telescope | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/telescope/RSS feed for telescopeenFri, 23 Oct 2026 17:17:35 +0000Astronomers Detect the Oldest Known Fast Radio Burst, Spewed From an Ancient Galaxy Just Three Billion Years After the Big Banghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-detect-the-oldest-fast-radio-burst-spewed-from-an-ancient-galaxy-just-three-billion-years-after-the-big-bang-180989730/The universe formed 13.8 billion years ago, so this far-traveled burst of radio waves can help scientists learn more about the early cosmos. However, researchers still aren't sure what produces these strange flashesFri, 23 Oct 2026 17:17:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-detect-the-oldest-fast-radio-burst-spewed-from-an-ancient-galaxy-just-three-billion-years-after-the-big-bang-180989730/Like a Mythical Phoenix, This Planet May Have Risen From the Ashes of a Dead Starhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/like-a-mythical-phoenix-this-planet-may-have-risen-from-the-ashes-of-a-dead-star-180989628/The “second-generation” world, predicted from telescope data, could be the first known planet of its kind, and it may shed light on the future of our own solar systemWed, 07 Oct 2026 12:22:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/like-a-mythical-phoenix-this-planet-may-have-risen-from-the-ashes-of-a-dead-star-180989628/A Mysterious Decagon Unexpectedly Appeared Around Saturn's South Pole. The Ten-Sided Shape Seems to Be a Wave in the Atmospherehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mysterious-decagon-unexpectedly-appeared-around-saturns-south-pole-the-ten-sided-shape-seems-to-be-a-wave-in-the-atmosphere-180989449/Decades ago, scientists found a hexagon around Saturn’s north pole. Now, recent images reveal a decagon in the planet’s southern hemisphere—and it seems to have recently formedThu, 03 Sep 2026 19:01:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mysterious-decagon-unexpectedly-appeared-around-saturns-south-pole-the-ten-sided-shape-seems-to-be-a-wave-in-the-atmosphere-180989449/A New Telescope Still Under Construction Accidentally Reveals How a Dying Star Returns Matter to Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-telescope-still-under-construction-accidentally-reveals-how-a-dying-star-returns-matter-to-space-180989349/Researchers captured an unprecedented image of the stellar recycling process while calibrating a Chile-based instrument called MOTHRA, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-telescope-still-under-construction-accidentally-reveals-how-a-dying-star-returns-matter-to-space-180989349/