The Chandra X-ray Observatory has gazed at a small patch of sky for almost 12 weeks, revealing 1,008 X-ray-emitting sources — most of them supermassive black holes.
Galaxies
Fast Radio Burst has a Surprising Source
For the first time, a team of astronomers has placed a fast radio burst on the cosmic map, allowing them to better pinpoint its mysterious origin.
Top 12 Astronomy News Stories of 2016
From the discovery of gravitational waves to the building evidence that a massive planet could exist beyond Pluto, it has been a thrilling year for astronomy research. We recap.
Hubble Images Tangled Web in Nearby Galaxy
A Hubble image of a nearby, massive elliptical galaxy reveals tenuous filaments that appear to be connected to the growth of the galaxy's supermassive black hole.
Astronomers Map Milky Way in Incredible Detail
Astronomers have mapped neutral atomic hydrogen, which profuses the space between stars, in unprecedented detail to create a beautiful radio-wavelength portrait of the Milky Way.
About Those 2 Trillion New Galaxies . . .
The news that astronomers find the universe has 10 times more galaxies than previously thought? There's less to this than the headlines say.
ALMA Pans for Galactic Gold in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field
ALMA, the largest telescope array in the world, took a look at the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, and revealed the cosmic history of star formation.
Why Galaxies Have Spiral Arms
Astronomers have found a unique trait of spiral arms that supports a longstanding idea about where these patterns come from.
Of Dwarf Galaxies and Voids
Living in voids might be tangentially responsible for three small galaxies’ recent flurries of starbirth.
Students Discover a Galactic Eye of Horus
Undergraduate students in Japan stumbled upon a rare lensing of two distinct background galaxies.
The Making of a “Frankenstein” Galaxy
Astronomers take a second look at UGC 1382 — previously considered a typical elliptical galaxy — and reassess everything they know about its size, age, and formation.
Doomed Hitomi Gazed at Galaxy Cluster
In its first — and final — month of flight, the Hitomi X-ray observatory measured the calm within the bubbling core of the Perseus Cluster.
Missing Dwarf Galaxies Never Were
Astronomers may have solved the case of the Milky Way’s missing satellite galaxies. The solution? The galaxies never existed.
Clouds Rain Down on Black Hole
Astronomers have detected three cold gas clumps falling toward a galaxy's center — at odds with the prevailing idea for how black holes grow.
Galaxy Cluster Spotted in Early Universe
Astronomers discover a vast collection of young galaxies from the early universe.
How Dead Galaxies Stay Dead
A galaxy in the midst of a merger isn’t forming stars, even though it could. Astronomers think the galaxy’s central black hole might be the reason why.
Dark Dwarf Galaxy Discovered
Astronomers using the ALMA array of radio dishes have detected a dwarf galaxy 4 billion light-years away by the pull of its dark matter.
Hidden Galaxies Revealed
Astronomers studying the infrared glow that pervades the universe have pinned down its source: dusty, faint, and faraway galaxies.
Super Spiral Galaxies
Astronomers have identified 53 “super spirals” — spiral galaxies that are huge and incredibly luminous — as part of a project exploring archived observations.
Hubble Finds Most Distant Galaxy Yet
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have measured a precise distance to a galaxy dwelling in the cosmic dawn.
Galaxies Hidden Behind the Milky Way
Astronomers have detected hundreds of galaxies lying hidden behind the Milky Way's disk, many of which belong to the so-called Great Attractor, or Norma Supercluster.
Giant Cloud Came from the Milky Way
The massive Smith Cloud falling toward our galaxy’s disk is likely from our galaxy, not a visitor.
A Galaxy Hit-and-Run
Ripples found in the Milky Way’s disk reveal our galaxy survived an ancient hit-and-run. Now, astronomers might have caught the culprit.
Seeing Shadows of Ancient Galaxies
A new technique lets astronomers measure nearly invisible clouds of hydrogen gas from across the universe.
Astronomers Take Galaxy’s Pulse
Astronomers have caught a giant elliptical galaxy “shimmering” as its stars pulsate.