News: Research

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Oden Institute

Born Together: A New Look at Binary Stars

A new study involving astronomer Stella Offner manages to pierce the universe’s dark, hazy cosmos for a glimpse at infant stars in relationship.

A pair of pinkish molecular clouds dotted with bursts of light in space represent star-forming activity.

Research

Extreme, Prolonged Drought Slashes Productivity of Grasslands, Shrublands

Research published in the journal Science on water-deprived plants involved Texas Field Station Network experts.

A rain-out shelter at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It consists of clear plastic strips supported by metal arms and legs several feet above a plot of open grassland.

UT Marine Science Institute

New Study Pinpoints Texas as a Source of Nurdle Pollution to Mexico

A novel analysis combined chemistry and ocean modeling to reveal a likely source of nurdle pollution on coastlines.

A man on a sandy beach wearing glasses holds a sampling bottle and tweezers in a gloved hand, displaying a discovery of tiny pellets.

McDonald Observatory

A Cosmic Puzzle: Phosphine Found in One Brown Dwarf, Missing in Others

The explosive compound forms naturally in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, but on Earth it is also a byproduct of anaerobic life.

Illustration of the Wolf 1130ABC triple system, composed of the red dwarf star Wolf 1130A, its close and compact white dwarf companion Wolf 1130B, and the distant brown dwarf tertiary Wolf 1130C. The three components of this system are shown scaled to their relative sizes. Image credit: Adam Burgasser, UCSD.

Research

More Dark Star Candidates Found in JWST Data

A growing list of dark star candidates could help explain why some early galaxies were so big, so early in the universe.

The background shows the blackness of space, dotted with colorful stars and galaxies. In a pullout box at the top left, an arrow points to a fuzzy red blob shaped like a jelly bean. A label reads JADES-GS-z14-0.

Department of Marine Science

Genetic Identification Aids Protection of Sharks and Rays

A new paper describes how protecting shark and ray populations from the black-market wildlife trade can begin with DNA analysis.

A school of hammerhead sharks swim in open waters.

Research

So What Should We Call This – a Grue Jay?

The rare hybrid offspring of a blue jay and a green jay is likely a result of weather-related shifts in the range of two species.

Three birds are shown. On the left is a blue jay, which is primarily blue with some patches of white on wing tips, around the face and on the chest. On the right is a green jay, which is primarily green with a lighter colored chest and a mix of blue and black patches on the face. In the center is a hybrid bird, which is primarily blue and resembles a blue jay, but with a larger area of black on the face, more akin to a green jay.

Research

Stephen Hawking Was Right: Black Holes Always Grow in Area

Researchers celebrate 10th anniversary of gravitational wave discovery, announce verification of a Hawking theorem.

In this screenshot from a computer simulation, two objects leaving behind a white trail sprial inward and collide against the black background of space

McDonald Observatory

Astronomers Investigate Complex Heart of a Cosmic Butterfly

The James Webb Space Telescope offers a new view of a planetary nebula located about 3,400 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.

The complicated structure at the centre of the Butterfly Nebula, NGC 6302. There is a bright source at the centre that is surrounded by greenish nebulosity and several looping lines in cream, orange and pink. One of these lines appears to form a ring oriented vertically and nearly edge-on around the bright source at the centre. Other lines trace out a figure eight shape. Moving outward from these complex lines and green nebulosity, there is a section of red light on either side of the object.

Research

This Protein Slows the Aging Brain, and We Know How to Counter It

The findings raise the possibility of new treatments for aging-related cognitive decline.

Two red neurons on a black background. The one one the left has many branches. The one on the left has few branches.