Sensing the Universe & Multimessenger Astronomy

News & Articles

This artist’s concept shows the BurstCube satellite in orbit against a background of stars.

NASA’s Tiny BurstCube Mission Launches to Study Cosmic Blasts

4 min read

Editor’s note, April 18, 2024: BurstCube deployed into orbit from the space station April 18, 2024. It will begin a…

Article8 months ago
This animation runs through slides showing the different types of light, their characterizations like wavelength, and where that light might be observed in a city like Seattle. For radio light, the wavelength can be the size of a building, and is seen emanating from radio towers in the city. Microwave wavelengths are about the size of a honeybee and are seen in the sky and from small sites throughout the city. Infrared wavelengths are the size of a cell and the city glows in infrared light. Optical light has wavelengths the size of bacteria and it’s the light that’s reflected from the buildings of the city. Ultraviolet light has wavelengths the size of molecules and is primarily seen from the Milky Way sky. X-rays have wavelengths the size of oxygen atoms and are mostly seen as a background glow in the sky but can also be seen as flashes where in use by medical professionals across the city. Gamma rays have wavelengths the size of atomic nuclei and are seen in a background glow in the sky. Light like X-rays and gamma rays don’t make it through Earth’s atmosphere.

Using All of Our Senses in Space

3 min read

Scientists have been making strides in the field of multimessenger astronomy.

Article6 years ago
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What Is the Solar Wind?

An animation shows the Sun in the bottom left corner. Cascading off the Sun are lines in every direction, representing solar wind streams. As they move away, kinks form in the lines, and grow wider as they move outward.