News: 2026

April

Scientists discover ‘most chemically pristine’ star yet found in the universe

April 6, 2026

On trip to Chilean telescope, UChicago undergrad class sheds new light on evolution of earliest stars


March

Ancient star opens window to early days of the universe

March 19, 2026

Still in its original galaxy, a rare holdout from the second generation of stars sheds new light on the origins of the elements—and how massive supernovae reshaped the cosmos


February

Rubin Observatory Launches Real-Time Discovery Machine for Monitoring the Night Sky

February 27, 2026

The near-real-time alert system will enable scientists around the world to coordinate follow-up observations like never before


Space Explorers program featured on Univision Chicago

February 20, 2026

KICP's Space Explorers program was recently featured on Univision Chicago


In Antarctica, balloon lands after 23-day search for particles from outer space

February 12, 2026

Unique UChicago-led instrument PUEO caught a ride aboard a NASA balloon in search of high-energy neutrinos


January

Professor Donald G. York, 1944-2025

January 15, 2026

Donald G. York, an astronomer with the University of Chicago who helped revolutionize the field as a co-founder of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and made pioneering contributions to the study of the interstellar and intergalactic mediums, died Dec. 26 at the age of 81.  


PUEO completes successful flight

January 12, 2026

The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) Launched on December 20th and completed a successful 23 day flight.  It is the most sensitive instrument ever built to detect the highest energy neutrinos!