Astronomers have found an extrasolar planet around a main sequence star. Which isn’t a big deal. With a radio telescope. Which is.
Continue reading “An exoplanet has been found for the first time using radio telescopes”Neutron stars of different masses can make a real mess when they collide
When neutron stars collide, they go out with a tremendous bang, fueling an explosion up to a thousand times more powerful than a supernova. But sometimes they go out with a whimper, and a recent suite of simulations is showing why: they turn into a black hole.
Continue reading “Neutron stars of different masses can make a real mess when they collide”Newly forming star has spiral arms like a tiny galaxy
Protoplanetary disks – where young stars are forming their families of planets – usually form concentric rings of gaps. But astronomers have recently spotted a surprising situation: an adolescent star surrounded by galaxy-like spiral arms.
Continue reading “Newly forming star has spiral arms like a tiny galaxy”Mira-type variable stars are constantly throwing the key chemicals for life out into space
We know that the carbon in your bones was formed long ago in the heart of a star. But how did that carbon actually make its way to your bones? It’s a bit of a complicated puzzle, and recent observations with the SOFIA observatory show how Mira stars do the trick.
Continue reading “Mira-type variable stars are constantly throwing the key chemicals for life out into space”Supermassive black holes can cloak themselves in a cocoon of dust, making them invisible even when they should be bright quasars
Quasars are the most powerful sources of light in the universe, but sometimes they’re hard to find. A team of astronomers used the Chandra X-ray Space Telescope to find some diamonds in the rough.
Continue reading “Supermassive black holes can cloak themselves in a cocoon of dust, making them invisible even when they should be bright quasars”There’s a flash of ultraviolet just as a white dwarf is exploding as a supernova
Astronomers recently spotted a rare type of supernova explosion that was accompanied by a massive flare of ultraviolet radiation. Untangling the mystery of the UV flash could help unravel the mysterious nature of these supernova explosions, and even help us understand the age of the universe.
Continue reading “There’s a flash of ultraviolet just as a white dwarf is exploding as a supernova”A ring of high-energy particles surrounding a black hole suddenly disappeared
In March 2018 astronomers watched a massive black hole surge in brightness. Then over the following year, its ring of light dimmed to near-invisibility before regaining its former strength. The potential culprit? The black hole swallowing an entire star.
Continue reading “A ring of high-energy particles surrounding a black hole suddenly disappeared”A Neptune-class exoplanet has been found with its atmosphere stripped away
What happens when a giant planet gets stripped of its atmosphere? It leaves behind a giant core, rich in iron and other metals. A team using NASA’s TESS mission recently found such a remnant core, orbiting a star just 730 light-years away.
Continue reading “A Neptune-class exoplanet has been found with its atmosphere stripped away”Supernovae shockwaves aren’t spherical
When stars blow up, they tend to release their energy in a roughly spherical shape. But much after the initial blast, the resulting shock waves can sometimes be elongated in one direction. A team of theorists used laboratory lasers to identify the potential culprit: magnetic fields.
Continue reading “Supernovae shockwaves aren’t spherical”White dwarfs are a big source of carbon in the Universe
In their nuclear hearts, stars fuse elements heavier than hydrogen, creating the ingredients necessary to make planets, oceans, and people. Tracing the origins of individual elements in the Milky Way has been a challenge, but a new analysis of white dwarf stars reveals that they may be responsible for one of the most essential elements of all: carbon.
Continue reading “White dwarfs are a big source of carbon in the Universe”