See What Happens When Stars Collide
A star in the constellation Norma appears to have been created when two stars merged.
The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Strong Magnetic Fields Swirl Near Milky Way’s Black Hole
Astronomers have detected twisted, orderly magnetic fields near the event horizon of Sagittarius A*.
Mystery Objects Uncovered in Globular Clusters
Astronomers have found two different star clusters with an enigmatic source inside. Are these objects neutron stars or black holes?
The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
The Black Hole Shadow in M87: One Year Later
The Event Horizon Telescope collaboration has released the image from its second major campaign, confirming the existence of a persistent black hole shadow and a potentially turbulent environment.
Astronomers Discover “Invisible” Galaxy
A radio survey has serendipitously uncovered a galaxy with no visible stars.
Black Holes in Early Universe Are Too Big
JWST observations of the universe as it was 12 to 13 billion years ago indicate that the black holes at the centers of small, early galaxies were more massive than expected.
Cassiopeia A: A Festive Supernova Remnant
New near-infrared observations from the Webb telescope reveal intricate strands of debris from the exploded star.
The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Black Hole Rain
The planned LISA gravitational-wave detector might discover a shower of hundreds of small black holes falling in galactic centers.
Travel Diary: Astronomical Adventures in the Canaries
The week of September’s new Moon, a passel of astro-enthused passengers explored one of the world’s premier observing locations.
Solar Cycle May Trigger Clouds on Neptune
Nearly 30 years of observations indicate that Neptune’s clouds and brightness vary with the Sun’s activity.
The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Black Hole May Have Formed by Direct Collapse
Astronomers may have spotted a supermassive black hole in the early universe that formed when a gargantuan gas cloud imploded.
A Jekyll-Hyde White Dwarf
The white dwarf J2033 seems to switch rapidly between two compositions.
Star Caught Swallowing a Planet
For the first time, astronomers have witnessed a star eat an exoplanet.
First Image of Black Hole Shadow and Jet Together
For the first time, astronomers have seen how the big plasma jet shot out by a supermassive black hole connects to the material falling into the black hole.
The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
The First Black Hole Image, Take Two
A new analysis of Event Horizon Telescope data sharpens our view of the glowing gas encircling the black hole.
The Universe Is Too Smooth By Half
Results from a complex new analysis support cosmologists’ suspicions that something is missing from our understanding of the universe.
Familiar Fluffy Triangulum Galaxy Has Hidden, Two-Armed Pattern
Astronomers have discovered that one of the Milky Way’s nearest galactic neighbors has dramatically changed its looks in the recent past.
The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
The Challenge of Weird Black Hole Mergers
When spacetime shivers last only a fraction of a second — as in the case of the massive-black-hole merger GW190521 — astronomers struggle to uncover their origins.
Hotspot Zooms Around Our Galaxy’s Black Hole
Astronomers have detected a bubble of hot gas circling our galaxy’s central black hole soon after seeing a flare, suggesting both arose from the same process.
The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Monstrous Black Holes Spin More Slowly — But Why?
X-ray observations add to growing evidence that the most massive black holes have a different past than their lightweight peers.