One of the central predictions of general relativity is that a massive object such as a star, galaxy, or black hole can deflect light passing nearby. This means that light from distant objects can be ...

Astronomers have discovered more than 5,000 planets outside of the solar system to date. The grand question is whether any of these planets are home to life. To find the answer, astronomers will ...

Astronomers have discovered more than 5,000 planets outside of the solar system to date. The grand question is whether any of these planets are home to life. To find the answer, astronomers will ...

A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances discusses diffraction-limited visible imaging for large aperture telescopes. The deformable mirror used in adaptive optics can change its surface to ...

Stephen has degrees in science (Physics major) and arts (English Literature and the History and Philosophy of Science), as well as a Graduate Diploma in Science Communication. Stephen has degrees in ...

Just how big would a telescope need to be to actually see an alien world in detail? The James Webb Telescope just took a photo of a newly discovered exoplanet. Exciting stuff but the raw image just ...

I learned in October 2022’s Breakthrough that the spikes of stars in high-power photos are called diffraction spikes. Why do they appear as two crosses at 45 degrees to each other? The diffraction ...

At f/8, every lens produces an identical 10.7-micron diffraction blur on your sensor regardless of focal length or aperture ...