Collaborate Disseminate
Fresh research has cast doubt on the theory that energetic outbursts from young stars blows away the cocoon of gas from which they formed, which in turn prevents them from growing any further. The Milky Way plays host to over 200 billion stars, the ear… Continue reading Powerful protostars may not be responsible for ending their own growth
The supermassive black holes lurking at the center of most galaxies, including our own, are believed to have grown so big by gobbling up matter over billions of years. But a new study suggests they may have taken a shortcut, starting life as a hypothet… Continue reading Colossal primordial stars may have seeded supermassive black holes
As a soupy mix of electrons and ions that forms under certain conditions in the most extreme of environments, plasma is an inherently difficult thing to observe. Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the way we study this phenomenon, manag… Continue reading “Bottled” ultracold plasma to help study the secrets of nuclear fusion
Last year scientists detected gravitational waves from what appeared to be the most massive black hole collision ever recorded. But now an international team of astrophysicists has proposed an exotic alternative – the data may actually favor a collisio… Continue reading Invisible “dark matter” stars may explain puzzling gravitational waves
Massive galaxies may be siphoning off star-forming material from the very hearts of smaller satellite galaxies, according to the results of a newly published study. The interaction causes the smaller cosmic structures to stagnate and essentially cease … Continue reading Galaxies stop neighbors from growing by stealing gas from their hearts
A team of astronomers using Hubble to hunt for an elusive type of black hole have stumbled onto an even weirder scene. In the center of a nearby globular cluster, Hubble discovered what looks like a whole gang of small black holes being uncharacteristi… Continue reading Hubble spots swarm of small black holes in nearby cluster
Astronomers have identified the remains of a rare type of supernova in our home galaxy for the first time. These events, known as Type Iax supernovae, occur when white dwarfs explode and may leave behind a “zombie star.”Continue ReadingCategory: Space,… Continue reading Smoking gun of rare “zombie star” supernova discovered in Milky Way
Astronomers have discovered a nearby system of exoplanets with unusually orderly orbits but disordered densities. Five of the six planets circle the star in a rare rhythmic dance called a resonance chain, and the types of planets are far more shuffled … Continue reading Exoplanet system discovered with strange balance of order and disorder
Astronomers have detected a strange signal coming from a group of neutron stars that could be the fingerprints of a long-sought elementary particle – and maybe even dark matter. An unexplained excess of X-rays hints at axions, hypothetical “ghost” part… Continue reading Unexplained X-ray signals from neutron stars hint at “ghost” particles
The gravitational waves we’ve detected so far have been like tsunamis in the spacetime sea, but it’s believed that gentle ripples should also pervade the universe. Now, a 13-year survey of light from pulsars scattered across the galaxy may have reveale… Continue reading Astronomers may have detected background ripples in spacetime itself