Dr. Valerie Rapson
Host, Edge of the Universe; Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at SUNY OneontaDr. Valerie Rapson is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at SUNY Oneonta. Dr. Rapson teaches a variety of physics and astronomy courses. She also conducts exoplanet research with students utilizing telescopes at the College Camp Observatory.
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In late 2025, Astronomers watched with amazement as comet 3I/ATLAS flew through our solar system. This was the third interstellar comet ever detected, and every major telescope in the world was watching. Including the James Webb Space Telescope.Read more at: https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/3iatlas/2026/06/01/nasas-webb-detects-methane-on-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas/ -
Imagine viewing our solar system from above. You see eight planets all traveling in almost circular paths around the sun. Astronomers have discovered thousands of other planetary systems, and in most cases these planets also follow circular paths around their star. But not the exoplanet we call HD80606b. This one is different.Read more at: https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/james-webb-space-telescope-discovers-extreme-exoplanet-being-roasted-by-its-home-star -
What forms first- a galaxy of stars, gas and dust, or the supermassive black hole that holds it all together? It’s the outer space version of the classic chicken and egg problem, and astronomers think they might finally have the answer.https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-reveals-black-hole-that-formed-before-its-galaxy/ -
As the sun sets and the sky darkens, you may have noticed two bright dots low in the Western sky. That’s Jupiter and Venus. Jupiter is the fainter of the two dots, but it’s actually the largest planet in our solar system.https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/jupiters-great-red-spot-a-swirling-mystery/
