Tentative Evidence of the First Generation of Stars
Scientists have detected something unusual around a distant quasar — perhaps the first real evidence of a first-generation star.
Dance of Giant Stars Creates Ripples of Dust
Every time two giant stars swing around each other, they enrich the cosmos with complex organic molecules.
Astronomers Map the Milky Way's "Underworld"
A simulated map of the Milky Way shows the location of our galaxy's stellar corpses — and they're not where you might think they'd be.
New Observations Add Fuel to Fast Radio Burst Origin Debate
A peculiar repeating fast radio burst seems to be coming from a dynamic environment in an otherwise uninteresting region, leaving researchers scratching their heads as to the burst’s origin.
Webb's Dazzling Views of the Orion Nebula
The James Webb Space Telescope has provided its first views of the Orion Nebula, revealing infant stars and the filaments that feed them.
Explore the Night with Bob King
Vega, the Star at the Center of Everything
While we may quibble about how to pronounce its name, there's no denying that Vega is one of the most fascinating and useful stars in the heavens.
Betelgeuse's Great Dimming: The Aftermath
The Great Dimming occurred when Betelgeuse coughed out a huge chunk of material, and the ejection took a toll on the giant star.
Black Widow Pulsar Sets Mass Record
A pulsar has devoured enough of its stellar companion to grab the title for most massive known neutron star.
Radio “Heartbeat” Teases Fast Radio Burst Origins
Scientists have observed pulses from a fast radio burst, suggesting the flash might have come from a neutron star.
This Triplet of Stars Was Once a Quartet
Stellar mergers in quadruple systems might be common, a new study shows.
A Strange White Dwarf with a Chaotic Past
New observations show that both rocky and icy worlds fell onto a white dwarf, indicating past orbital chaos in the system.
The Gaia Revolution: New Data and Strange Stars
Astronomers will use the newest data release from the Gaia mission to explore stellar tsunamis, Milky Way history, and more.
An Unusual Source Deepens Fast Radio Burst Mysteries
A new source of fast radio bursts raises questions about how much we really know about these mysterious flares.
The Life and Times of Immortal Stars
Under the right conditions, stars could become immortal. How is this possible, and what does it mean for these stars’ surroundings?
Mystery of the Sun's Chemical Makeup Lingers
Astronomers think they might have a solution to the conundrum of the Sun's chemical composition.
Astronomers Watched a White Dwarf Turn into a Thermonuclear Fireball
Astronomers have spotted the X-ray flash that precedes a nova. The brief flare is the first sign of a white dwarf erupting into a nuclear-fusion fireball.
A Possible Optical Counterpart to a Fast Radio Burst?
What’s the mechanism behind millisecond-duration bursts of radio energy coming from outer space? A team searched for visible-light counterparts to constrain the origin of fast radio bursts — and found one.
Cocoons Around Dying Stars Could Explain New Type of Stellar Explosions
A recently discovered type of stellar explosion might fit right in among the spectrum from regular supernovae to massive gamma-ray bursts.
Pulsar Shoots 7-light-year-long Phaser Blast
Nature proves truth is still stranger than fiction: A pulsar has shot energetic particles in a thin, straight line that extends for light-years into space. The discovery might explain how antimatter makes its way to Earth.
“Closest Black Hole” Doesn’t Exist, After All
Astronomers combined forces to confirm that a black hole proposed to lie a mere 1,000 light-years away isn’t really there.