Last update:
Astronomy news
NASA Solar Observatory sees coronal loops flicker before big flares
For decades, scientists have tried in vain to accurately predict solar flares—intense bursts of light on the sun that can send a flurry of charged particles into the solar system. Now, using NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, ...
Astronomy
48 minutes ago
0
0
A bright 'sun-skirting' comet will grace southern skies this week—here's how to see it
Hot on the heels of a spectacular comet late last year, another celestial visitor is set to put on a show. And Southern Hemisphere observers have a ringside seat.
Astronomy
3 hours ago
0
23
NASA celebrates Edwin Hubble's discovery of a new universe
For humans, the most important star in the universe is our sun. The second-most important star is nestled inside the Andromeda galaxy. Don't go looking for it—the flickering star is 2.2 million light-years away, and is ...
Astronomy
3 hours ago
0
59
Blinking radio pulses from space hint at a cosmic object that 'shouldn't exist'
When some of the biggest stars reach the end of their lives, they explode in spectacular supernovas and leave behind incredibly dense cores called neutron stars. Some of these remnants emit powerful radio beams from their ...
Astronomy
4 hours ago
0
14
DECam and Gemini South discover three tiny 'stellar-ghost-town' galaxies
By combining data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys and the Gemini South telescope, astronomers have investigated three ultra-faint dwarf galaxies that reside in a region of space isolated from the environmental influence ...
Astronomy
4 hours ago
0
61
Stellar pyrotechnics on display in super star cluster
Astronomers have unveiled an explosive cosmic fireworks display of stars interacting with their environment. This dazzling spectacle—due to powerful winds flowing from the stars—marks a major milestone in the ability ...
Astronomy
5 hours ago
0
35
X-ray echoes reveal 3D structure of molecular clouds in our galaxy's center
Researchers from the University of Connecticut have created the first 3D maps of star-forming gas clouds in one of the most extreme environments in our galaxy, and have studied previous flaring events from our galaxy's supermassive ...
Astronomy
5 hours ago
0
16
New study reveals 3D structure of iconic Ring Nebula
An international team of scientists has produced the clearest three-dimensional view yet of the Ring Nebula—one of the night sky's most iconic celestial objects.
Astronomy
5 hours ago
0
61
Last starlight for Gaia as it completes sky-scanning mission phase
The European Space Agency's Milky Way-mapper Gaia has completed the sky-scanning phase of its mission, racking up more than 3 trillion observations of about 2 billion stars and other objects over the last decade to revolutionize ...
Astronomy
5 hours ago
0
10
Galaxy cores may be giant fuzzy 'dark stars'
A fuzzy form of dark matter may clump up to become the cores of galaxies, according to new research.
Astronomy
6 hours ago
1
11
Quasar discovery sheds light on early universe's rapid growth
A Yale-led team of astronomers has detected an intensely brightening and dimming quasar that may help explain how some objects in the early universe grew at a highly accelerated rate.
Astronomy
7 hours ago
0
13
Astronomers detect new eclipsing binary system
Using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new eclipsing binary system with a relatively low mass and long orbital ...
Webb reveals intricate layers of interstellar dust and gas
Once upon a time, the core of a massive star collapsed, creating a shockwave that blasted outward, ripping the star apart as it went. When the shockwave reached the star's surface, it punched through, generating a brief, ...
Astronomy
Jan 14, 2025
1
66
Simulated universe previews panoramas from NASA's Roman Telescope
Astronomers have released a set of more than a million simulated images showcasing the cosmos as NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see it. This preview will help scientists explore Roman's myriad science ...
Astronomy
Jan 14, 2025
0
43
First-ever detection of a mid-infrared flare in Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's supermassive massive black hole
Using the MIRI instrument onboard the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of scientists made the first-ever detection of a mid-IR flare from Sagittarius A*, the supermassive massive black hole at the heart of ...
Astronomy
Jan 14, 2025
0
40
Newfound galaxy class may indicate early black hole growth
In December 2022, less than six months after commencing science operations, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope revealed something never seen before: numerous red objects that appear small in the sky, which scientists soon ...
Astronomy
Jan 14, 2025
0
22
Gravitational waves could give us insights into fast radio bursts
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are mysterious pulses of energy that can last from a fraction of a millisecond to about three seconds. Most of them come from outside the galaxy, although one has been detected coming from a source ...
Astronomy
Jan 14, 2025
0
38
Neutron star cooling simulations set new constraints on light QCD axions
Neutron stars, the remnants of massive stars after a supernova explosion, have often been the focus of studies aimed at testing and unveiling exotic physics. This is because these stars are among the densest objects in the ...
Neutron star 'mountains' would cause ripples in space-time
Collapsed dead stars, known as neutron stars, are a trillion times denser than lead, and their surface features are largely unknown. Nuclear theorists have explored mountain building mechanisms active on the moons and planets ...
Astronomy
Jan 13, 2025
0
168
Planets can form in even the harshest conditions
According to the most widely held astronomical model (the nebular hypothesis), new stars are born from massive clouds of dust and gas (aka a nebula) that experience gravitational collapse. The remaining dust and gas form ...
Astronomy
Jan 13, 2025
0
21