SUNSET: 
Milky Way's Central Black Hole Flared 200 Years Ago
A glowing molecular cloud shines today because of a 200-year-old flare let out by our galaxy’s supermassive black hole, scientists say.
Radio Waves Unveil Supernova Origin
Astronomers have observed an unusual supernova, in which a helium star fed a white dwarf until it exploded.
Massive Black Hole Duo Spotted at Cosmic Noon
The most distant pair of supermassive black holes discovered offers a unique insight into how galaxies merge.
Have Scientists Found a Rogue Supermassive Black Hole?
An unusual stellar streak emerging from a distant galaxy might be a sign of a runaway supermassive black hole, scientists suggest.
Shredded Star Reveals a Dwarf Galaxy’s Central Black Hole
A luminous flare provides astronomers with a rare opportunity to measure the mass of an otherwise quiescent black hole at the center of a dwarf galaxy.
Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst Yet Lights Up the Sky
A recently detected gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A was so intense that it temporarily blinded instruments and disturbed Earth’s atmosphere.
Wobbly Star Reveals the Closest Black Hole Yet
The most compelling dormant stellar-mass black hole candidate in the Milky Way orbits a Sun-like star only 1,570 light-years away.
This Triplet of Stars Was Once a Quartet
Stellar mergers in quadruple systems might be common, a new study shows.
Where Did the Ice Giants Form?
Conventional planet formation scenarios have Neptune and Uranus forming closer to the Sun. But a new study shows that the ice giant planets could have formed right where they are now.
Supermassive Black Hole Hides Behind a Ring of Dust
A high-resolution infrared image has revealed a dust screen obscuring a gas-devouring supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy NGC 1068, confirming 30-year-old predictions.
Astonishing Radio View of the Milky Way’s Heart
A new radio survey reveals a complex and chaotic galactic center teeming with supernova remnants, star-forming regions, and mysterious filaments.
Close Companions Help Stars Make More Carbon
Massive stars can produce twice as much carbon when they have a close binary companion, according to a new study. The result is a small but important step in understanding the cosmic origin of elements.
Misfit Meteorite Sheds Light on Solar System History
Scientists have discovered the first meteorite that doesn't fall into one of two fundamental groups. The meteorite provides a unique glimpse into the era of asteroid formation and migration.
How Often Do Chicxulub-level Asteroids Hit Earth?
Asteroids of different sizes crashing on Earth originated from different parts of the main asteroid belt, researchers say; the finding has implications for how often such collisions happen.
Metal-poor Stars Shed Light on the Origin of Gold
Explosions of massive stars might have produced gold and other rare heavy elements observed in metal-poor stars in our galaxy’s halo.
The Hubble Space Telescope As Cosmic-Ray Detector
Astronomers, using Hubble Space Telescope as a particle detector, have traced cosmic rays flowing in Earth's geomagnetic field.
