Astronomers discover dying echoes of a supermassive black hole

Japanese astronomers have discovered the echoes of a “dying” supermassive black hole. While the object is quiet now, the team spotted the signatures of two huge radio jets that indicate it only recently fell silent after a bright, active phase.Continue… Continue reading Astronomers discover dying echoes of a supermassive black hole

New instrument begins measuring total light ever emitted in the universe

A new instrument made a short jaunt to space on the weekend, as part of a mission to measure the total light ever emitted over the universe’s history. The CIBER-2 project will search for stray stars hiding between galaxies by monitoring the cosmic back… Continue reading New instrument begins measuring total light ever emitted in the universe

Milky Way’s central black hole could be a ball of dark matter

Like most galaxies, the Milky Way is thought to host a supermassive black hole in its center – but perhaps its dark heart is made of different stuff. A new study proposes that it could instead be a dense core of dark matter, made up of hypothetical par… Continue reading Milky Way’s central black hole could be a ball of dark matter

Galactic glamor shots abound in annual Milky Way photo competition

One of the best things about getting away from the bright lights of the city is casting your eyes (and camera) upwards to the majesty of the Milky Way. Travel blog Capture the Atlas has unveiled the latest edition of its annual Milky Way Photographer o… Continue reading Galactic glamor shots abound in annual Milky Way photo competition

Gamma rays 10 times more energetic than thought possible detected

Astronomers have detected the highest-energy light ever seen, streaming in from near the center of the Milky Way. Hundreds of gamma ray signals were detected with ultra-high energies, with the most powerful signals crossing the Peta-electronvolt (PeV) … Continue reading Gamma rays 10 times more energetic than thought possible detected

Five fast radio bursts tracked to home galaxies

Astronomers are another step closer to solving one of the most intriguing cosmic mysteries of recent times – fast radio bursts (FRBs). A team has now traced five signals to their points of origin within the spiral arms of galaxies, narrowing down the l… Continue reading Five fast radio bursts tracked to home galaxies

Stars made of antimatter could be lurking in our galaxy

Antimatter is the strange, evil twin of regular matter, and it’s thought to have been mostly banished from our universe. But could it still be lurking out there in large clumps, even as stars? Astronomers have now identified a few signals that could be… Continue reading Stars made of antimatter could be lurking in our galaxy

New Milky Way map reveals wake of dwarf galaxy on a collision course

A team has made a few intriguing discoveries in the outermost regions of the Milky Way. The astronomers mapped the fringes of the sparse halo that envelops our home galaxy, and found the wake of a dwarf galaxy pushing through it on its eventual collisi… Continue reading New Milky Way map reveals wake of dwarf galaxy on a collision course

“Stellar eggs” found hatching near the galaxy’s central black hole

Supermassive black holes create extremely turbulent environments at the centers of galaxies, and it’s long been presumed that this would disrupt star formation there. But now, astronomers have peered closer at the heart of the Milky Way and discovered … Continue reading “Stellar eggs” found hatching near the galaxy’s central black hole