Catch a Star's Unprecedented Eruption
At first observers thought they'd discovered a nova — a "new star" erupting from obscurity. But astronomers quickly realized that it was a well-known, formerly well-behaved variable star suddenly gone bonkers.
Amateurs Discover U Scorpii's Eruption
Astronomers worldwide were waiting — but two remarkable amateurs in Florida turned out to be the ones watching at just the right time.