'Connor

It’s time to introduce some of the members at our department! First out is Evan O’Connor, Associate Professor in the computational astrophysics and supernovae groups.

Campus Albano inaugurated

The new Albano campus was inaugurated between the 20th and 23rd of September, and the Department of Astronomy participated in the festivities! Albano is Stockholm University's new campus area and also the home of our department.

Karin Lind has been awarded Strömer-Ferrnerska belöningen 2023 by the Royal Academy of Sciences.

Karin Lind, Associate Professor at the Department of Astronomy, has been awarded Strömer-Ferrnerska belöningen 2023 by the Royal Academy of Sciences. Strömer-Ferrnerska belöningen is awarded to Swedish citizens who have conducted outstanding scientific work in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, or space science. The motivation for the prize reads: "For world-leading research in stellar spectroscopy to investigate the history of the Milky Way.”

Seven European countries join forces to promote the construction of the European Solar Telescope

On Tuesday July 25, a total of 9 institutions from 7 European countries signed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife the deed of the Canarian foundation that grants legal character to the project consortium and paves the way for the future construction of the European Solar Telescope.

The department celebrates 50 years as part of Stockholm University

On 1 July 1973, Stockholm's observatory was transferred from the Royal Academy of Sciences to Stockholm University and the Department of astronomy at Stockholm University was born. The names "Stockholms observatory" and "The Department of Astronomy" have since been synonymous.

Jaime de la Cruz Rodriguez awarded Letterstedtska priset

Jaime de la Cruz Rodriguez has been awarded Letterstedtska priset för särskilt maktpåliggande by the Royal Academy of Science.

Radio signal reveals supernova origin

In the latest issue of the journal Nature, astronomers from Stockholm University reveal the origin of a thermonuclear supernova explosion. Strong emission lines of helium and the first detection of such a supernova in radio waves show that the exploding white dwarf star had a helium-rich companion.

Astronomers from Stockholm contribute to new report on the future of European astronomy

A new report by an international consortium of leading astronomers sets out recommendations to transform our understanding of the Universe in the next decade. Astronomers from Stockholm were involved in writing this report.

New Study Questions Decades-Long Understanding of Gamma Ray Bursts

On Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, a pulse of intense gamma-ray radiation swept through our solar system, saturating detectors on numerous spacecraft, and sending astronomers across the world scurrying to train their fastest and most powerful telescopes on it. The new source, dubbed GRB 221009A, turned out to be the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever observed. In a new study that appeared yesterday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, multi-wavelength observations of this extraordinary event are questioning our decades-long understanding of how these events explode into their multi-coloured fireworks.

Star formation in distant galaxies by the James Webb Space Telescope

Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope’s first images of galaxy clusters, researchers have, for the very first time, been able to examine very compact structures of star clusters inside galaxies, so-called clumps. In a paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers from Stockholm University have studied the first phase of star formation in distant galaxies.

ERC Consolidator Grants to Jaime de la Cruz Rodriguez at the Department of Astron

European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants is part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and are among the most prestigious grants in Europe. The grants will help excellent scientists, who have 7 to 12 years’ experience after their PhDs, to pursue their most promising ideas.

Celebrating the SST at 20 years

20 years ago, in spring 2002, the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) saw first light.

Rare sighting of a luminous jet from a star-eating supermassive black hole

Over 8 billion years ago, a star was torn apart as it got too close to a supermassive black hole. Jets of gas directed towards Earth recently made the fate of the star visible to a telescope looking for new sources of light in the night sky. The observation has led to two independent publications including researchers at Stockholm University in Nature and Nature Astronomy.