James Webb Space Telescope pierces through dust to find an ancient ghostly galaxy By Sharmila Kuthunur published 5 December 23 A ghostlike dusty galaxy from the early universe might represent a whole population of hidden galaxies.
Do we live in a giant void? It could solve the puzzle of the universe's expansion By Indranil Banik published 5 December 23 One of the biggest mysteries in cosmology is the rate at which the universe is expanding. One possible explanation: That we live in a giant void in space (an area with below average density).
What are radio galaxies? By Robert Lea published 5 December 23 Reference A radio galaxy is a type of galaxy with giant regions of radio emissions that reach far beyond its visible structure. We explore them in more detail here.
X-ray telescope catches 'spider pulsars' devouring stars like cosmic black widows (image) By Robert Lea published 4 December 23 NASA's Chandra X-ray Space Telescope has spotted a "clutter" of rapidly spinning neutron stars called spider pulsars that are devouring surrounding stars.
A cosmic 'fossil record' could be hidden among orphaned stars By Robert Lea published 4 December 23 The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory will help astronomers track stars ripped from their galaxies, revealing a cosmic fossil record to track the evolution of galactic clusters.
Strange 'blob' circling Milky Way's central black hole is shooting powerful radiation at Earth every 76 minutes By Robert Lea published 4 December 23 Regular high-energy pulses of gamma-ray radiation emerging from around the Milky Way's central black hole may be coming from a blob of matter whipping around at 30% the speed of light.
A 'runaway star' could save Earth from extinction a billion years from now. Here's how. By Abha Jain published 3 December 23 Earth will become too hot to handle in a billion years. There's a (very) remote chance a passing star could save us by knocking our planet back into the habitable zone.
A mysterious river of gas flowing into the Milky Way has stars inside after all By Tereza Pultarova published 1 December 23 For the first time since its discovery, scientists have found stars within the Magellanic Stream, a mighty river of hydrogen gas emanating from two small galaxies in the outskirts of the Milky Way.
300 gamma-ray-blasting neutron stars found in massive haul — and some are 'spider pulsars' By Robert Lea published 30 November 23 Astronomers have discovered around 300 new gamma-ray-blasting pulsars, including several "spider pulsars" that devour the companion stars like black widows.
Our neighbor the Andromeda Galaxy shines overhead this week. Here's how to see it By Joe Rao published 30 November 23 Located at a distance of 2.5 million light-years, the Andromeda Galaxy is readily visible to the unaided eye on dark, clear nights. Here's where you should look this week.
Scientists just found a planet-forming disk beyond our Milky Way for the 1st time — yes, they're thrilled By Robert Lea published 29 November 23 Astronomers have spotted an accretion disk feeding matter to a young star and helping it grow in a galaxy outside the Milky Way for the first time.
James Webb Space Telescope spies a newborn star in its cosmic crib (image) By Robert Lea published 28 November 23 The James Webb Space Telescope stared through the gas and dust surrounding an infant star around 1,000 light-years away to see the turbulent outflows it is generating.
Hubble Space Telescope spies multiple galaxy clusters masquerading as one (image) By Samantha Mathewson published 28 November 23 The Hubble Space Telescope has observed a double whammy — two independent galaxy clusters grouped together in the same view.
Mysterious blasts of radiation might stem from our universe's most extreme stars By Robert Lea published 27 November 23 New research strengthens the connection between neutron stars with powerful magnetic fields called magnetars, and mysterious blasts of radiation called fast radio bursts.
Scientists chart the stories of young stars — from being born to moving out By Robert Lea published 27 November 23 Synchronizing two different stellar clocks helped reveal how long before adolescent stars fly the nest and leave their stellar siblings.
Best telescopes 2023: For stargazing galaxies, nebulas and more By Gemma Lavender last updated 27 November 23 Buying Guide The best telescopes on the market for exploring everything from the moon to deep space galaxies and nebulas.
Dazzling remains of star explosion revealed in new ESO image By Samantha Mathewson published 27 November 23 A new photo from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope captures the Vela supernova remnant, the result of a stellar explosion that happened 11,000 years ago.
Our universe's smallest galaxies hold the largest star factories. Here's why By Keith Cooper published 25 November 23 Conditions within dwarf galaxies initially produce more stellar-mass black holes than supernova explosions.
The moon, Saturn and Jupiter provide a Thanksgiving skywatching feast By Joe Rao published 23 November 23 A waxing gibbous moon, Saturn and Jupiter make inviting targets for skywatchers this Thanksgiving.
What are binary stars? By Robert Lea last updated 22 November 23 Reference Binary stars are two stars that orbit a mutual center of gravity. It is the most common type of multistar system.