Brian Koberlein

If Black Holes Have Hair, We Will See It in the Ringdown of Their Mergers

September 15, 2026

Researchers have found that if black holes have certain features, known as "hair," then we could prove it by observing the gravitational ringdown of merging black holes. Future studies could test the no-hair theorem of general relativity.

If Alien Civilizations Use Hyper-Efficient Computers, They Will Have A Distinct Energy Signal We Can Detect

September 09, 2026

Astronomers have long searched for Dyson spheres as a sign of advanced alien civilizations. But if an alien civilization is dependent on advanced computing, we may be better served by looking for a Slysh halo.

Some Black Holes Grow Much Faster Than Their Galaxies

September 08, 2026

New observations find that a few supermassive black holes are unexpectedly large given the size of their galaxies. This suggests the connection between black holes and galaxies isn't as strong as we thought.

Quiet Black Holes With a Stellar Companion Raise Questions About How They Form

September 07, 2026

Gaia has discovered three stellar mass black holes, each with a small stellar companion. For two of these systems the companions orbit closer that we would expect. Just how these systems form is a bit of a mysteries, but there are clues.

A Pair of White Dwarfs Locked in a Six-Minute Orbit Might One Day Be Observed By Gravitational Waves

September 06, 2026

Future gravitational wave observatories will be able to see the gravitational waves of close-orbiting binary stars. A newly studied white dwarf system could be one of the first systems we observe.

Pulsar Timing Arrays Could Look for Evidence of Dark Matter Stars

September 04, 2026

Pulsar Timing Arrays have been used to observe the background of gravitational waves in our galaxy. We aren't certain of their origin, but a new study shows a strong source could be early supermassive giants known as dark stars.

Astronomers See How a Centaur Can Become a Comet

September 03, 2026

In 1992, Centaur 450P/LONEOS had a close encounter with Saturn, shifting its orbit closer to the Sun. Now astronomers can observe how a small icy body transforms into a comet over time.

Simulations Show That Dark Matter Isn't What Gives Stellar Streams Their Kinks

September 02, 2026

Astronomers study dark matter through simulations of stellar streams around the Milky Way. They found that kinks and clumps within these streams aren't caused by dark matter clusters within the galactic halo.

Zodiacal Dust in Exoplanetary Systems Could Hinder Our Search For Life On Other Worlds

August 03, 2026

Most exoplanetary systems have a plane of dust similar to the zodiacal dust of our solar system. This dust absorbs some of the very light we use to find biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres, and could make our search for life more challenging.

The First Confirmed Exo-satellite Challenges Our Definitions of Planets and Moons

July 23, 2026

What do you call a Jupiter-like object that orbits the brown dwarf companion of a star? Is it a planet, a moon, or something new?

A Star Orbiting Our Galaxy's Supermassive Black Hole Tests the Limits of Relativity

July 20, 2026

A Sun-like star orbits the supermassive black hole in our Milky Way so closely that it comes within the distance of Neptune's orbit of the Sun. It has a top speed of more than 8% of light speed. With such extreme motion the star gives astronomers the opportunity to test the limits of general relativity.

A New Model Helps Astronomers Study How Merging Black Holes Ring

May 27, 2026

A new statistical model reveals more details about the ringdown period of merging black holes.

In Quantum Gravity, the Cosmological Constant May Behave Similar To The Quantum Hall Effect

May 12, 2026

The cosmological constant has been a problem in physics since Einstein, but new research may show why it takes the value that it does despite quantum fluctuations that should make its value practically infinite.

Black Holes Don't Live Forever, But They Might Live Long Enough To Look Like White Holes

May 08, 2026

Black holes evaporate through Hawking radiation, meaning their days are numbered. But a new study finds they could enter a metastable stage where they look similar to white holes.

A New Theory Connects Early Cosmic Inflation and Quantum Gravity

March 31, 2026

The Universe expanded rapidly soon after the Big Bang, and we aren't sure why. But a theory of quadratic quantum gravity might be the answer.

Black Hole Mergers Test the Limits of General Relativity

March 23, 2026

We can now use the gravitational waves of black holes to test general relativity and look for evidence of alternative theories of gravity.

The Early Universe was Hot, Dense, and Soupy

March 12, 2026

MIT physicists have observed the first clear evidence that quarks create a wake as they speed through quark-gluon plasma, confirming the plasma behaves like a liquid.

Looking for Supermassive Black Hole Binaries with a Flash of Starlight

March 11, 2026

Supermassive black hole binaries can be difficult to detect in many galaxies, but a new approach could find them by looking for the regular flashes of starlight caused by the gravitational lensing of these black holes.

Radio Telescopes on the Moon Could Let Us Observe Dozens of Black Hole Shadows

January 21, 2026

The resolution of the Event Horizon Telescope is limited by the diameter of Earth, and our observations of the black hole in M87 and in our own galaxy are at the edge of that limit. To observe other, more distant black holes we will need radio telescopes on the Moon.

Stellar Evolution Depends on Where Supernovae Occur

January 12, 2026

Supernovae play a crucial role in the formation and evolution of new stars. But where they occur is nearly as important as when. A new study looks at where supernovae will occur in the Triangulum Galaxy, which will help astronomers understand the role of supernovae in more detail.

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