News | Steward Observatory

THE CONVERSATION: Scientists found a potential sign of life on a distant planet – Steward Observatory's Daniel Apai explains why many are still skeptical

exoplanet K2-18b

U of A-led NASA Aspera mission hits spacecraft milestone

The completed spacecraft bus for the NASA Aspera mission.

Steward PhD Alum Mentors Teen Who Wins $250K for Using AI to Discover 1.5 Million Hidden Objects in Space

2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search first-place winner Matteo Paz holds his trophy.

National Geographic: New astronomy trail debuts in Tucson, a city protective of its dark skies

Tucson’s new Astro Trail features 11 stops, including Mount Graham International Observatory. A stargazer’s dream destination, the city not only has light pollution guidelines but also has six Dark Sky parks and communities in the area. PHOTOGRAPH BY BABAK TAFRESHI, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

“In search of Earth’s siblings,” Sebastiaan Haffert wins prestigious New Horizons Prize

The New Horizons prize honors Sebastiaan Haffert’s work in adaptive optics—much of which happened during his time at Steward Observatory.

College of Science Announces Inaugural Rieke Prize Recipient

Dr. Elena Plante

Two Steward Observatory alumni receive highly competitive Einstein Fellowships

Juan Nico Garavito Camargo and Massimo Pascale

U of A Imaging Technology Laboratory unveils a new vision in infrared innovation

The newest ITL team

AZ Daily Star: How U of A research is helping find the origins of the Milky Way, universe

NASA’s SPHEREx observatory is oriented in a horizontal position, revealing all three layers of photon shields as well as the telescope. This photo was taken at BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado, in April 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech/BAE Systems

Fading Light, Fierce Winds: JWST’s Observations of a Low-Luminosity Quasar Unlocks Insight into the Evolution of Supermassive Black Holes at Cosmic Dawn

Jianwei Lyu and his team used JWST data to explore the properties of a low-luminosity quasar in a recent paper in Astrophysical Journal Letters.