Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/harvard-smithsonian-center-astrophysics/RSS feed for Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and SmithsonianenMon, 21 Sep 2026 17:26:26 +0000Active Supermassive Black Holes May Be Engines of Star Formation, Not Just Destruction, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/active-supermassive-black-holes-may-be-engines-of-star-formation-not-just-destruction-study-suggests-180989517/Scientists mapped out the structure of nine bright cores of galaxies located near the Milky Way and revealed common patterns that could shed light on how the universe evolvedMon, 21 Sep 2026 17:26:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/active-supermassive-black-holes-may-be-engines-of-star-formation-not-just-destruction-study-suggests-180989517/From 22,000 Miles Up, This Satellite Tracks Airborne Health Threats Almost in Real Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/from-22000-miles-up-this-satellite-tracks-airborne-health-threats-almost-in-real-time-180989523/The new instrument, called TEMPO, captures hourly snapshots of the pollutants swirling in the daytime atmosphere over North America—“chemical weather” reports that are helpful to public health researchers and government officialsFri, 18 Sep 2026 18:02:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/from-22000-miles-up-this-satellite-tracks-airborne-health-threats-almost-in-real-time-180989523/A SpaceX Rocket Part Just Slammed Into the Moon, Creating a Dust Plume and Crater. Here's What Some Scientific Instruments Sawhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-spacex-rocket-part-just-slammed-into-the-moon-creating-a-dust-plume-and-crater-heres-what-some-scientific-instruments-saw-180989299/The Korea Aerospace Research Institute captured before-and-after images of the impact site, and a telescope in Chile detected signs of the plume. However, no one was able to watch the collision liveFri, 07 Aug 2026 21:26:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-spacex-rocket-part-just-slammed-into-the-moon-creating-a-dust-plume-and-crater-heres-what-some-scientific-instruments-saw-180989299/New Images Provide the Best Evidence Yet That Supergiant Star Betelgeuse Does, Indeed, Have a Long-Theorized Stellar Companionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/The research team is mostly convinced by the data, but they want to capture additional observations in 2027 to confirm what they've foundMon, 03 Aug 2026 20:07:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/