UCLA Astronomy Press Releases


The Milky Way's
Supermassive Black Hole
(2008-05-09)

The 2008 April issue of Smithsonian magazine discusses the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy and how the observations are carried out at the Keck Observatory. Featured in the article are UCLA astronomers Andrea Ghez and Mark Morris.
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Planet Formation May Occur around Many Stars (2008-01-23)
Thayne Currie, a UCLA astronomy graduate student, and collaborators find evidence for circumstellar dust around many 10-30 million year old stars with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is produced by collisions between small, rocky bodies during the planet formation process. Currie and collaborators determined that the dust originates in a location similar to that of the Earth from the Sun. This study could then imply that terrestrial planets may form around many stars.
Spitzer's Press Release
Passings: Prof. Mirek Plavec (2008-01-23)
 
Mirek Plavec, a UCLA Astronomy Emeritus Professor, passed away on January 23, 2008. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at the Cal State University-Northridge Planetarium at 2:00PM. See maps and directions below.
Obituary
Map of CSUN
Directions to CSUN from UCLA
$200 Million Support For Thirty-Meter Telescope
(2007-12-05)
The California Institute of Technology and the University of California have received a $200 million commitment over nine years from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation toward the further development and construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT). When built, TMT will be the largest telescope in the world.
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Astronomers Study High Speed Cluster
(2007-11-27)
UCLA astronomer Andrea Stolte, among others, has tracked the trajectory of the Arches cluster with the Very Large Telescope in Chile and the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The Arches cluster is a group of young stars very close to the galactic center whose fast motion of 200km/s puzzles astronomers.
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Planet Formation in the Pleiades
(2007-11-14)
Astronomers, among them Joseph Rhee and Ben Zuckerman both of UCLA, using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Spitzer Space Telescope discovered a large number of hot dust particles around one of the stars in the Pleiades. These particles could have been produced by collisions as rocky terrestrial planets are formed.
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Detection of High-Energy Particles from Active Black Holes
(2007-11-09)
A team of scientists including Katsushi Arisaka and Alexander Kusenko of UCLA have detected ultra-high-energy particles from just outside enormous, active black holes in nearby galaxies. These particles interact with Earth's atmosphere creating a shower of secondary particles which were detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina.
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Astronomers Detect Dust in Black Hole Wind
(2007-10-09)
A group of astronomers, including Sarah Gallagher of UCLA, using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have found dust forming in a quasar 8 billion light-years away. Quasars and early supernovae could have provided the dust needed to make the first generations of stars in the early universe.
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Astronomers Detect Water Vapor in Young Star System
(2007-08-29)
Astronomers, including Elise Furlan of UCLA, have used Spitzer to detect water vapor inside the collapsing nest of a forming star system. The new data indicate that ice from the stellar embryo's outer cocoon is falling toward the forming star and vaporizing as it hits the disk.
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GALEX Team Discovers Mira has an Ultraviolet Tail
(2007-08-18)
The Galaxy Evolution Explorer Team, which includes UCLA Astronomer Dr. Michael Rich, reports the first discovery of a comet-like tail from a star. Dr. Rich is a coauthor on the research, which is reported in Nature.
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Los Angeles Times article
CNN News article
Astronomers Find Earth-like Material in White Dwarf Atmosphere
(2007-08-16)
UCLA astronomers Ben Zuckerman, Michael Jura, and Brad Hansen report that a white dwarf star known as GD 362 has been contaminated by a large asteroid that left more than a dozen observable chemical elements in the white dwarf's atmosphere.
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Astronomers Find a Dusty Disk in a Four-Star System
(2007-07-24)
UCLA Astronomer Elise Furlan and others using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope report finding a dusty disk swirling around a pair of stars in the quadruple-star system HD 98800. The disk has gaps that could be caused by the gravitational relationship between the system's four stars or by the presence of planet formation.
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Astronomers Study the Sub-parsec Radio Jet from a Supermassive Black Hole
(2007-07-16)
Chun Ly, a UCLA graduate student, and other astronomers image the central sub-parsec jet of M87 with NRAO's Very Long Baseline Array to further examine how the jet close to the black hole forms.
More information
Chun Ly's UCLA homepage
NASA's GALEX Sees Nova's Expelled Gas
(2007-03-07)
Astronomers including Michael Rich (UCLA) used the space-based GALEX telescope to study the remnant from an eruption in Z Cam, a binary star system.
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MSNBC News Article
Astronomers Complete Major Survey of the Galactic Bulge
(2007-01-12)
UCLA astronomers now believe that the Galactic bulge (the oldest part of our Galaxy) is 'football-shaped' rather than circular from recent observations.
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Astronomy.com Article
Dr. Michael Rich's UCLA homepage
NASA's Spitzer Sees Day and Night on Exotic World
(2006-10-12)
UCLA professor, Brad Hansen and others have made the first measurement of the day and night temperature of an extrasolar planet with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
More Information
Prof. Brad Hansen's UCLA homepage
Hubble sees faintest stars in a globular cluster
(2006-08-17)
UCLA astronomers, Brad Hansen and Michael Rich, and colleagues discover the faintest stars in a globular cluster, which is one of the oldest objects in the Milky Way.
More Information
Prof. Brad Hansen's UCLA homepage
COBE Team wins 2006 Gruber Cosmology Prize
(2006-08-15)
John Mather and the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) team, among them Edward L. Wright from UCLA, today received the 2006 Gruber Cosmology Prize for their ground-breaking studies confirming that our universe was born in a hot Big Bang.
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Astronomers Report Unprecedented
Double Helix Nebula
(2006-03-15)
UCLA astronomers and colleagues discover a nebula that resembles a double helix near the Galactic Center.
More Information
Prof. Mark Morris' UCLA homepage
Tuan Do's UCLA homepage
Astronomers Report Mysterious
Giant Star Clusters
(2006-01-09)
UCLA astronomers and colleagues reported evidence for the formation of super star clusters in NGC 4214 which are likely precursors to globular clusters.
More Information
Prof. Jean Turner's UCLA homepage
Chao-Wei Tsai's UCLA homepage
Astronomers Use Laser to Take Images of the Galactic Center
(2005-12-23)
Prof. Andrea Ghez and colleagues have taken the first clear picture of the center of our Milky Way galaxy using a new laser virtual star at the Keck observatory.
More Information
Prof. Andrea Ghez's UCLA homepage
UCLA Galactic Center Group's homepage
UCLA Astronomers Discover
Neutron Star Where a Black
Hole Was Expected
(2005-11-03)
A search for intermediate-mass black holes in Westerlund 1 yielded an unexpected neutron star. Astronomers report that making stellar mass black holes may prove more difficult than expected.
More information
Dr. Muno's UCLA homepage
UCLA Planetarium Website
Gets A Makeover
(2005-09-01)
The UCLA Planetarium's website has a new look. Find out about upcoming planetarium events and let us know what you think.
Planetarium Website
Cosmic Catastrophe: Violent Collisions Between Asteroids, Comets, or Even Planets
(2005-07-24)
Dust-Enshrouded Star Looks Similar to our Sun, May Have Witnessed 'Cosmic Catastrophe,' Astronomers at UCLA, Gemini and Carnegie Report
More Information
Prof. Ben Zuckerman's UCLA homepage
Prof. Eric Becklin UCLA homepage
Astronomers Confirm the First Image of a Planet Outside of Our Solar System
(2005-05-06)
Prof. Ben Zuckerman and international collaboraters confirm the first image of a giant planet around a young brown dwarf."
More Information
Prof. Ben Zuckerman's UCLA homepage
Becklinfest: A Tribute to Eric Becklin
(2005-01-25)
"Celebrating 40 years of Infrared Astronomy: A Tribute to Eric Becklin." A two-day meeting to celebrate the 65th birthday of Professor Eric E. Becklin will be held at UCLA in April 2005.
More Information
Dr. Eric Becklin's UCLA homepage
Chandra Finds a Black Hole Swarm Near Milky Way Center
(2005-01-15)
Press Release
Press Conference Powerpoint Dr. Mike Muno's webpage
The Case of the Missing Disk
(2005-01-10)
Press Release
Peter Plavchan's graduate student page
Keck Laser Illuminates AGN in the Distant Universe
(2005-01-10)
Press Release
CATS Group
Dr. James Larkin's faculty page
Galex Discovers Newborn Galaxies
(2004-12-21)
NASA's Galex satellite team (including Dr. Michael Rich and Dr. Samir Salim) announces that our adult universe is still spawning massive galaxies.
Press Release
Dr. Michael Rich's UCLA homepage
Associated Publication
Hubble Images Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy
(2004-10-14)
Dr. Michael Rich and international collaborators release a Hubble Heritage image of the Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular galaxy.
Hubble Release
Dr. Michael Rich's UCLA homepage
Prof. Edward Wright to Serve as Principal Investigator for New NASA Mission (WISE)
(2004-10-14)
Prof. Edward Wright will serve as the principal investigator for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) which will seek the nearest stars and brightest galaxies.
Press Release
Dr. Ned Wright's UCLA Faculty page
Is This Speck of Light an Exoplanet?
(2004-09-24)
Press Release
Dr. Ben Zuckerman's UCLA Faculty page
Dr. Inseok Song's UCLA Postdoc page
Announcing GE course Astro 7: Astronomy and the Media
(2004-08-05)
Notice of Fall-Quarter GE course in Astronomy!
Astro 7: Astronomy and the Media
More info
2004 Keck Science Meeting Announcement
(2004-07-08)
Announcing the 2004 Keck Science Meeting to be held at UCLA on September 17 & 18. Please see the web site at http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~ksm2004 for information on how and when to register.
Andrea Ghez Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
(2004-04-30)
Am. Acad. of Arts & Sciences Press Release
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Andrea Ghez's faculty page
Andrea Ghez Elected to National Academy of Sciences
(2004-04-20)
Nat. Acad. of Sciences Press Release
The National Academy of Sciences
The National Academies
Dr. Andrea Ghez's faculty page
Ian McLean Selected for UCLA Gold Key International Honor Society
(2004-04-12)
UCLA Golden Key International Honor Society
Dr. Ian McLean's faculty page
Andrea Ghez Selected as Co-Winner of the Sackler Prize
(2004-03-23)
2004 Sackler Prize Description
Dr. Andrea Ghez's faculty page
Mark Morris Selected for UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award
(2004-03-18)
Dr. Mark Morris's faculty page
Brad Hansen Selected as Alfred P. Sloan Fellow
(2004-02-18)
Sloan Research Fellowships
Dr. Brad Hansen's faculty page
Violent Massive Star Formation in the Orion Nebula
(2004-01-07)
UCLA Press Release
Dr. Shuping's Web Page
GALEX Looks at M31, Early Data Release
(2003-12-22)
GALEX Web Site
GALEX mosaic image of M31
GALEX Image Gallery
GALEX Press Release
GALEX News
Dr. Michael Rich's faculty page
Stargazing with UCLA's Visualization Portal
(2003-11-03)
UCLA's Visualization Portal Spotlight
Dr. Malkan's UCLA faculty page
Variable IR Emission from Galactic Center Black Hole
(2003-09-04)
Click here for a larger image.
UCLA Press Release
Astro-ph paper posting
UCLA Galactic Center Group home page
Dr. Andrea Ghez'z home page
"Molecular Fingerprints" Obtained for Brown Dwarfs
(2003-09-03)
NIRSPEC
UCLA Press Release
NIRSPEC BDSS Low-Res Data Archive
Astro-ph paper posting
Dr. McLean's Faculty web page
Hubble Fellow Dr. Burgasser's web page
Dr. Prato's web page
Mark McGovern's web page
Special Mars Planetarium and Telescope Show
(2003-09-03)
Mars
This UCLA event has already taken place, with an estimated 250-300 members of the community in attendance. Here are some images of Mars and pictures of the event.

UCLA Planetarium, open to the public
Hubble Space Telescope Looks at Mars
SIRTF Launches!
(2003-08-25)
SIRTF
SIRTF and UCLA
SIRTF Public Web Site and Science Center
SIRTF Science Working Group members and UCLA Faculty:
Dr. Mike Jura
Dr. Ned Wright
SIRTF Fellow Dr. Ciska Kemper
Findings on Farthest and Oldest Known Planet
(2003-07-10)
Click here for larger version of image.
UCLA Press Release
Hubble Press Release
Hubble Space Telescope Image
Dr. Brad Hansen's faculty page
Dr. Mike Jura becomes our Division's new Vice-Chair
(2003-07-01)
Logo.
Departing Vice-Chair Dr. Jean Turner's faculty page
Dr. Mike Jura's faculty page
Gravity-Bound Cluster
(2003-06-04)
Click here for larger version of image.
UCLA Press Release (pdf)
Nature article (pdf)
Larger optical/IR image of thumbnail
IR image or thumbnail
Dr. Jean Turner's faculty page
Dr. Ian Mclean's faculty page
Dr. James Larkin's faculty page
GALEX First Light
(2003-05-27)
GALEX First Light Images
GALEX Web Site
GALEX News
Dr. Michael Rich's faculty page
Young Stars in Andromeda Halo
(2003-05-07)
Click here for larger image
Large image of thumbnail
Hubble Press Release
Astro-ph paper
Dr. Michael Rich's faculty page
GALEX Launches!
(2003-04-28)
GALEX Web Site
GALEX News
Dr. Michael Rich's faculty page
NASA Missions Selected:
WISE and EUSO
(2003-03-20)
WISE:
NASA Press Release
WISE Home Page
Dr. Wright's home page
EUSO:
EUSO Information
Dr. Cline's Home Page
Dr. Arisaka's Home Page
Passings: Lawrence Aller (2003-03-16)
 
Text from LA Times
PDF of Auto-Biographical Sketch
Case for Massive Black Hole at Center of Milky Way Strengthened (2003-02-18)
Click here for larger image
UCLA Press Release
BBC News Article
Discovery News Article
Dr. Andrea Ghez's home page
Angelle Tanner's Graduate Student Page
Seth Hornstein's Graduate Student Page
WMAP Data Released! (2003-02-11)
UCLA Astronomy Press Release
UCLA Press Release
Dr. Wrights's UCLA faculty page
Planet seeds fried by superhot stars (2003-01-08)
Click here
for larger image
UCLA Press Release
Space.com News Article
Dr. Ralph Shuping's UCLA Postdoc page
Dr. Mark Morris UCLA faculty page
Astronomers detect a faint debris trail in the Andromeda galaxy (2003-01-06)
Click here 
for press release
UCSC Press Release
Dr. David Reitzel's UCLA email
Milky Way Monster Stars in Cosmic Reality Show (2003-01-06)
Click here 
for press release
Chandra Press Release
Chandra Photo Album page
Dr. Mark Morris UCLA faculty page
Astronomy Picture of the Day page
UCLA Astronomers Find Evidence of Planet Formation (2003-01-06)
Click here
for larger image
UCLA Press Release
Dr. Christine Chen's Web page
Dr. Mike Jura's UCLA Faculy page
Large Image of Thumbnail